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REPORT 


UPON 


The    Care   of   the 


Feeble-Minded  in  Ontario 


err      V  °VOCp 


1907 


PRINTED   BY  ORDER  OF 

THE  LEGISLATIVE  ASSEMBLY  OF  ONTARIO 


TORONTO 

Printed  by  L.  K.  CAMERON,  Printer  to  the  King's  Most  Excellent  Majesty 

1907 


WARWICK  BRO  S  &  RUTTER,  Limited,  Printers. 
TORONTO. 


THE  CARE  OF  THE  FEEBLE-MINDED  IN  ONTARIO. 

Sir, — I  have  the  honor  to  present,  in  accordance  with  instructions,  such 
information  in  regard  to  the  care  of  the  higher  grades  of  the  feeble-minded 
as  I  have  been  able  to  get  from  the  best  available  sources,  and  also  a  Prelim- 
inary Special  Report  on  the  Census  of  the  Feeble-minded  in  Ontario,  as  a 
part  of  "the  securing  and  compiling  of  such  information  as  would  enable 
the  Government  and  the  House  to  fairly  judge  the  necessity  for  and  value 
of  provision  for  the  care  of  feeble-minded  women  from  fifteen  to  forty-five. 
This  would,  it  appears  to  me,  require  the  co-operation  of  the  Asylum  auth- 
orities and  the  municipal  authorities  as  well,  all  of  which  I  should  expect 
would  gladly  co-operate.  The  work  of  providing  such  a  home  would  involve 
considerable  initial  expense,  which  should  be  incurred  only  on  data  as  com- 
plete as  we  could  get  together." 

"The  value  of  a  census  is  at  once  apparent."  (Extract  from  a  letter 
of  instructions  from  the  Hon.   the  Provincial  Secretary.) 

What  "Feeble  Minded"   Means. 

There  is  in  different  countries  some  slight  variation  of  meaning  in  the 
term  "Feeble-minded."  Thus  the  French  include  all  degrees  of  mental  de- 
fect under  the  one  term  *'L  Idiotie,"  and  the  Americans  similarly  use  the 
term  "Feeble-minded"  to  include  all  suffering  from  mental  defect  in  any 
degree  whatever  from  the  lowest  grade  of  idiocy  to  the  highest  grade  of  the 
feeble-minded.  On  the  other  hand,  the  practice  of  British  authorities  is  to 
draw  a  careful  distinction  between  idiots  and  imbeciles  on  the  one  hand,  and 
those  merely  feeble-minded  on  the  other.  The  following  terms  are  conveni- 
ent and  accurate  for  use  : 

Ament — One  whose  mind  from  birth  has  been  defective. 

The  Aments  may  be  subdivided  into  : 

1.  Idiots. 

2.  Imbeciles. 

3.  Feeble-minded. 

The  word  "Idiot"  is  derived  from  the  Greek  and  denotes  one  who  has 
no  share  in  ordinary  public  affairs.  The  term  "idiot"  indicates  those  persons 
in  whom  certain  brain  cells  are  lacking.  No  amount  of  training  can  raise 
them  into  reasoning  beings.  Disease  or  defect  of  the  brain,  either  congenital 
or  acquired  during  the  development  of  the  brain,  is  the  cause  of  idiocy. 

An  imbecile  is  an  idiot  of  a  higher  grade.  Thus  imbeciles  may  be  taughl 
to  perform  more  or  less  automatic  actions.  They  can  feed  and  dress  them- 
selves and  even  do  simple  work  which  does  not  require  the  power  of  initiative. 
Where  the  condition  is  not  absolutely  congenital,  but  brought  about  by  dis- 
ease of  the  brain  subsequent  to  birth,  the  term  "imbecile"  is  usually  ap- 
plied. 

