View report page

52
Cases of cerebro-macular degeneration.
During the year two cases of cerebro-macular degeneration were noted. The
cases were sisters aged 9 and nearly 15. Both girls walked and talked at a normal
age and attended elementary schools; they suffered from epilepsy and they both
showed signs of deterioration at the age of 8. On examination in October, 1932, the
elder one was deemed to be an imbecile and the younger one feebleminded (ineducable).
There seems to be no history of fits in either the father or mother who
are both living and healthy; two elder brothers, however, died from this complaint
in Darenth training colony, and they too, it is stated, began to deteriorate when 8
years old. The family consisted of eight children born at intervals between 1905
and 1923 and every alternate child was affected in this way.
Institutional care was recommended in both cases.
Size of families from which mental defectives come.
Dr. F. C. Shrubsall, who gave evidence before the Departmental Committee
on Sterilisation of Mental Defectives, quoted figures from previous Annual Reports,
particularly that for 1912, and gave details of an investigation made into 1,934
families, one member of which came to notice as a feebleminded primary ament.
No other member of the family was defective in 1,598 cases.
One brother or sister was defective in 244 cases.
Two brothers or sisters were defective in 60 cases.
Three brothers or sisters were defective in 21 cases.
Four brothers or sisters were defective in 8 cases.
Five brothers or sisters were defective in 3 cases.
The figures for these 1,934 families showed that 40 parents, 17 siblings, 3 grandparents
and 9 collaterals had been dealt with as insane, and 14 parents had been
dealt with as mentally deficient; in 19 families one member of the fraternity had
gained scholarships, and in two families two members had gained scholarships.
Schools for the blind.
The children attending the two residential and three day schools for the blind
were examined to determine whether or not they could be classified as blind within
the meaning of the Blind Persons Act, 1920, as well as under the Education Acts.
During the year 195 children were seen by Dr. E. M. McVail, who classified 182 as
so blind as to be unable to do work for which eyesight is essential. Twelve were
deemed not to be blind within the meaning of the Act and were transferred to sightsaving
classes, and one youth over 16 who was undergoing treatment at hospital was
also found not to be blind.
It should be stated that the children in all the Council's schools for the blind
are taught to read Braille, and to all intents and purposes the curriculum has been
designed for children who are actually blind and not for those merely unable to
read the ordinary school books.
Schools for the deaf.
During the year Mr. Macleod Yearsley, F.R.C.S., the consulting aural surgeon,
retired on reaching the age limit. Mr. Yearsley joined the service in 1907, and was
associated with the then medical officer (education) in all the earlier developments
of the schools for the deaf. In particular the establishment of separate series of
schools and classes for those who were only partially deaf was initiated by him.
Prior to the establishment of such classes, the hard-of-hearing child was ill provided
for from the educational standpoint. He either remained to drag out a rather
colourless existence, not always even in the front row, in an ordinary class, or was
transferred to a school for the deaf. Occasionally, if his responses to tests were very
inferior, he was admitted to a school for the mentally defective. In that school he
benefited to a limited extent by the individual attention he received ; in the school