News and Notes
Stoke Park Colony Camp
About 1,000 of the boys and girls of Stoke Park rejoiced in a delightful camping holiday at Clevedon during the 10 weeks that it was open, almost every day of which was fine. Each party stayed about 2 weeks. The success of the whole was entirely due to Mrs. Burden’s large-hearted generosity and genius for organisation.
The situation of the camp was ideal and not a cloud marred the happiness of the parties. Clevedon has the advantage of being within easy reach of Bristol so that the children could travel by charabanc all the way. The air of Clevedon is wonderfully invigorating, and the big safe paddling and bathing pool, public park with roundabouts and swings make it an ideal place for a camp.
A level field of about 10 acres was rented, gas and water laid on to the little kitchen, and an immense marquee was erected. Here the visitors arrived early and spent the day out of doors, only turning into the marquee for meals. The visitors were able to sleep indoors in the dormitories which had been adapted at Clevedon, so they were comfortably housed whatever the weather. Each party consisted of 150 to 200 boys or girls with a dozen or more teachers and attendants. A recreation officer who has been accustomed to organise sports for large numbers was busy all the time arranging games and outings. The field was big enough to give ample space for a dozen games to be going on simultaneously. Besides all the fun and games in the field, on the beach, downs and recreation grounds, small groups were thrilled to go shop- ping in the little town of Clevedon, while nearly all the parties enjoyed a charabanc drive to the neighbouring towns of Weston-super-Mare, Burnham or Portishead.
The first Stoke Park Summer Camp was a tremendous success from every point of view. The boys and girls returned to the colony brown, cheerful and invigorated. The change has had a particularly good effect on the most in- telligent working patients, and now the greatest incentive to good work in all departments is the anticipation of being chosen for the next Camp.
Cell Barnes Colony, Hertfordshire County Council.
Sir Hilton Young, Minister of Health, officially opened this admirably planned colony on October 5th. It is situated not far from Hill End Mental Hospital on the outskirts of St. Albans, and certain economies have been poss- ible through the use of joint sewerage, electricity, etc. In declaring the colony open, Sir Hilton Young laid stress on the value of a colony as a centre of research and of training, and its rightful position in regard to defectives who could after training be placed out under guardianship or on licence. In a telling phrase, he said that while the ” tendrils ” of kindness and compassion should go out to individual mental defectives who were already in our midst, we should not rest content with our present knowledge, but should continue effort and research for prevention.
The colony is designed for 600 and there are at present 237 in residence. Until the County requires all the accommodation, out-county cases can be received. There are ten ward blocks and eighteen wards, and the whole is very pleasantly laid out on an estate of 97 acres. The original house has been enlarged by a new wing, and with its old garden, makes a most delightful home for the Matron and Nurses.
The essential services are carried out as far as possible by electricity? there is a splendid laundry sufficiently equipped with all the latest electrical appliances to undertake the work of another institution. In the kitchen, electric machines for bacon cutting, vegetable cleaning and slicing, and bread making, reduce to a minimum the need for labour.
We understand that market gardening and the usual trades are to be taught to the boys, and that gardening and poultry-keeping are to be included in the girls’ occupations. Every effort will be made to ” individualise ” the patients, and to fit them if possible for later life outside the institution. Rampton State Institution
The Board of Control (Lunacy and Mental Deficiency) invite applications for two posts (Head Mistress and Assistant Mistress) in School of Children’s Section of Rampton State Institution for Mental Defectives, near Retford, Notts. Candidates must be either Certificated Teachers or Uncertificated Teachers holding Higher Froebel Certificate and it is desirable that they should have had experience in teaching and training mentally defective children. Salaries (subject to the 10% reduction): Head Mistress?Burnham Scale 2 for Certificated Head Mistress, School is graded as a Special School Grade II; Assistant Mistress?Burnham Scale 2 for Certificated Mistress. Both posts will be pensionable under Civil Service Superannuation Acts and service will reckon as approved external service under Section 13 (1) (b) of Teachers’ (Superannuation) Act, 1925.
Separate forms of application for each post, with further particulars, can be obtained from the Secretary, Board of Control, Caxton House West, Tothill Street, London, S.W.i, and must be completed and returned to him not later than nth November, 1933.
