DEFECTIVES.

Hokitika Guardian, 5 July 1924, Page 1

DEFECTIVES.

COMMISSION" OF INQUIRY. DUX HD IX. .July 3. The Committee of Inquiry into mental defectives and sexual offenders commenced it sittings in Dunedin this morning, those present being the Hon \Y. H. Triggs, chairman; Sir Donald Al’Oavin, Medical Administrator of Pensions; -Mr C. lx. .M.altla-v.s. Controller ol Prison- and Under-Secretary of Justice: Dr Ada Paterson. Director ol the Division of School Hygiene; and Mr ■). Beck, oHicer-iu-eharge of sperial school branch of 1 lie Kducation Department. Two members of the committee ho did not i rune to Dunedin wine Dr .1. S. KHaitt axil Dr Truliy King.

Mrs .loan Murray, a member of t IL-alth Patrol for two and a half yea banded in a statement. Site said >

had attempted to classify the eases which hail collie under her notice as a member of the Health Pairol. She i hull. 'hi that information she had set forth showed the necessity for segregating the feeble-minded and protecting ||;e erring by in■ truetion and

supervision. By instruction she meant first of all teaching the mother the extreme importance of safeguarding the morality of her child from its earliest years, both in tin* hume and outside it. because they knew Hullquite young children were contaminated, thus laying tlx- foundation of an immoral life. She then proceeded to

quote eases which had come lliul

her notice. Dr Irwin, school medical ollicer in lln> district, said she desired to quote a number cf cases which had come under her notice in her official capacity. Forty-live feeble-minded children had come under her notice. While investigating such eases she had attempted to go into the subject, of history. heredity, ante-natal conditions •>f mother, and the tyne of birth and home environment as hearing on the mental condition. Segregation of feebleminded children seemed to he an absolute necessity; their examination by experts followed and any nossihle latent ability they might possess was found out and .'.mutilated by expert training. They should he placed under the most advantageous conditions and, if possible, made to he self-sup-porting anil self-respecting. Many of these children were drifting along in public schools and il was possible for numbers to lie involved in the matter. She tvm opposed lo teaching sexhygiene in schools as a routine practice. Many backward children's minds were sensitive. They became morbid and never developed any effort at attention or observation and often were exceedingly troublesome and a distraction to other children and to the teacher. Under special care the habits and disposition should tend to improve. Had or isolated home environment was often detrimental to progress.

(hi the question of sexual perverts Dr Irwin said that at times in public schools cases of immorality arose or language was list'd by children suggesting- an intimate knowledge of sex matter.. Cases which had conic under her nolice through information from teachers went In convince her that many children showed a ready disposition lo receive knowledge in sox matters from other children, and these were not always those of an inferior mental or moral standard, so tlial. too immature a- a rule to grasp the full significance of the knowledge imparted to them on the matter, salvation tr> her mind of these possibly morbid produces as to rid their minds of the subject altogether i) possible. There was no proof that all tin’s sex iiislruetioii was going in load to morality. The ehairinaii : What would you sav is the best way of giving instruction to parents!' Can you suggest any way of giving them a sense of their duty ami giving them I lie required instruction ’Dr Li win said that in flic cases she laid riled she had given such advice as was possible. The chairman said that many oT iho parents would he amazed at the appalling conditions existing as disclosed

by eases cited. Sir Donald M'fiavin asked Hr. Irwin whether she thought that giving sexual inslrm.tion to children in classes was a good thing. Dr. Trwin: No. T don’t.

In reply' to another question she said that school-teachers did not like to give sexual instruction, and in any ease many of them were not compet-

ent to do so. Air Matthews asked Dr Trwin whether she had considered the question of the prevention of perpetuation of the unlit. Dr. Trwin replied that ,segregation bail been suggested; she had nothing to sav about sterilisation.

Air. J. T.oek. juvenile probation officer at Dunedin, said it was part of his duty to make full inquiry into home environment and antecedents of all delinquents under the age of sixteen years tind submit a report to the Magistrate, lie was also called upon when necessary to make inquiries with a view to obtaining information that would enable the department to establish paternity in the case of illegitimate children being committed to the

care of the State. During the course of these inquiries he frequently came in-

to contact with cases of feeblemindedness both in parents and children. Tie submitted a. table showing the number of cases dealt ivith in the juvenile courts from January 1 to June JO, 102-1. Tho table was as follows:—Destitute 21, theft 20. miscriof 14, breach of by-laws 14, unlawfully taking trout 4, converting to

own use 4, not under proper control 3, placing obstruction on railway line 1, supplying firearms 1, obtaining money (false pretences) 1. living with * re-

puted prostitutes 3; total 87. A\ith reference to twenty-one cases dealt with under the heading of destitute. in ten of these eases at least one of flic parents might he elassetl as subnormal. and three of tho children wore decidedly backward. It was impossible t<> make any definite statement of the mentality of the majority of those children, five of the twenty-one being under tile age of six years and seven ol them under twelve months; hut it was sale to say that the greater portion ol these children were (lie offspring of feeble-minded parents. Coming to eases dealt with under Hie other headings, seven of those appearing on charges of theft were below the average intelligence. .Mr Lock proceeded to give instances in support of his evidence. A statement by Air John Jacobs, secretary of the Otago Hospital Board, was read. It was stated that at present live persons who wore classed as feeble-minded were receiving relief lj’om tho hoard.

Dr. Alexander M’Killop, suporinten-

dent of the Seaclilf Mental Hospital, said that there were at present about •100 eases of congenital mental defectives at Soaclitr. He thought that there should he special institutions "here this class of patient could he

delained and taught some useful occupation. The same method could ho adopted regarding female eases. It would he found that neuropathic inheritance was a common cause of mental defectives, the next cause was alcoholism. which uas followed by tuberculosis and syphilis in that order, lie recommended legislation regulating marriage to ensure that a person of neuropathic tendencies could not marry one similarly alllietod. The chairman said that there were two v.avs in wrich the witness’s idea could he carried out-- segregation and sterilisation. Witness said he favoured segregation. Dr. Falconer, •medical superintendent of the Dunedin Hospital, advocated the compulsory notification of feeble-minded, also mental hygiene clinics in each of the four centres to make a survey of (lie mentally subnormal, also a chair of psychiatry at (■he Otago Medical School. There were two methods of dealing with feeble-minded—(a) leaving such feebleminded persons in (lie community, wlio would work and function there if completely supervised by the State, (h) file colony idea. John ALicßae Galloway, givin'g. evidence oil behalf of the Royal So-

ciety for the Protection of ’Women and Children, said that it was regarded as impossible to regulate effec-

tively (he care and treatment of the •feeble-minded and sub-normal until the one great source from which they emanated, venereal disease was cheeked. The Commission left, for Invercargill this morning, and will return to Dunedin on Saturday. Another sitting will he held on Monday, and the Commission will then proceed to Christchurch.