The  highest  grade  of  aments,  the  feeble-minded,  differs  considerably  from 
the  other  two  grades.  The  feeble-minded  are  capable  of  useful  work.  They 
are  also  capable  of  profiting  by  training  and  instruction.  It  would  seem  as 
if  they  possessed  certain  brain  cells  in  a  state  of  quiescence,  capable  of  some 
development  or  of  some  degeneration.  Thus,  time  spent  in  teaching  them 
to  read,  write,  and  cipher  is  largely  wasted,  lint  they  can  do  farm-work, 
household  work,  washing,  cleaning,  knitting,  sewing,  weaving,  sometimes 
lace-making.  They  can  make  clothes  under  supervision  and  with  some  help. 
Cleaning  and  polishing  operations  they  are  often  expert  at.  What  they 
cannot  do  is  to  manage  their  own  affairs.   Par  less  take  any  share  in  directing 

[3] 


REPORT  UPON  THE  N©.   63 


others,  as  all  normal  persons  do.  They  lack  the  power  of  restraint  and  in- 
hibition. The  feeble-minded  are  difficult  to  define,  but  not  difficult  to  re- 
cognize. They  are  below  those  of  normal,  though  small,  intellect,  but  above 
actual  imbeciles  and  idiots.  They  are  able  to  act  and  may  speak  fairly  well, 
though  usually  more  or  less  foolishly.  They  can  partly,  or  even  wholly, 
earn  their  living  under  supervision,  but  they  are  not  capable  of  protecting 
and  taking  care  of  themselves  out  in  the  world  at  large.  They  lack  prudence 
and  self-control.  They  have  not  proper  will  or  judgment.  Hence  we  find 
them  in  maternity  hospitals,  refuges,  gaols  and  poor  houses.  Thus  I  have 
seen  and  carefully  examined  in  the  course  of  this  inquiry  a  young  woman 
of  27  who  can  do  a  good  day's  work  under  direction.  She  does  a  large  family 
washing  in  a  day  under  direction.  She  is  strong  and  willing  and  kindly 
in  disposition,  but  she  knows  no  better  than  to  accept  ten  cents  as  her  wage 
for  a  day's  washing,  and  certain  well-to-do  farmers  in  this  Province  were 
not  ashamed  to  pay  her  ten  cents  for  her  hard  day's  work.  And  her  moral 
sense  is  on  a  par  with  her  financial  sense,  the  result  of  which  is  that  she  is 
the  mother  of  four  illegitimate  children,  the  oldest  of  whom  is  in  the  Asylum 
at  Orillia,  the  next  two  are  evidently  feeble-minded,  and  the  fourth,  an  in- 
fant born  the  day  before  my  first  visit  to  the  mother,  is  likely  to  be  no  better. 
This  woman  will  always  remain  a  child  as  far  as  any  financial  and  moral 
control  of  herself  and  her  affairs  is  concerned.  In  a  home  or  institution 
where  she  would  be  safe  from  evil  persons  she  could  be  usefully  and  profitably 
and  happily  employed  and  would  be  a  burden  on  no  one.  As  it  is,  she  and 
her  four  children  have  cost  the  Province  and  benevolent  citizens  no  small 
sum  for  maintenance  already,  and  unless  steps  are  speedily  taken  to  prevent 
it,   the  number  will  increase   and   the  cost   in   proportion. 

Historical. 

Though  the  Abbess  Euphrasia  (A.D.  -335-395),  and  St.  Vincent  de 
Paul  (A.D.  1576-1660)  attempted  to  train  idiots,  it  was  really  not  till 
1846  when  Seguin  published  his  great  work  "Traitement  moral,  Hygiene 
et  Education  des  idiots  et  des  autres  enfants  Arrieres,"  that  any 
attempt  was  made  to  attack  earnestly  the  problem  of  these  mental  defectives. 
Dr.  Edouard  Seguin  Mas  one  of  the  assistants  of  Itard,  who  in  1799  took 
a  "wild  boy"  found  in  the  forests  of  Aveyron  and  attempted  to  teach  and 
train  him.  Though  the  efforts  of  Itard  were  not  very  successful,  the  efforts 
of  Dr.  Seguin  had  better  results,  and  in  1838  he  established  a  School  for 
Idiots  in  the  Hospital  for  Incurables  at  Paris.  Dr.  Seguin  afterwards  lived 
in  Xew  York  City  and  carried  on  his  work  there,  assisting  to  establish  the 
first  schools  for  Idiots  in  the  United  States. 

Care  of  the  Feeble-Minded   in   Great  Britain — Special  Classes. 

