Gambar halaman
PDF
ePub

Mr. ROWLAND HAMILTON said that this work was not to be estimated by the value of the results which had as yet been gained. The great advantage was that a practical method had been devised, by which Dr. Warner and his successors could carry on the investigation and obtain further valuable results. It was a wise saying of Bacon that, "truth comes rather out of error than out of confusion," which embodied very forcibly the difficulty of engaging in any investigation of a large mass of details, hitherto unknown, which at first sight appeared in the utmost confusion. This grouping and classifying the early stages of an inquiry was most difficult and most important. It afforded a sound basis for further investigation. The foundation was now laid, thanks mainly to the persevering industry of Dr. Warner, and it mattered little how many of the details might be modified by future examination or knowledge in the course of investigation carried on by the same method.

Dr. A. H. DOWNES said that he had been under the impression that all the observations had been made by Dr. Warner personally, but he now gathered that in the last 50,000 cases some observations had been made by other persons. He would like to know if there was anything in the report referred to which would enable one to judge of the personal equation of the investigators, and whether observations had been made by different persons on the same children, so that it might be possible to judge from the result how far the "personal equation" did really enter into this very complicated matter.

Dr. FLETCHER BEACH, in answer to the last speaker, said that in one or two schools in the country, which Dr. Warner was unable to visit, he had himself made the investigation. Of course he had previously gone through several schools with Dr. Warner and studied his method. He had no difficulty in investigating these children, and found that the defects were in very much the same position as had been stated. All teachers and investigators ought first to go round the schools with Dr. Warner and learn exactly the method which he used; for the important point was this:Before beginning the investigation there were certain general details on which they held certain ideas, but it was not until they had gone thoroughly into the question and had put down all the points which were to be observed and noted on the cards, that they found there were no less than 82 points now to be considered. At first there were not more than 50 or 60, but as the investigation went on other points came out, and had to be entered. He quite agreed with Dr. Shuttleworth that teachers should be instructed how to thoroughly investigate the condition of the children under their charge.

Mr. J. A. BAINES said that it was very necessary to distinguish between the method and the result of this inquiry. Almost the whole of the paper dealt with the methods of handling the data, while the results were simply sketched in to explain those methods.

One suggestion he was prepared to make had been anticipated by Mr. Bailey, but he (the speaker) found that in Table D i the group-percentage to which he referred was given on the total number of children examined, and amounted to 18 per cent. for boys and 14 per cent. for girls. Two other questions of comparison suggested themselves; first, that by age. Now the distribution of each group by age was given in all these tables, but the relative prevalence at each age was not ascertainable, because the total number of children at each age, deficient or not, was not stated.

Dr. WARNER said that this relative prevalence had not been ascertained when examining the schools.

Mr. BAINES, said that he had no wish to offer any hostile criticism on the paper, but only to suggest that it would add to the value of the inquiry if the relative prevalence of the various defects at each different age could be traced. The second point related to the comparison of the sexes. In most of the tables the percentage of each group was taken on the number of children found deficient in each sex, but looking at the great difference in the number of boys and of girls examined, and also in that of each sex who were found deficient, it seemed to him that the comparison between the sexes would be much clearer if the percentage were given on the totals examined, as in Table Di. The fact that not only was the number of girls smaller, but that the number of deficient was also relatively smaller in that sex could then be given full weight, and it would probably show the girls in a better light. This point came out clearly in the paragraph in which Dr. Warner dealt with the etiology (Table H), where the proportion of girls was higher than boys in certain groups. The girls showed, in the first place, a great prevalence of Group D (dulness), for which Dr. Warner had to trust not his own observations but reports from the school teachers, and, possibly, if he had personally examined the boys and girls, the result might have been different. It was remarkable that, with the exception of dulness, the defects noted amongst the girls where chiefly physical, whereas the defects in the boys were mental, and that they went on varying with great fluctuations apparently irrespective of age. This curious point would probably be more readily noticed by medical men than by laymen. As regards the question of the "personal equation,' he differed from Dr. Downes when the latter said that the value of the statistics was increased by having the observations made by more than one individual. On the contrary he (the speaker) thought that their value would be diminished, and he personally would prefer to analyse statistics of this sort if he knew they had all been collected by one individual, because the "personal equation" was the same throughout, and any tendency there might be to error in observation, would, at all events be constant.

The CHAIRMAN (Mr. C. S. LocH) said that he would touch on the utility of Dr. Warner's statistics as a means of ascertaining with greater accuracy the causes of failure in life. By careful examination defects might be noted, and dealt with in their

earlier stages, while practically nothing could be done to remedy them in their later form when they had become aggravated by habit. Again, some general term, such as the word " distress," was used to cover a multitude of conditions which were often uninvestigated and unknown, and the true cause of which might often be physical. Biological inquiries were most difficult; but if, as the result of the examination of these 50,000 children, a few theories of treatment and education were thrown out and provisionally accepted, even if they afterwards proved fallacious, a distinct step would probably be made towards the attainment of real knowledge. There was danger also lest we should accept certain physical conditions as determined, and even in new cases, as they arose, unlikely to be remedied, without making any bond fide scientific analysis in particular instances. If the " defectiveness were present in earlier life, it might show itself as the true cause of distress (now possibly entirely ignored) in later life, were our observations complete enough. And this consideration suggested a continuance of the investigation, if possible, to a later period of life. Inquiries of this kind were at least a wholesome check to that popular "mental dulness" which professed to be able to deal with all that tangle of difficulties which beset those who would better the condition of the people, by one or two easily stated remedies. He concluded by proposing a very hearty vote of thanks to Dr. Warner for his paper.

