News and Notes
Organiser for Occupation Centres
The CAMW has recently added to its staff an Organiser for Occupation Centres, who is a trained and certificated teacher and has also had wide experience of teaching low-grade defectives. Miss Wingate’s chief function will be to help in the preliminary organisation of Centres and to train local Supervisors to carry on after she leaves, and applications for her assistance are invited from any area where it is felt there is an opening for a Centre.
The Association is also offering her services to Institutions certified under Section 37 of the Mental Deficiency Act, where there are children and young adults for whom it is desired to organise occupation.
New Occupation Centres are now springing up all over the country, and we propose in our next number to give a review of the present position indicati?ig any developments of particular interest a7id appending an up-to-date list of the Centres in existence.
A Film Picture of the Training of Defectives.
The Council of the C.A.M.W. are arranging for the preparation of a film showing modern methods of training mentally defective children as it is felt that a graphic representation of what is being done in this direction will be of great value in arousing interest in Mental Welfare work.
The film is intended for use at meetings arranged by Voluntary Associations or other societies interested in work for defectives, and applications for it are invited, when full particulars as to terms and conditions will be supplied. The total cost of the undertaking will be approximately ?140 of which nearly ?110 has been subscribed. Further contributions to cover the balance still out standing are urgently needed, and will be gratefully acknowledged if sent to Miss Evelyn Fox, 24, Buckingham Palace Road, S .W.1.
Short Course for Teachers of Mentally Defective Children.
A Short Course for teachers of mentally defective children, on the lines of those held in previous years, is being organised by the Board of Education in co-operatian with the C.A.M.W., in July (7th to 2Sth.)
The Course will be held in Birmingham where hostel accommodation has been secured at an inclusive cost of ?6 10s. per student for the three weeks. Selected’’ students will be entitled to receive from the Board of Education a maintenance grant of ?l a week, and third class return railway fare. The number such students is limited to 40, but it may be found possible to admit a few additional private students, who are prepared to pay their own expenses. Enquiries for further information and for copies of the Syllabus of the Course when published, should be addressed to Miss Evelyn Fox, 24, Buckingham Palace Road, SWI,
Course in Mental Deficiency for Medical Practitioners. ——————————————————This Course, arranged by the University of London Extension Board in co-operation with the CAMW, as announced in our last issue, will be held from Monday, May 28th, to Saturday, June 2nd, 1928.
Lectures will be given by Dr AF Tredgold, Dr F. C. Shrubsall, Mr. Cyril Burt, and Dr Norwood East, and clinical work consisting of visits to L.C.C. and other Special Schools during Rota and Admission Examinations and to Residential Institutions in or near London, in addition to demonstrations by well-known experts, will be arranged for each student.
The total fee for the Course is ?3 3s. and applications should be sent to Miss Evelyn Fox, c/o University Extension Department, University of London, South Kensington, S.W.7, not later than May 7th, 1923.
The Board of Control and the Mental Hospitals Enquiry.
A Circular was issued on February 9th, by the Board of Control to the Visiting Committees of Mental Hospitals to which we should like to draw attention. The Circular refers to the Report of the Committee on the Administration of Public Mental Hospitals* which was appointed last year to enquire into the statements made by Dr Lomax in his book “Experiences of an Asylum Medical Officer,’’ and it has been issued in order to draw attention to certain recommendations made by that Committee.
Amongst the recommendations which the Board not only approve, but which they consider might be adopted without the incurring of heavy additional expenditure, are those concerned with the following matters:?Classification of patients (account should be taken of home conditions): qualifications of Medical Superintendent and establishment of an Advisory Committee for consultation when making appointments; increase in number of assistant Medical Officers, and increased facilities for study leave: appointment of visiting specialists: systematic provision for employment and occupation of patients: strengthening of AfterCare organisation: co-ordination of research work and more extensive use of modern methods of treatment and diagnosis: co-option of additional members on Visiting Committees, and establishment of small unofficial Committees specially for visiting: provision of facilities for early treatment without certification. (This last recommendation as well as that concerning co-option is, the Circular states, being incorporated in the proposed Mental Treatment Bill.)
With the Committee’s recommendations as to the size of Mental Hospitals, the qualifications and duties of the nursing staff, and greater variety in the diet of patients, the Board state that they are in agreement, but that their carrying into effect is largely dependent on financial considerations. For a full list of the Committee’s recommendations, on which this Circular is based, we must refer our readers to the Report itself.* British Medical Association. Discussion on “Mental Deficiency.” We are asked to announce that the Section of Medical Sociology of the British Medical Association will discuss the subject of “Mental Deficiency in its Social Report of Committee on Mental Hospitals appointed by Ministry of Health . Cmd. 1730, H.M. Stationery Office, 3/-.
Aspects,” under the Chairmanship of Dr HB. Brackenbury (who is Chairman of the Education Committee of the C.A.M.W.) at the Association’s Annual Meeting at Portsmouth on July 27th, 1923. It is hoped that medical experts from the United States will be present and will place at the disposal of the meeting facts based on their own experience and research.
The meeting will be open by invitation to members of the laity who are interested in the subject, and readers of this journal who would like to be present are asked to send their names as soon as possible to Arnold Lyndon, Esq., M.D., Grayshott, Hindhead, Surrey, or to Miss Evelyn Fox. Summer School in Psychology.
A Summer School in Psychology under the Directorship of Professor Pear, Professor of Psychology, Manchester University, will again be held at Brighton this year. The School will be open from July 30th to August 11th, inclusive, and the subjects dealt with will include General, Social and Experimental Psychology, with Mental Measurements, and History of Education. Hostel accommodation will be provided at a fee of ?5 15s. 6d. inclusive, whilst the School Fee will be ?3 3s.
It is possible that, in the event of there being a sufficient number of students specially interested in problems connected with Mental Deficiency, a course of lectures may be arranged dealing specifically with this subject. Enquiries and applications for admission should be sent to A. Lea Perkins, Esq., 12, Harrington Road, Preston Park, Brighton.
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