ON THE MENTAL AND PHYSICAL DEFECTS OF CHILDKE.V. (J'JL 



Mental and Physical Deviations from the Normal among Children in 

 Public Elementary and other Schools. — Report of the Committee, 

 consisting of Sir Douglas Galton (Chairman), Dr. Francis 

 Warner {Secretary), Mr. E. W. Brabrook, Dr. J. G. Garson, 

 and Mr. B. AVhite Wallis. (Report draivn np hij the Secretary.) 



J'AUE 



Appendix. — Taltle sho-ming co-relations of conditions of defect among 1,120 



cldldren, subnormal in constitution, mental, or ■i)liysical .... 692 



In presenting our sixth annual report we give a further account of those 

 children whose mental and physical condition renders them unfitted for 

 the public education provided in ordinaiy elementary day schools. TJie 

 facts upon which our research is based are the recorded observations of 

 the 1,120 children who appeared to require special care and training, a 

 catalogue of whom was given in our last report (1897) — viz., 597 boys, 

 523 girls. 



Some account of these children is given in the Annual Report (1898) 

 of the Childhood Society, to whom we are indebted for access to the 

 records of those cases. 



It is by studying the co-relations of the cases, and the relative fre- 

 quency with which the main classes of defect are associated in boys and 

 girls, respectively arranged in age-groups, that new information is mostly 

 obtained. This work has proved laborious, and results are given in the 

 table appended. This statement of facts observed may be compared with 

 the results of the examination of 100,000 children seen in ordinary 

 schools.' 



The facts tabulated show that great difficulties must arise in making 

 any provision for the proper care of these children, who are altogether 

 below the normal or average in bodily and mental power ; they show a 

 much greater tendency than average children to become delicate under an 

 adverse environment, especially the girls ; this, as might be expected, is 

 most marked in those under seven years of age. 



The main classes of defect are indicated in the table by symbols : — 

 A. Defect in development of body ; B. Abnormal nerve-signs ; C Low 

 nutrition ; D. Mental dulness. 



The large proportion of both boys and girls who present ' abnormal 

 nerve-signs' or irregularities in movement, balance, and response in action, 

 shows the importance of trying to remove each such sign of brain-dis- 

 orderliness in detail by carefully adapted physical training ; such abnor- 

 mal conditions do not appear to pass off naturally in these children, as is 

 shown by the fact that among cases with developmental defect, they are 

 almost as frequent among the older as the younger children. 



The remarks made above show that the improvement of the brain con- 



' Keport on the Scientific Study of the Mental and Physical Conditions of Child- 

 hood, with particular reference to chikken of defective constitution, and with 

 recommendations as to education and training, based on 100,000 children examined. 

 Published at Purkes Museum, Margaret Street, London, W., the office of the 

 Childhood Society. 



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