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 1930
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London County Council]
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44
Cases in mental hospitals and cases not
already certified in institutions taken over.
Cases seen in the ordinary routine of work.
Grade of
defect.
Males.
Females.
Males.
Females.
Under
7.
7 &
under
16.
16 &
over.
Under
7.
7 &
under
16.
16 &
over.
Under
7.
7 &
under
16.
16 &
over.
Under
7
7 &
under
16
16 &
over.
Idiot 5 22 16 1 15 7 5 5 2 9 4 —
Imbecile 29 120 94 20 97 117 31 80 12 21 57 10
Feeble-
minded 5 142 280 5 78 235 19 320 153 11 231 152
Moral
defective — — 3 — — — — — 3 — — —
Of the ordinary cases practically all the feeble-minded in the age group 7-16,
and a proportion of those over 16, are cases which have been notified by the Education
Committee on leaving special schools for the mentally defective. Fifty-four
of the 81 cases examined and deemed not to be defective were over the age of 16
years. It will be noted that by far the greater number of those children who require
to be dealt with before attaining the age of 7 years, are of the lower mental
grades.
The incidence of cases classified under clinical type as well as grade of defect is shown in the following table:—
| Clinical type of defect. | Cases in mental hospitals and cases not already certified in institutions taken over. | Cases seen in the ordinary routine of work. | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade of defect. | Grade of defect. | |||||||||
| Idiot. | Imbecile. | Feebleminded | Moral defect. | Total. | Idiot. | Imbecile. | Feebleminded | Moral defect | Total. | |
| 1 | 239 | 580 | — | 820 | 8 | 104 | 789 | 1 | 902 | |
| 2 | 20 | — | — | 22 | 2 | 41 | 1 | — | 44 | |
| — | 3 | 1 | — | 4 | — | 4 | 3 | — | 7 | |
| 2 | 9 | 2 | — | 13 | — | 1 | 1 | — | 2 | |
| 5 | 8 | 1 | — | 14 | 4 | 4 | 2 | — | 10 | |
| 1 | 4 | 6 | — | 11 | — | 3 | 13 | 2 | 18 | |
| 10 | 50 | 19 | — | 79 | 6 | 25 | 28 | — | 59 | |
| 12 | 27 | 5 | — | 44 | — | 5 | 4 | — | 9 | |
| 30 | 99 | 96 | — | 225 | 4 | 16 | 30 | — | 50 | |
| — | 4 | 4 | — | 8 | — | 3 | — | — | 3 | |
| 3 | 14 | 31 | 3 | 51 | 1 | 5 | 15 | — | 21 | |
| 66 | 477 | 745 | 3 | 1,291 | 25 | 211 | 886 | 3 | 1,125 | |
Causes
assigned
for mental
deficiency.
Dr. A. C. Williams has analysed 130 case histories of persons dealt with under
the Mental Deficiency Acts, viz.: 80 feeble-minded and 50 imbeciles. The cases
were not selected and thus the results despite the small numbers concerned give a
fair idea of the usual course of events. The following are the causes suggested by
parents:—
In the Feeble-minded.
Per cent.
In thu Imbecile.
Per cent.
Inherited defect 2.5 —
Alcohol and syphilis in life of parents 6.25 -
Fright and worry in pregnancy 12.5 38
Illness and injuries in pregnancy 5.0 6
Difficult birth 2.5 6