Hare: A Study of Handicapped Children 9 



tion in the orthopedic cHnic, there resulted a good deal of ex- 

 citement. The doctor pronounced the boy's case a congenital 

 double clubfoot, and ordered immediate transference of the 

 patient to the hospital for surgical correction. A storm of 

 tears and sobs from both the child and his mother followed 

 the doctor's verdict. The mother vehemently announced her 

 refusal and said she would rather have a deformed child 

 than run the risk of losing him by an operation. The doctor 

 pointed out to the mother that it was selfish of her to stand 

 in the way of the child's chance to become a normal happy 

 boy; and when the mother still refused to be convinced, the 

 doctor grew impatient — as what man would not? — and dis- 

 missed the patient as out of his power of jurisdiction, tho he 

 said he would report it to the court as a case of criminal neg- 

 lect. By dint of long argument and reasoning the social serv- 

 ice worker was finally able to persuade the family that it was 

 an actual cruelty to the child not to give him the surgical 

 care he needed. Usually in a family situation like this, one 

 of the parents can be approached even if the other one is 

 obdurate. In this case of H. G. the father proved sensible, 

 arrangements were made quickly so that there might not be 

 too much time for hesitation, and before nightfall on the 

 same day the boy was installed in the hospital. 



Not every case offers as many complications as the above- 

 mentioned one. Occasionally a sensible patient comes in who 

 is above the average, and is eager to obtain the right care for 

 himself as soon as possible. In these cases the social service 

 worker forms the link between the dispensary and the hospi- 

 tal, — advising the patient how to make the application for 

 hospital admission, making investigations of home conditions, 

 and in general sizing up the social aspect of the case. When 

 the patient is a cripple, the social background of the case is 

 of great importance — to discover the possible cause of the 

 physical condition of the patient, and the kind of social treat- 

 ment he has encountered often lends a hint to the solution 

 of the existing problem. 



2—17726 



