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137
nominated either in error as to their innate capacities, or on account of some features
of their behaviour.
These children are of the type referred to in the "Wood Report" as "retarded"
and who, although not properly certifiable as mentally defective in the educational
sense, and still less in the social sense of the term, would derive far greater benefit
could their education be conducted along the lines cm-rent in the special schools for
older boys and girls. Under the conditions which apply in most ordinary schools,
there is little to arouse their interest and they tend to mark time until released by
the operation of the age limit. For such, a special post-primary curriculum would
be an instrument of social salvage.
Mr. Yearsley's
report
on deaf
children.
The aural consultant, Mr. Yearsley, has visited the schools for the deaf and
partially deaf and has held 22 consultations at the County Hall. During these,
368 children were examined and the following recommendations made concerning
them:—
Fit for—
No.
Per cent.
Central school 2 .5
Elementary 20 5.5
Elementary school and treatment 12 3.3
Elementary school front row 94 25.5
Elementary school front row and treatment 40 11.0
Hard of hearing 66 17.4
Deaf normal 62 17.0
Deaf and defective 20 5.5
Physically defective 1 .3
Mentally defective 14 3.8
Advice given 9 2.5
Invalided 28 7.7
368 100.0
Some of these cases were seen more than once during the year and others had
been seen on previous occasions; 122 deaf or hard of hearing children were seen for
the first time; in 5 of these the cause of deafness was doubtful, in 29 the deafness
was congenital and in 91 it was due to acquired causes. The congenital cases were
classified as:—
Boys. Girls. Totals.
True hereditary deaf birth 2 2 4
Sporadic deaf birth 11 12 23
Aphasia 0 2 2
13 16 29

The diseases of the nervous system cases have been in the form of meningitis,
in 2 cases influenzal, and in others of uncertain causation. For the first time in
eleven years there are no cases recorded of deafness due to cerebro-spinal meningitis.
As usual, measles and scarlet fever head the list of the exanthemata with percentages
of 58 and 25 respectively. Of the cases of measles, in 12 the deafness followed
suppuration, and in 2 nerve deafness; in the cases of scarlet fever the deafness
resulted from suppuration in one case, and in 2 from residual catarrh of the middle
ear. Of other infective diseases congenital syphilis accounted for 4 (4.3 per cent).