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41
The family history was enquired into but only in 6 cases could a definite history
of abnormal mental heredity be obtained.
There was a history of intemperance in one parent in 3 cases, and in one case
the woman herself was illegitimate and her mother had led an immoral life.
A great many of the women had done little or no work since leaving school.
Others had kept their jobs only for a short time, being dismissed for inefficiency,
dishonesty or troublesome behaviour, and other signs of mental instability. Others
" ran away " when they got tired of work. This was one of the factors which led
to their getting into trouble with the police. There was one exception to this. A
woman, aged 29 years (mental age 8), who had attended a school for the mentally
defective until she attained 16 years of age, had been employed for 12 years by one
firm as a button-hole maker, until during the past year or two her mental condition
showed deterioration.
Of the 29 women concerned 7 were known to have been leading immoral lives
at time of arrest; 14 had been engaged in irregular domestic employment; 5 had been
engaged in factory work; 2 earned their living by begging; 1 lived at home. There
were 5 who had suffered at some time from venereal disease, and in 3 other cases the
disease was active; 7 of the unmarried women had children; 2 had had one stillbirth;
1 had had one illegitimate child (this child is an imbecile and is in an
institution for the mentally defective); 2 had had two illegitimate children; 1 had
had four illegitimate children (1 still-birth, 3 children born alive—one of these is in a
"home" and 2 are adopted); 1 had had one illegitimate child and was again
pregnant; and one girl was pregnant.

*It was stated that this girl had a blind mother and invalid sister, and she was allowed
to go home in order to look after them.