View report page

45
Education Committee cases are included in order to make the information
as complete as possible so far as is at present available.
Mental Deficiency Committee's cases:—
Mentally defective persons at present in the Croydon
Mental Hospital, Upper Warlingham, and
stated by the Medical Superintendent to come
within the scope of the Act 19
Non-educable cases of mental deficiency reported
by Education Committee to Mental Deficiency
Committee 14
Mental deficiency cases above the age of 16 years 31
— 64
Educcttion Committee cases:—
Educable (high grade 28, low grade 29) 57
121
The total number of cases at present known, for which the Mental
Deficiency Committee is responsible, is 64.
11.—Of the four cases referred by the Borough Magistrates to the
Medical Officer, two were found not to be cases of mental deficiency
within the meaning of the Act; one case has been sent to an Institution;
and the other case is under remand pending a vacancy in a suitable
Institution being found.
12.—Throughout the year a large amount of correspondence has
taken place with the various Institutions recognised by the Board of
Control with a view to obtaining the admission of some, at least, of the
cases for which the Committee are responsible, to such Institutions.
The replies in practcally every instance have been discouraging in so
far as vacancies are practically non-existent, excepting in those Institutions
where the cases admitted are of a high grade type or where the
cost of maintenance is high.
13.—Generally speaking the high grade mentally defective is not a
case which the Committee are legally obliged to deal with, and the
efforts made have been directed towards obtaining suitable Institutions
for cases coming within section 2 (1) of the Mental Deficiency Act, 1913.
14.—In addition to the criminal cases, the Committee are maintaining
in an Institution one case which was automatically handed over
by the Education Committee at the age of 16 years. Applications are
at present beirg made for the admission of several other cases to suitable
residential approved Institutions.
15.—According to the estimate of the Chief Medical Officer of the
Board of Education, the total number of mentally deficient children of
school age and of an educable type in Croydon would approximately
be 125. The number in this group at present on the register of mentally
defective children is 57. On this basis it is quite probable that the
number of mentally defective people over the education age of 16 years
in Crovdon is considerably greater than that known to us now, viz. 31
(exclusive of cases now in the Croydon Mental Hospital).