EDUCATION AND CO-OKDlNATION OF FUNCTION. 17 



slow in her movements. If you place her arms or legs or head 

 in any position you please, she will allow them to remain so 

 almost indefinitely, so that she is like a little lay figure. When 

 she came to us at Heswall three months ago she could not speak, 

 and she was more like a child of eighteen months than one 

 of four years of age. Like so many of these cases, she has 

 developed rapidly and has grown much under the influence of 

 thyroid gland substance, and now she is beginning to talk and 

 to play and to take an interest in her surroundings and toys, 

 but as you see, her muscular slowness or stupidity still remains. 

 Experience teaches us, however, that this will clear up and that 

 she will in time become a normal child. 

 Illustrative case shown : — 



F. H. — Aged 7. About four years ago he had scarlet fever and ever 

 since then he has been incapable of education. He cannot learn his alphabet, 

 but he can count up to thirty. He cannot write either letters or figures, 

 but he has a good idea of drawing ; for instance, if asked to draw a house, 

 he does it slowty, but surely. He is infantile — his arms do not come down 

 to the iliac crests. 



I also show you a child of nine years who presents features 

 of considerable interest. 



Illustrative case shown : — 



B. C. — Aged 9. This interesting little girl is well nourished, and is well 

 up to the standard of height, being 4 ft. 2 in. (average for girls 4 ft. 1 in.), 

 her weight is 1st. 31bs. (average 3st. 13Jlbs.). Notwithstanding this she 

 was a backward child and up to the age of four years could neither walk or 

 talk properly, nor help herself. Her parents could only understand a few 

 words such as a baby of eighteen months or so would be able to say, and she 

 had to be dressed like an infant of six months old. Up to a few weeks ago 

 her speech remained very indifferent, and she still played like a little girl of 

 about four years of age. During the past year or two her motor centres 

 have become educated, and she has groAvn into a big, strong child. Her 

 intelligence, however, is very slow— she speaks imperfectly, she understands 

 imperfectly and she still remains very dependent upon her mother for assis- 

 tance in dressing, washing, &c. She cannot remember the names of common 

 objects, and asked to perform some stated action she cannot do it, e.g., asked 

 to bring a flower or a doll from a chair at the other end of my room, she could 

 not grasp what was meant. About five weeks ago I started giving her 

 thyroid, with the result that a most remarkable brightening of her intelligence 

 has taken place. She is already understanding better, and her memory is 

 improved — she responds much more quickly when requested to do things. 

 She is an example of a chemical incoordination and in all probability will 

 improve immensely under treatment and become capable of education. 



