FACING A SOCIAL PROBLEM.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1982, 12 February 1914, Page 5

FACING A SOCIAL PROBLEM.

■» ■■ -6- ■'■■■■■ - - CARE OF THE FEEBtMiINDEBI REPORT TO THE MEDICAL ' CONFESS. What might be done, (Sir -TCMcrwh-PiScßs AtopotaUonJ Alickiand, February 1L At .'the lac.li .Medical Congress he ; l<s In Sydney- in 10,11 a .coin.initt.ee. was setUp "to investigate tho prevalence of feoblo-nii-nd:i?4ness in Ati-stralnsia-t to-cdu» cate the : ptfbiic r aitd tq promote a pofrulaf campaign dealing with, tho same!" Tho report of this committee Was pro? sen.tod to the -congress ibis morning. v iHjn Unrealised Evil. Tho -report, point's out that very fow peoplo ■outside, tho medical profession realise tho gravity of the- problem of tho mentally deficient, its relation to erinie., and to 'tho multiplication of tho unfit in tho fcoiftmuuity. Fewer people still Ivuow anything Of the -nto'dern'-cWlgJifcen. ■Ed methods, s-uel-i as aro found, i'u Europe and .Ajijoritfa, cf .providing foi; the earo arid education-, of feoble-uiiiKfcd chiMrofi, the special 'schools, and the after care of thoso committed. Tho ■permanent e.ar.t> cote.ni.es -which mate tha lives of '.tbojso. children happy, and -safeguard tiro coiivmuiiit-.y., aro practically, unknown, in . Australia;" y •Thocom'mitt<*j with a view to gathering- cpniplote- data, sent cut ijiqitn-.v. form? to iloctbi'S) 'schools) ■ and pofsonV - interested', iii every part of Australia- '■ ■and in Now Zealand. Tho eoiiimi-t-tee wore informed, that tlio .pah-lib dc'siro for thcprdvisioit far the accommodation .and: training .o'f fcoble-mjiided children wa'tj • m advance of '.the Goyernmontaf ability to supply -it, ..and ,ii, was. consequently' deemed inadvisable to .hold -an iiiuuiiy at present. Though Dr. Wlintino proiniSed' to obtain approximate, figures' 'for tho -Comimtted's <ii.so.,_ unfortunately theso did' iiot att'ivc. ■ Tlio report gives tabulated statements- -'regarding tho post tion .fir each :&|atc, .and- iiidieates- that a rough total o.f 4 per cent, of lit© children .aro 'definitely and tlirco times that iliiinWr iire liientiii, \y dull and retjuirb spiKiial training. ' Fertility of M Feebl(! : Mindca. ■ Tte c'eiiisus.rev;e'bh r prei i -oicnc<j af litfctlitaiy .mental d.efects... oatliiig for legislative - action;"' aiid"' ' Thoexeeptioiral fertility of the &cible-ni!nde.d is rcforrccl lo at lenglh. "To deal witli .the very BenoWs-Ovilvof Alio propagation of tins, undesirable ■Species -(says tho report)., as we'll lis to ;pr.e.v,e(i't t)to disastrous ■coi.ise.q.uciiees tb t.}io fecMe-iiiindei thomse'lVeSi '.of.'init.r'anj.iiielied wild in-' > comfietcnt IrbevfK' Homo legislation ertiibiing iiistitlilioii'g, u-iidcr duo %ai Baf.qguafclsy.t'O .deal with urgent cases, m-' 1 ,■ re(ju}i>ed-.' ; .."T]ib : Want of this has feii t m' sbii-reo of- iin.ieh. disappointment iii. .. th'o past, w.herc. lirp'spe'ttriis pupils under ' tutblago to- tlio 'age' b:f.-18 havo goiio frco' ' tlfraugh some wli-iin of their own of : their parents, a'S ihoy aro legally :cntitted 'to do at that !jge., aiid iiivfc'Viiined' tlioii- lives by falling iiflo crimo and T-iOo. " '" " "J!lie sD'xtva-l instinefc: hi partieuiar is apt to bo Uttoily uiicoutrol'lec! in foeblo-. iliiiided persons, and tho r-eteutes -li-eed no roi'tei'.a.t-i.on. IJiu-lonb'todly a voi'-V largo proportion of Win- Jmbti-'nai criminals-, drunkards, pi-Qstifktcs, and ivastcr.s are really leehtaniindettj iui.l .mWy isnoufc iit jtrflvontiiig b,v doteiition instead 01 -fut'ilejy' endcava'nr'i.iig to t-irro by imprisonniont and ti.iio ■■thiaouats of vlco and squater :tfoiild biS i.iroi'o liapivily tanployed; Slid would go farther." Wliat to Do* The. cominiU-'eo is ,of opinion that tins ff.Hcrtv'i«j! i is in general ler-ms the iliiuHrtioii wh'i(!']i.legi,s.irtlio.ii to provide for tho ■feeble-minded' should ta'fo:^(1) Day ' schools Mn 'largo ceu-k-es to caro, fe.r alt ehjidrou reasoitaHv simpotocl of jueiital de'feefia. TiirSo will cliiivj.iia-te childten wfongly classcil as Such,, and qualify thrlii' lor 'fnrt'lrer edi.icati.oii tliro.ii'gli t.1.i0 ordinary .cha-iiiiclsi (2) I'iesideirti.a'!. Eeliools. for ehildrcn of tiro saiiio doiibt-fu'l class -from B.catfer.dd' districts S.iid for bli.iidl'e'ndefiultely iirdged tii bo nicnt-aliy de> jectivc. , - O) In conndction with tlio resi-deritial-sclioolsjto sftmo c'xt'enti and probably .also iij separate-' eOuntrV lo'ealitJc.Sj .l-etidcutial co'lonies with! sepiU'iition of tlio fiejf.o,s foi" the per* ' miiiicftt eiirb of. tlio fcelilc-imiirjed oh .a't't'aii.tiiig adult agOj. iVlieii Dot of fioj'o* a. grade .Is lo- cftll for eon* 'liii-mg iii eiiftli institution as itlib't -' asylums. Extfeino MOasiires Oiuiooossiai'y, ■ file eonunitWe- fpga*d.s it as Jinfoi'ttt* '"' irate; that in tho .ptibltc, liji-td, to sbiiio''' extent-, iii the prf).f'e.ssiqnal -oye,, tl.ic. life, '. .onto, -a-ivd ooiitr'ol of M'ce.tiv'es sliOuid/' be -m.iiicd Up. with ilio question of s.tbV' ilisn.ti.oiK This. t t-lraugli .possibly pertnissjHO in > low 'fSpeptioiial 'cages;, iVijd■lramiii'atly' in certain Aincrican. States., the 'emniniltee r4%'a : rtl.s a.'s- for the most part wholly mm-bpfrssa-ry a:ivd : ■Uiidesirable, '(-oiitipl" is. usually «'''quite■p'fficfelit .Safeguard. Tlio ox'ironso -6'f iiiStiitu'tilig colb-H-fes ivo'iiid aljidoubtodiy ' bo laigo, vfct tnily oboi-VOinirial, ivhoii the pre.se.iii cxpDisdifuro fni .liiisdcalijig. wMli tlio fecbi'e-!ivi.ndcct in ftnols- njtcT . nlriiritalii'D institution's Is w-cigl-icti iit fltfbalance..