The  recognition  of  and  provision  for  the  higher  grades  of  aments,  the 
feeble-minded,  was  the  next  step.  In  England  the  guardians  of  workhouses 
were  the  first  to  besrin  this  movement.  They  saw  the  need  of  custodial  care 
for  those  workhouse  girls  who  are  evidently  so  mentally  defective,  and  there- 
fore morally  weak,  as  to  be  in  obvious  danger  themselves,  and  to  be  a  danger 
to  the  community  when  they  take  their  discharge,  as  they  are  allowed  to  do, 
at  will.  Homes  for  feeble-minded  women  and  girls  were  opened  by  private 
benevolence  in  London  (1887  and  1890)  and  Birmingham,  (by  Miss  Stacey) 
in  J  892.  The  Charity  Organization  Society  and  the  British  ]\Iedieal  Asso- 
ciation took  the  matter  up  and  a  great  interest  was  aroused  in  the  subject. 


1907  FEEBLE-MINDED    IN    ONTARIO. 


Societies  were  lestablished — the  Lancashire  and  Cheshire  Society  for  the 
Permanent  Care  of  the  Feeble-minded,  the  National  Association  for  the 
W  elf  are  of  the  Feeble-minded,  the  Society  of  the  Crown  of  Our  Lord,  the 
National  Union  of  Separate  Schools,  and  the  After-care  Committees  being 
the  most  important — the  work  of  which  increased  the  knowledge  of  the  needs 
of  the  mentally  defective  classes,  especially  feeble-minded  children,  and  im- 
pressed upon  the  public  mind  the  dangers  the  feeble-minded  were  exposed 
to  and  unprotected  from,  and  the  danger  and  burden  which  the  community 
and  the  nation  were  exposed  to  in  the  rapid  increase  of  the  feeble-minded 
and  their  tendency  to  swell  the  ranks  of  the  unemployed,  vagrant,  degenerate 
and  criminal  classes.  In  April,  1892,  the  first  "Special  Classes"  for  men- 
tally defective  children  in  England  were  established  in  Leicester,  and  in 
July  of  the  same  year  General  Moberly,  who  will  ever  be  remembered  as  the 
most  prominently  active  friend  on  the  London  School  Board  that  mentally 
defective  children  ever  had,  was  instrumental  in  establishing  these  "Special 
Classes"  in  connection  with  the  London  School  Board.  There  are  now  about 
75  "Special  Schools  or  "Special  Classes"  in  London  alone,  with  an  atten- 
dance  of   about   5,000   children. 

It  is  in  connection  with  these  Special  Schools  in  London,  in  1894,  that 
we  have  the  first  evidence  of  public  attention  in  Ontario  being  directed  to 
this  matter. 

Royal  Commission  Appointed — Visit  to  America. 

Meantime  by  the  efforts  of  private  individuals,  School  Boards,  and  the 
above  mentioned  Associations,  as  well  as  by  the  feeling  of  the  general  public 
that  the  problem  of  the  feeble-minded  in  Great  Britain  is  assuming  gigantic 
proportions  and  becoming  a  public  danger,  the  attention  of  the  British 
Government  was  directed  to  these  matters,  and  an  act  was  passed  in 
1899  enabling  School  Boards  to  establish  special  schools  or  special 
classes  for  the  feeble-minded,  and  finally,  on  the  recommendation  of 
the  Home  Secretary,  a  Royal  Commission  was  appointed  by  His  Majesty 
the  King,  in  August,  1904,  to  consider  the  existing  methods  of  dealing  with 
idiots  and  epileptics,  and  with  imbecile,  feeble-minded,  or  defective  persons, 
nol  certified  under  the  lunacy  laws,  and  in  view  of  the  hardship  and  danger 
resulting  to  such  persons  and  the  community  from  insufficient  provision  for 
their  care,  training  and  control,  to  report  as  to  the  amendments  in  the  law 
and  other  measures  which  should  be  adopted  in  the  matter,  due  regard  bring 
bad  to  the  expense  involved  in  any  such  proposals,  and  to  the  besl  means  of 
securing  economy  therein. 