Shotley Bridge Colony
A new block of buildings was opened recently as an extension to the colony, and will be reserved for the low-grade cases. The total cost of the block, including land, building and furnishing amounted to ^6,467, and it is interesting to note that a similar block built some time ago exceeded this cost by about ^1,700.
St. Christopher’s Nursery Training College, Tunbridge Wells This training college has been reorganised under the auspices of the Home and School Council of Great Britain. It is under the direction of Miss M. A. Payne, whose work in connection with the Institute of Medical Psychology, and whose book ” Oliver Untwisted ” have already made her well known to our readers. Dr Hadfield is Hon. Visiting Psychologist, and those acting in an advisory capacity include Dr Crichton-Miller, Dr Hector Cameron, Mrs. Susan Isaacs. The course of training will be nine months, and 42 students (six scholars at special fees) will be received. The children’s ages will range from a few days old to seven years, and special emphasis will be placed on psychological understanding in the handling of young children. Two further courses, of three and six months, in “Practical Child Guidance” will be arranged for students who have satisfactorily passed the nine months’ course. ” The whole plan of education,” the prospectus states, ” and the environ- ment of the Home will be based on the most recent knowledge of the needs of the child.” There will be a Montessori School for the children over three years old.
In addition to a large house, there are three cottages, and in one of these, delicate, ” nervous ” and ” difficult ” children will be received, who will be transferred to the main nurseries when their special difficulties have been overcome.
Royal Hostel, Elstead
An interesting note comes from the Secretary of the Surrey Voluntary Association. Some of the boys at the Hostel have shown that they can com- pete with, and outdistance the village competitors and that they can carry out some amusing and original fun. In the village sports a Surrey lad won the Silver Challenge Cup and Silver Medal for first place in the mile race, and a Middlesex lad won the Bronze Medal for second place. The first prize at the Village Carnival was also won by the Surrey lad, for his costume of Cannibal Chief, and the second prize by another Hostel lad as Charlie Chaplin. The costumes were planned and made without any assistance from the staff. Two other lads organised a side show?a kind of ” human ” Aunt Sally; they wore top-hats, and keeping up a run of amusing patter, they invited spectators to knock off their hats. They raised by this effort ?i gs. for the British Legion. Sterilisation of the Unfit
While we in England are awaiting the report of the Departmental Com- mittee appointed in June, 1932, to consider the problem of hereditary trans- mission and other causes of mental disorder and deficiency, and the value of sterilisation as a preventive, it is of deep interest to turn to legislation elsewhere.
British Columbia
The question of sterilisation has been before the public in British Colum- bia for many years, and in July of this year an Act was passed permitting the sterilisation of certain persons ” likely to beget or bear children who by reason of inheritance would have a tendency to serious mental disease or mental deficiency.” The operation is limited to those in Institutions for whom dis- charge is contemplated. The Board of Eugenics (non-salaried) numbers three, a judge, a psychiatrist, and a ” person experienced in social welfare work.” No operation may be performed without the consent in writing of the inmate, or if, in the opinion of the Board, the inmate is not capable of giving consent, the consent of the husband or wife, parent or guardian. In cases where there is no such relative resident in British Columbia, the Provincial Secretary may give consent.
Germany
The recent Act in Germany, which comes into force in January next, is of far wider scope. Sterilisation, if ordered by the Eugenic Court, is to be carried out, if necessary, against the will of the person. The Courts, appointed by the States, are to be attached to the Magistrates’ Courts, and are to consist of a magistrate and two doctors (one of whom is to be specially versed in eugenics) and their deputies, and there is to be a Eugenic High Court for the hearing of appeals. Sterilisation may be ordered to be performed on anyone who is ” hereditarily ailing, if in the experience of medical science it is with great probability to be expected that his progeny will suffer from severe bodily or mental hereditary disorders.” The diseases covered by the law are limited to eight in number, congenital feeble-mindedness, schizophrenia, periodic (manic- depressive) insanity, inherited epilepsy, inherited St. Vitus’s dance (Hunting- ton’s chorea), inherited blindness, inherited deafness, severe inherited physical malformation. In addition, anyone suffering from severe alcoholism may be sterilised. For those in institutions, hospitals or prisons, the proposal for steril- isation may be brought forward by the director, and it does not appear that the inmate or his guardians will have any right of protest beyond the right of appeal to the Eugenic High Court. A person not in an institution may make the proposal for himself, or if he is not competent to make it, it may be made by his guardians. The official doctor of the Eugenic Court can also put forward proposals.
