Making Citizens of the Mentally Limited
- Type:
Book Reviews CS2 Abstracts.
- Author:
Helen D. Whipple,
M.A. Bloomington Public Schools Publishing Company. 1927. Miss Whipple’s book has been compiled to supply teachers of M. D. pupils with suitable curricula for children whose I. Q-‘s range from 50 to 75.
She wisely remarks that it is not sufficient to be content with ” keep the child busy,” or with a mere modification of the ordinary curriculum worked at a slower pace. These facts are recognised fundamentals where Special School Work is well organised in this country.
Miss Whipple assumes that the teacher has some knowledge of psychology, of child life, and has been well trained in methods. To a teacher who has not taught M. D. pupils there may be more value in this book, but it suffers from prolixity and redundancy.
Most school subjects are fully detailed ex- cept History and Geography. These get little mention, but are probably meant to be taught in correlation with other subjects. Much that is given as suitable appears to be beyond the capacities and requirements of subnormal pupils. In Citizenship, for example, such subjects as, The Bank, Investments, Borrowing Money, and Insurance, are sug- gested. In other subjects too much space is given to minor details. In the chapter on Housekeeping, a list of rules regarding Table Etiquette occupies three pages. Our Ameri- can cousins in the profession are surely not ignorant of such everyday knowledge. Stress is laid on the necessity of educative aim in industrial and manual arts, and the value of correlation in subjects taught is em- phasised.
The book is quite an ” Encyclopaedia Americana ” of Special School Work but leaves the impression of ” much cry but littl? wool.”
A comprehensive list of suitable literature, chiefly American, is appended to each chapter. C. Urquhart.
Motive Forces of the Mind. Bv Alice Raven. W. Heffer & Sons. 3/6d. 1928. We are told in the Preface that this book has arisen out of a course of lectures for the examination for “club leaders” at a Women’s Settlement and is designed to meet the needs of those engaged in social and educational work who have had neither time nor oppor- tunity to make a study of Psychology, or for the normally busy person who finds it im- possible to keep abreast with modern thought and literature on the subject. For this purpose we can confidently recommend it.
An introductory chapter indicates the various branches of the subject, and the chapters then follow the usual sequence of subjects found in a text-book on Psychology. In writing 011 the various problems en- countered in dealing with the adolescent, the author expresses an opinion that is endorsed by most educationists?that any educative in- fluence should be directed towards helping the adolescent to find external objects on which to expend his or her emotional energy, and that to this end social organisations should provide an artistic environment for their mem- bers, and that the ” provision of pictorial art, musical art and dramatic or literary art should form part of all educational schemes for the adolescent.” The employment of decorative work is suggested, any form of dancing, such as Country Dancing or Eurhythmies and the performance of dramatic art.
The author has avoided as far as possible technicalities of expression and the psycho- logical ‘ jargon ” which is so frightening to the average lay reader. It does not aspire to )e a text-book, but it should be a useful con- tention to ” popular ” scientific literature which is certainly in demand to-day.
Public Health. Annual Report of the Lon- don County Council. 1927. Vol TTT Price 2/6d.
Some very interesting statistics are given in the Report o? the County Medical Officer for the year 1927. Amongst these are the figures loi the incidence of Encephalitis Lethargica 149 cases were notified of which 114 are tc- garded as genuine. Of these, 49 (23%) had proved fatal up to March, 1928. In addition 23 cases were recorded amongst the non- notified cases.
” Encephalitis lethargica and its distress- ing sequelae which have been frequently and fully described in previous anual reports, con- tinue to present social problems which still defy solution. From the medical point of view it must be frankly stated that patient investigations and research have brought us no nearer the sccret of the cause or cure of the disease. From the social point of view there still remains a long-felt want of making pro- vision for institutional treatment of those unfortunate adult patients whose mental, moral or physical deterioration resulting upon an invasion of this disease lias unfitted them for normal domestic and social life It is true that the Mental Deficiency Act in 1927 may have some effect in securing the admission to mental hospitals, or otherwise bringing under supervision, those patients whose intell- igence or moral outlook has so degenerated as to bring them within the scope of the new Act.”
Later in the Report some account is given of the research and treatment of these cases which is carried out at the Northern Hospital, Winchmore Hill. This treatment includes massage, gymnastics, electrical therapy, arti- ficial sunlight, etc., while splints and surgical footwear are supplied when required. Ordinary school lessons and instruction in various kinds of handwork are also given. The prognosis of these cases is not, however, very hopeful. As Dr Borthwick (Medical Superintendent of the Northern Hospital) writes, “The experimental unit has not been productive of any positive curative results, but it has proved very valuable as an observation station where cases may be investigated and classified… . There is very little hope that patients suffering from the many after effects of encephalitis lethargica will ever, generally speaking, be cured, for evidence shows that the nerve cells attacked by the virus are irretrievably damaged.” Dr. Borthwick’s full report is given in the Metro- politan Asylums’ Board Report for the year 1927-28 which can be obtained at the Office of the Board, Victoria Embankment, E.G.4.
In the section of the School Medical Officer’s Report on Defective Children an account is given of the after-careers of children formerly attending Special Schools. For the year ended December 31st, 1927, 1,085 returns have been made of the after-careers of children formerly attending Special Schools for the mentally defective. Of these 593 arc reported as having been employed in industrial or manual occu- pations; 178 in industrial occupations. 52 are known to be incapable, by reason of mental or physical defect, of undertaking employment. Board of Control. Fourteenth Annual Report for the Year 1927. Part I. H. M. Stationery Office. l/9d.