The  members  of  the  Royal  Commission  as  ;ii  first  constituted  were: 
The  Marquis  of  Bath,  Chairman;  Mr.  W.  I'.  Byrne,  C.B.,  of  the  Home  <»f- 
fice ;  Mr.  Charles  Hobhouse,  M.P. ;  Dr.  Frederirk  Needham,  Commissioner 
in  Lunacy  and  Lx-President  of  Medico-Psychological  Association;  Mr. 
Henry  D."  Greene,  K.C.,  M.P. ;  Mr.  Charles  Chadwyck-Healey,  C.C. ;  Rev. 
Harold  Nelson  Burden.  Mr.  W.  IT.  Dickinson,  Chairman  of  the  National 
Association  for  Promoting  the  Welfare  of  the  Feeble-minded:  Dr.  Charles 
S.  Loch,  Secretary  of  the  Charity  Organization  Society;  Mr-.  Hume  Pinsent, 
of  Birmingham,  Chairman  of  the  After-care  Committee  "f  the  Birmingham 
School  Board.  There  were  afterward-  added  Dr.  11.  B.  Donkin,  one  of  11. 
M.  Commissioners  for  Prisons,  and  Dr.  J.  C.  Dunlop,  Inspector  under  ill" 
Inebriates"  Act  in  Scotland  and  Medical  Adviser  tcTthe  Prison  Commissioners, 
Scotland.  The  Marquis  of  Bath  having  resigned,  the  King  appointed  the 
Earl  of  Radnor  to   his  vacant   place. 


REPORT  UPON  THE  No.   63 


This  Commission,  in  September,  1905,  appointed  five  of  its  number, 
viz.  :  Mr.  TV.  P.  Byrne,  Mr.  Dickinson,  Dr.  Dunlop,  Dr.  Donkin  and  Mrs. 
Pinsent  to  visit  America  and  inspect  institutions  for  the  feeble-minded  and 
report  on  them. 

On  the  arrival  of  the  Commissioners  in  America  the  following  letter 
was  addressed  to  the  Chairman,  TV.  P.  Byrne,  C.B.,  by  the  Honorable  the 
Provincial  Secretary  :  — 

Department  of  the  Provincial  Secretary  of  Ontario, 

Toronto,  Oct.  30th,  1905. 
"TV.  P.  Byrne,  C.B., 

In  care  of   Sir  Percy  Sanderson, 
British  Consul  General, 
New  York  : 
Dear  Sir, — My  attention  has  been   called  to  the  article  published  in 
the  British,  Medical  Journal  to  the  effect  that    your  Commission    has    been 
deputed  to  visit  this  Continent  for  the  purpose  of  enquiring  into  the  arrange- 
ments respecting  such  persons  as  might  come  within  the  terms  of  reference 
of  your  Commission.  I  have  pleasure  in  extending  to  you  a  very  cordial  in- 
vitation to  visit  such  of  our  institutions  in  Ontario  as  might  best  promote 
the  objects  you  have  in  view.     Our  officials  in  charge  of  this  work  here  would 
be  delighted  to  meet  your  Commission  and  place  themselves  at  your  dis- 
posal. 

Yery  truly  yours, 

(Sgd.)  W.  J.  Hanna." 

The  reply  received  to  this  letter  stated  that  the  Commissioners  greatly 
regretted  that  they  were  unable  to  accept  the  invitation  of  the  Honorable 
the  Provincial  Secretary,   as  they  had  no  instructions  to  visit  Canada. 

Cine  explanation   is   given    below). 

In  accordance  with  a  letter  of  instructions  received  on  Nov.  23rd,  1905, 
I  left  Toronto  on  that  day  at  5.20  p.m.  and  spent  three  days  in  New  York  in 
conference  with  the  Commissioners..  Nothing  could  exceed  the  cordiality 
with  which  I  was  received  and  the  kindness  with  which  they  gave  me  from 
the  great  store  of  valuable  information  possessed  by  the  Commission  and  by 
each  of  its  members.  It  should  be  mentioned  that  Dr.  Dunlop,  one  of  the 
Commissioners,  had,  on  his  own  account,  visited  Toronto,  as  the  Commis- 
sioners were  travelling  westward,  and  spent  some  hours  in  visiting  the  In- 
fants' Home  and  The  Haven  in  this  city.  Of  his  observations  made  in  visit- 
ing these  institutions  he  kindly  gave  me  the  benefit. 