The operation may only be carried out in a hospital. The Court is not public, and the doctors and other persons concerned are sworn to secrecy. (‘Translations of the Act may be found in ” The Lancet,” September 2nd, and in the October number of the Eugenic Review.)
Sweden Some time ago reference was made in the Press to a Sterilisation Act in Sweden. We are authoritatively informed that no such Act has been passed in that country. A report, however, by experts, and proposals for a law regard- ing the sterilisation of certain defectives are now before the Government. Other Countries
It is known that elsewhere sterilisation has been carried out under the existing laws, e.g., in Ontario and parts of Switzerland. Recent legislation (I93?”3I) m ^ie Canton Vaud has specially authorised the operation, but medical men in Switzerland have hitherto carried it out on therapeutic grounds, interpreting therapy on the very broadest lines. A lecture, more especially dealing with the practice in Zurich was recently given in London, under the chairmanship of Sir Humphry Rolleston, by Dr. Hans Maier, Director of the Zurich Mental Hospital.
Lectures
The Child Guidance Council are holding a course of five lectures during October, on Tuesdays, at 6 p.m., for the staffs of Homes and Institutions. The fee for the course is 5 shillings.
The Institute of Medical Psychology have arranged a course of six lectures by Dr R. S. Gordon and Dr Rees on Personality: Its Constitution and Its Problems. The course begins on October 24th and will be held weekly at 6 p.m. The fee for the course is ^1 is. (single lecture, 5s.). The Institute of Child Psychology announces a course of eight lectures at Friends House, on ” The Mind of the Child.” The lectures will be on Wednesdays, beginning November 1st at 6.15 and 8.15 p.m. Applications to the Lecture Secretary, 20, Warwick Crescent, W.2.
National Council for Mental Hygiene
The Conference on Mental Health which is to be held at Caxton Hall from November 22nd to 24th, will be opened by the President of the Council, H.R.H. Prince George, K.G. All applications should be made to the Secretary, 78, Chandos House, Palmer Street, S.W.i.
The Institute for the Scientific Treatment of Delinquency
Through the generosity of the West End Hospital for Nervous Diseases, a free clinic is now available for the diagnosis of the physical and mental state of delinquents and for the treatment of suitable cases. Applications should be made to the Honorary Secretary of the Institute, 56, Grosvenor Street, W.i. Children and Young Persons Act, 1933
This Act, consolidating the Children Act, 1908, and the Children and Young Persons Act, 1932, comes into force on November 1st. The Home Office have circularised Justices and others on the main provisions.
One of the important Sections of the Act makes it obligatory, when a child is charged, to notify the Probation Officer and the Local Authority, and except in trivial cases, to render available to the Court information as to home surroundings, medical and school record, etc. Though this has been the practice in some of the Juvenile Courts, it is satisfactory to know that the fullest possible information should now be universally available. The powers of the Court in regard to both juvenile offenders and children and young persons in need of care and protection are set out, and it will be possible for a child to be moved from the care of undesirable or neglectful parents, and placed in an ” approved ” school, or boarded out with a relative or other fit person; or he may remain with the parents under the care of a Probation Officer. To facilitate procedure in certain cases, the Local Authority is deemed to be a ” fit person.” The need for specially trained Probation Officers with knowledge of psychological problems is manifest, and it will remain with the advanced Juvenile Courts to lead the way in consulting psychologists and psychiatrists when investigations are carried out in regard to juvenile delinquents.
Board of Control
The list of State Institutions, Certified Institutions, Certified Houses and Approved Homes for Mental Defectives in England and Wales, revised to August 16th, 1933, which has hitherto been obtainable on application to the Board of Control, is now published as a Government publication and may be obtained from H.M. Stationery Office, Adastral House, Ki figs way, W.C., or through any bookseller. Price 1/6, or 1/7 post free.
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