Dr. WARNER, in reply, said that with regard to the "personal equation," he was responsible to the committee for the description and written record of each child, although he was glad to say that on many occasions other skilled medical men were good enough to attend at his visits and verify or correct the observations made. There might be considerable variation as to what the teachers considered "mental dulness, or below the average for school work" but their report was entered in each case.

In answer to Mr. Hendriks as to the localities of the children, it was stated that 35,000 of the last 50,000 children were seen in London board schools, so that it was mainly a metropolitan investigation. It was therefore very important that such inquiry should be extended outside London, and in the great cities of the North. He had heard from Dr. Kerr, of Bradford, that he had 30,000 children under his charge, and that he was looking over them for the second time. Classes of special instruction for dull and feeble children had been established in Birmingham, Brighton, Bradford, Bristol, and Leicester, following the lead of the London school board. An estimate made from the "number of children mentally feeble, and deficient,' as seen in schools, gave 23,400 for England, while the total estimated number aged 3-15 requiring special care and training was 62,700.

[ocr errors]

The basis of inquiry was the most important point, that being established, results would soon follow in due order therefrom. It appeared, indirectly, that the scientific basis of the methods of the observations and records offered some explanation of many facts not understood before. The Registrar-General's Reports

showed that infant mortality fell more heavily on the males; further observation and analysis showed that defects in development always fell more heavily on males, rendering such infants delicate; this was one of the great causes of infant mortality. Many cases of defective development survive and are seen in schools, forming 9.7 of the school population. Of these "development cases," 38.4 per cent. boys and 44'9 per cent. of the girls, were returned as dull.

Looking at the report of industrial schools in England, he found a heavy mortality in the Roman Catholic group, which was not apparent in Scotland; and the records of visits to such schools showed a correspondingly large proportion of Irish boys with defect in development, which appeared to account for the high mortality.

Nothing was more marked and uniform in the inquiry than the differences between boys and girls, showing that it was absolutely necessary to deal with each sex separately. There were fewer girls in any way abnormal; but, if a girl was abnormal in one direction, instead of remaining with a single class of defect, as a boy often did, she would probably acquire additional defects. Defective girls tended to become more defective. Similarly there were more male criminals than female, but of criminals convicted ten times and over, the larger proportion were females. Again, female criminal lunatics presented a larger number of murderers (apart from infanticide) than the males.

Although in this paper only a corner of the field had been dealt with, viz., four classes of defect alone or in combination, he hoped that a foundation had been laid on scientific principles for a physical psychology, which would prove of public utility. He was glad to receive Mr. Baines's useful criticisms, and would adopt his suggestion as to further analysis in Table D.

When the numbers of cases in the primary groups had been distributed under ages and standards, the work should no longer be in the physician's hands but in those of an actuary.

He quite agreed with the Chairman's practical remarks that special attention should be given to the causes of mental dulness and their removal. Nerve-signs were extremely important, and could largely be diminished by adapted training and exercises. In schools where no attention was paid to physical training, the proportion of dull children was higher; under the London school board there appeared fewer dull pupils than in Edinburgh, where no physical training was given. Other ways might be pointed out by which mental ignorance leading to crime and pauperism might be attacked.

[merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small]

I.-Commercial History and Review of 1895.

THE following is taken from the supplement to the Economist of 22nd February, 1896, in continuation of similar extracts for previous years:—

"THE grave international complications that arose towards the end of 1895 occurred too late to have much perceptible influence upon the trade of the year, and, these apart, there was little of a political kind to interfere with the course of business. In spite, however, of its immunity from such disturbing influences, the first half of the year was, from the commercial and industrial point of view, distinctly disappointing. During the closing months of 1894 the volume of trade had shown a moderate degree of expansion, and it was hoped and expected that this would become more pronounced as time went on. Instead, however, of the growth that was looked for, a decided set-back was experienced in the first quarter of 1895, evidence of which was afforded by the falling off in the recorded values of our imports and exports, and the reduced earnings of our railway companies. For this no doubt the unprecedentedly cold weather that prevailed for nearly a couple of months, and greatly interfered with traffic both by sea and land, was mainly responsible, and after the break-up of the frost a change for the better took place. That was helped on a good deal by an improvement in the monetary outlook in the United States. There a very sanguine view was taken as to the results of the arrangement that had been entered into between the Treasury and the Morgan-Rothschild syndicate. The syndicate undertook, it will be remembered, to hand over to the Treasury about 13,000,000i. worth of gold in payment of a new issue of 4 per cent. bonds to the amount of nearly 12,500,000l., and they undertook also to do all in their power to prevent the gold thus paid in being drained away again, as had been the proceeds of previous loans. The belief, therefore, was that the Treasury would be enabled not only to increase its gold reserve, but to keep it at the higher level. Apprehensions as to the ability of the Treasury to maintain gold

« SebelumnyaLanjutkan »