London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
London County Council 1929
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London County Council]
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37. With regard to vision, the test depends upon the child saying what he can
see at a measured distance and in many cases no intelligible answer was forthcoming,
so that the figures for the ineducable children in the occupation centres almost
certainly do not represent the total amount of defect that exists.
38. The most noteworthy difference between these children and those in
elementary schools is in the number of cases of " squints " and " deformities," as
also of " other defects," which include three cases of enuresis, all of which defects
are frequently associated with mental defect and lack of self-control.
39. Taken on the whole, the children appeared to be clean and well cared for
and in fairly good condition physically.
Guardianship.
40. During 1929 the use of guardianship as a means of providing suitable
care and control for certain selected cases was continued.
41. During the year 38 additional cases were placed under guardianship or
were granted leave of absence from certified institutions with a view to guardianship.
On 31st December, 1929, 61 males and 35 females were being maintained under
guardianship or were on leave of absence from institutions with a view to guardianship.
Of these, 40 males and 7 females were in private village homes, placed
through the agency of The Guardianship Society, Brighton, 2 males and 4 females
in Hertfordshire and 1 female in Middlesex had been placed through the agency
of the Central Association for Mental Welfare, 17 males and 12 females were under
the guardianship of parents, near relatives or friends, and 2 males and 11 females
were in institutional homes in or near London under the personal guardianship of
officers of the homes.
42. Payments as follows are made by the Council in respect of cases under guardianship:— Table 5.
| To | At the rate of |
|---|---|
| Guardianship Society, Brighton | £1 1s. a head a week, made up as follows:— Maintenance, 17s. 6d.; medical attention, 1s.; clothing, 2s. 6d. In addition, super vision, 60s. a head a year. |
| Central Association for Mental Welfare | Not exceeding 20s. a head a week for males and 15s. a week for females. In addition, medical examination and treatment, 15s. a head a year ; supervision, £5 a head a year ; upkeep of outfit, £5 a head a year. |
| Parents, near relatives or friends | Not exceeding 15s. a head a week (in one case, payment is being made at the rate of 21s. a week). |
| Other small institutional homes in or near London | From 12s. to 42s. a head a week. |
Provision of care in institutions.
(a) Accommodation under contract.
43. During the year 1929 the Council was still obliged to make use of accommodation
which it had been able to secure under contract to enable it to make
provision for those ascertained cases of mental defect for which supervision or
guardianship does not make sufficient provision. The following table (6) shows
the number of cases for which accommodation was being provided thus at the end
of 1929:—
Vision.
Comparison
with elementary
school
children.
Conclusion.
Use of
guardianship.
Number of
eases under
guardianship.
Charges for
maintenance,
etc.
Accommodation
in institutions
under
contract.