Congratulations
News and Notes.
Probably most of our readers noted at the time of the New Year’s distribu- tion of honours that our President, the Right Hon. Sir Leslie Scott, K.C., M.P., was made a Member of His Majesty’s Privy Council. We should like here to tender him our congratulations.
Surrey County Council Mental Deficiency Committee.
A Sub-Committee of this Committee was recently appointed to consider the question of the compulsory sterilisation of mental defectives. Their report briefly reviews the arguments on both sides and concludes with the unanimous decision of the Sub-Committee that sterilisation is not a practical policy. A paragraph in the Report is of general interest, ” An analysis of family histories of 500 recent consecutive cases in Surrey shows that in 25 per cent, only of such cases was one parent in any way abnormal mentally, and in four cases only, i.e., 0.08 per cent., were both parents defective (and some of these might not be certifiable under the Act). Further, in the same families some of the children were apparently normal.”
Gift to the Library.
Major Leonard Darwin has very kindly presented the library with a copy of his recently published book, ” The need for eugenic reform.” This book was reviewed in the October number of the magazine. The words placed on the front page of the book indicate Major Darwin’s aim in bringing together in one volume his views on the whole subject. The dedicatory words are :?” Dedicated to the memory of my father, for if I had not believed that he would have wished me to give such help as I could towards making his life’s work of service to mankind, I should never have been led to write this book.”
Mental Deficiency Bill.
In our last issue, we recorded our regret that the Mental Deficiency Bill, introduced by the Government last Session, had been withdrawn. We are glad that, although the Government did not see its way to bring in a new bill this Session, they are prepared to support the Private Member’s Bill presented by Mr. B. Crompton Wood, C.B.E. The new Bill does not differ very materially in its aim from the old Bill, but to meet objections to the earlier Bill’s definition of mental defectiveness, the age-limit of 18 has been introduced, and the words ‘’ or other cause,” which roused considerable opposition because of their vague- ness, have been omitted. Mr. Wood introduced the Bill in a very lucid speech, which carried conviction to the House. When last Session’s Bill came up for Second Reading, there was a rather languid debate, but on March 18th, when the Second Reading of Mr. Wood’s Bill took place, the debate lasted from 11 o’clock until nearly 4. It is too soon to speak of the possible fate of the Bill, 3nd rash to suppose that because it passed the second reading without a division it will have an easy passage. We hope that there will be no lessening of interest in the Bill, and that Members of Parliament will continue to support it through all its stages.
A second Mental Deficiency Bill (Deficiency Bill No. 2) was presented to the House on the day before the second reading of Mr. Crompton Wood’s Bill. This Bill is presented by Mr. Rhys Davies and supported by Mr. Ammon, Mr. Hayes and Mr. Greenwood. It is a lengthy document, and traverses the whole Act of 1913, altering the definitions of mental defectives, and many other sections of the Act. We fear that it raises too many controversial points for there to be much likelihood of its being passed. Its introduction came as a complete sur- prise to this Association and others working in the field of mental welfares Encephalitis Lethargica.
Weekly notifications (reproduced from the Lancet). Weekending Weekending Weekending Jan. 1 39 Feb. 5 49 Mar. _5 49 8 39 15 41 22 32 29 26 12 33 12 32 19 39 ? 19 39 26 38 ? 26 37 177 159 157 Total 493
Agricultural Wages (Regulation) Act, 1924.
It is interesting to note, in the recently issued report of the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, that the number of permits for exemptions (allowing- le P&yment of less than the minimum rates of wages) in force on the JOth Septem- ber, 1926, over the whole country was 10,454, and of these 1,591 were on account of mental deficiency. That care is exercised in the granting of permits by the Agricultural Wages Committees is shown by the fact that 151 cases were refused Permits on the ground that the worker’s earning capacity was not affected by mental infirmity or physical injury or other infirmity.
Similar exemptions are, of course, granted under the Trade Boards Acts, but no recent figures giving the number of exemptions on account of mental deficiency are available.
The Maladjusted Child.
Two recent developments have special interest for those who are anxious in this country to extend the use of psychological clinics. Within the next tew weeks the Jewish Health Organisation is hoping to open a Clinic for the psyc o- logical treatment of the maladjusted child. We also learn that^ the ^ New Education Fellowship, which is responsible for that interesting magazine, lhe New Era,” is hoping to start a Parents’ Society and Parents’ Bureau. An appeal for money is being made. ” Attached to the Society will be a Parents Bureau, where parents may bring ‘ difficult ‘ or ‘ problem ‘ children for expeit treatment and advice. This will be a great boon to many who are perplexed by what appears to be some abnormal development in the child. By such early treatment, neuroses and maladjustments in the adult will be avoided. We understand that the Bureau will be under the direction of a lady doctor; that it is not intended to treat children who are definitely pathological, and that the Bureau will not be limited to children coming from secondary schools.
Both these experiments would seem to indicate that there is a growing appreciation of the value of what in America are called “Child Guidance Clinics.
London Association for the Care of the Mentally Defective.
We wish to draw the attention of our readers to the page in this issue devoted to the work of the London Association. Not unnaturally, the doings of the London Association, the largest area Association caring for the mentall) defective, has an interest beyond London. The Association has decided to take a page every quarter in our magazine for the purpose of keeping in touch with their own members and of giving publicity to any development they may have on foot.