The Board of Control have again issued their Report in two parts, Part I. containing the more general information and a review of the year’s work.
The question of shortage of accommodation for cases both of mental disorder and of mental deficiency remains a matter of grave concern. Dealing with the lack of accommodation for mentally defective cases only, the Report states that ” the lack of accommodation be- comes every year more serious and unless a great effort is made in the immediate future to meet the constantly increasing demand for beds, it will become difficult and even imposs- ible to administer the most important sections of the Mental Deficiency Act On 1st January, 1928, the number of cases dealt with under the Act in Institutions w as 20,429. The number for whom such provision is required, taken at the moderate estimate of 1 per 1,000, is 39,067.” (p. 36). The case histories of six mentally defective parents are given, the Board pointing out that if these cases had originally been dealt with under the Mental Deficiency Act and segregated, the community would not have had to support 29 further mentally defective persons. ” In face of our growing knowledge of such family histories, no one can dispute that mental deficiency is the fundamental cause of much pauperism and of a great deal of serious and petty crime… . ()n the other hand experience is leading to the conclusion that the greater number of defectives who are given training and pro- tection in early life can be rendered harmless and amenable …. and a certain number of them can be made self-supporting under fav- ourable conditions and proper supervision; and even if they have to be detained in Insti- tutions, large numbers can be taught to con- tribute to their own support.” (p. 39.)
Whilst deploring the lack of accommodation the Board recognise the admirable work carried out by some Authorities in this direction. Two new Institutions have been opened by Local Authorities during the year under review. The larger of these, opened by the Newcastle County Borough, contains 344 beds and the Leicester County Borough has opened a small Home for 33 young boys.
Estates on which to establish colonies have been acquired by 11 Local Authorities and several others have recognised the urgent need and are bringing forward various schemes for the approval of the Board. The Board again emphasise the advisability of adopting the Colony system in England. With reference to this the Board state, “It is now generally recognised that this is the most humane and efficient way of carrying out the intention of the Mental Deficiency Act, and it is hoped that in the course of time, when the financial position has improved, every large Local Authority will have a Colony of this description and that the smaller Local Authorities will have com- bined to provide a joint Colony.” (p. 43.) With regard to the marriage of mental defectives under Orders and the question of Sterilisation the Board recall their last Report, where a full expression of their opinions on these problems was issued. Several Local Authorities have written to the Board during the year expressing the opinion that legislation should be promoted in order to make illegal the marriage of any certified mentally defective person and urging for a legalized system of sterilisation with subsequent supervision to be brought forward. After giving specimen cases which have been brought to their notice dur- ing the year the Board state, ” A careful study of the information before us leads to the con- clusion that the marriage of defectives has disastrous consequences to the community and that the time has come when definite legisla- tive steps should be taken to prevent the marriage of those under Order. … We have little to add on the question of Sterilisation to the opinions expressed in our last two Reports. These opinions may be summarized as follows:?We do not consider that sterilisa- tion would materially diminish the immediate need for increased institutional accommoda- tion or for the better provision for the care and supervision of defectives outside Institutions. Whether sterilised or not a large proportion of defectives will continue to need institutional care oil account of their inherent capacity to look after themselves or their affairs; and, for the same reason care and supervision will always be necessary for those living in the community.” (p. 48). The Board also point out that sterilisation would not obviate the need for supervision and industrial training.
There has been an increase in ascertainment again this year though less of an increase than during the three previous years. It is inter- esting to note that there is still a big variation of the returns per thousand of the population for different areas. The Board is of opinion that this can be accounted for by the fact that ” in districts which merge into one another geographically, and where the social, racial and industrial conditions are the same, it is more probable that marked variations are caused by differences in the Local Authority’s methods, and in the persistence with which they carry them out, than by any great varia- tion in the incidence.” (p. 49).
During the past year there has been an in- crease of 1,751 cases under Statutory Super- vision. The Board point out that if supervision is to become a permanent and useful part of provision for defectives the Local Authorities should secure the services of specially trained officers to ascertain and supervise, the visits should be paid monthly or at more frequent intervals and attendance at Occupation and Industrial Centres should be encouraged. I here have been 104 of these Centres estab- lished by Voluntary Associations and 5 by Local Authorities. The increased duty of Supervision placed on the Local Authorities by the 1927 Act will bring about the improve- ment in the organisation of Supervision and the Centres should prove useful to them in enabling them to fulfil their Statutory duties. Increased powers have been given to Local Authorities under Section 30 (d) and there has been an increase of 252 cases under Guardian- ship on the numbers for the previous year.
Some interesting statistics are given in the Report on the results of the discharge and licence of cases from Institutions. Investiga- tions were started in 1923 into the results of dischargee and reports on all cases discharged since 1926 have been considered, (p. 54). Of the 89 high grade cases discharged in 1926 17 have been classed as failures, 59 as doubtl iul [i.e., care and control sufficient at present) 8 as successes and 5 as not traced.
Voluntary Social Services. A Handbook of Information and Directory of Organisa- tions. The National Council of Social Service, 26, Bedford Square, W.C.I. Price, 2/- net. 1928.
This Handbook should be a great asset to the offices of all social organisations. It gives in a concise form, details of the aims and activities of all the most important voluntary social services and, used in conjunction with ” Public Social Services,” an earlier publica- tion of the National Council of Social Service, provides a complete and up-to-date directory of voluntary and statutory social service.
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