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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46
cited the condition was ordinary primary amentia, whereas the mental disturbances
caused by a fall are of a very different type.
In the large proportion of the cases where no cause was suggested by the parents,
there was evidence in the family history of an inferior or unstable stock, though
rarely of certifiable mental defect or lunacy.
Dr. Williams also finds that there is a larger proportion of congenital defects
and abnormalities in imbeciles than in the feeble-minded, many of them being closely
associated with the mental defect and denoting that the amentia is of a secondary
type and not of the ordinary inherited variety, whilst acquired defects, however,
are somewhat commoner in the feeble minded, viz. :—
Congenital defects, etc.
Imbeciles.
Per cent.
Feeble-minded.
Per cent.
Mongolism 24 1.2
Cerebral paralysis 14 6.2
Hydrocephalus 2 0.0
Epilepsy 8 11.0
Cleft palate 2 0.0
Congenital heart disease 2 0.0
Congenital blindness 4 0.0
Acquired defects.
Heart weakness 0 2.5
Defective vision 2 7.5
Malnutrition, etc. 0 7.5
Other affections 0 3.75
Among other affections was that of a defective lad who had his arms severely
bitten by a tame bear. In only one of all the cases in this series was it suggested
by the parents that the practical inefficiency was due to physical causes and in fact
on detailed examination, making full allowance for the physical disability, it was
found that the mental defect was the real cause of the social failure.
| School. | Imbeciles. Per cent. | Feeble-minded. Per cent. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5.0 | |||
| 2.5 | |||
| 2 | o.o | ||
| 72.5 | |||
| 3.75 | |||
| 16.25 | |||
The great majority of the feeble-minded attended M.D. schools and the real
proportion for London cases should be somewhat higher since those who had no
schooling and those who were sent to institutions were children under 5, while
several of the cases who had attended elementary schools had done so in areas
where no special schools existed. There were in fact only three persons in this series
of feeble-minded children who would not have been fit for special schools in London
at the age of 7.
The larger proportion of imbeciles had not attended any school; nearly one