It  is  expected  that  the  report  of  this  Commission  will  be  complete  in 
three  volumes,  the  first  being  mainly  concerned  with  the  English  evidence 
taken  from  November  14th,  1904.  to  August  4th,  1905.  The  other  volumes 
will  contain  an  account  of  the  visit  of  the  Commissioners  to  America,  the 
evidence  for  Scotland,  and  the  evidence  for  Ireland.  The  complete  report 
will  probably  not  be  ready  for  presentation  to  His  Majesty  and  the  Houses 
of  Parliament  until  the  end  of  1907.  It  will  then  be  the  source  of  informa- 
tion on  this  subject. 

I  was  informed  by  the  Chairman  of  this  Commission  that  on  the  appoint- 
ment of  this  Royal  Commission  by  His  Majesty,  letters  were  sent  to  all  parts 
of  the  British  Empire  and  elsewhere  asking  for  information  and  assistance 
in  regard  to  ascertaining  methods  and  results  of  the  care  and  control  of  the 
feeble-minded,  and  that  the  answer  to  this  letter  from  Canada  was  in  some 
three  lines,  of  a  purely  formal  character,  and  stated  that  nothing  was  done 


1907  FEEBLE-MINDED    IN   ONTARIO. 


for  the  feeble-minded  in  Canada,  and  that  little  or  not  interest  was  taken  in 
the  subject.  Consequently,  when  certain  of  the  Commissioners  were  deputed 
to  visit  the  United  States,  they  were  given  no  instructions  to  visit  Canada. 
I  have  endeavored  to  trace  this  extraordinary  communication  from  "Canada," 
but  so  far  unsuccessfully. 

As  instructed,  I  laid  before  the  Commissioners  all  the  information  at 
our  disposal,  including-  the  37th  Annual  Report  of  the  Lunatic  and  Idiot 
Asylums  of  the  Province  of  Ontario,  and  other  information  already  laid  be- 
fore the  Government,  such  as  the  number  of  feeble-minded  women  in  certain 
Maternity  Hospitals,  Refuges,  Homes,  and  charitable  institutions,  January 
to  June,  1905 ;  and  further,  the  opinions  of  a  number  of  Ontario  Education- 
ists in  regard  to  the  number  of  feeble-minded  children  in  the  schools  of 
Ontario  and  what  should  be  done  for  them. 

Summary. 

The  things  impressed  upon  my  mind  by  study  of  this  subject  for  years 
and  more  immediately  by  conference  with  the  members  of  the  Royal  Com- 
mission are : 

1st.  ±he  serious  and  important  nature  of  the  problem  of  the  feeble- 
minded. Of  all  the  witnesses  examined  by  the  Commission,  every  one  has 
taken  a  serious  view  of  the  matter.  A  general  opinion  is  expressed  that  the 
number  of  feeble-minded  in  Great  Britain  is  probably  as  great  as  the  number 
of  the  insane — 7iot  less  than  100,000,  and  that  the  problem  should  be  dealt 
wilh  by  Parliament. 

2nd.  The  favorable  position  occupied  in  this  matter  by  this  Province  as 
compared  with  the  older  parts  of  the  Empire.  As  the  Commissioners  put 
it  in  conversation  :  "Ontario  has  an  opportunity  to  take  a  fresh  start  in  deal- 
ing with  this  evil  before  it  has  grown  too  great  to  cope  with  it  satisfac- 
torily." 

3rd.  The  number  of  mental  defectives  tends  to  increase,  and  there  is 
not  adequate  provision  to  care  for  them.  Existing  institutions  fail  to  reach 
milder  cases  of  mental  defect,  i.e.,  the  higher  grades  of  the  feeble-minded, 
though  these  higher  grades  on  account  of  their  numerous  progeny  and  for 
other  reasons,  are  more  of  a  menace  and  a  burden  to  the  community  than 
other  feeble-minded  persons. 

4th.  The  function  of  "Special  Schools"  as  a  place  of  improvement  and 
training  for  the  feeble-minded,  and  also  as  a  place  of  observation,  a  kind  of 
"Sorting  House."  Home  care  is  unsuitable  Por,  at  any  rate,  the  majority  of 
these  eases,  and  special  boarding-schools  are  urgently  required  in  the  inter- 
ests of  the  individual,  the  family  and  the  nation. 

In  Britain  the  feeble-minded  children  are,  as  far  as  possible,  sent  to 
the  "Special  Schools"  established  in  Leicester,  London.  Birmingham  and 
elsewhere,  under  the  Act  of  1899.  So  far,  of  these  children  in  the  "Special 
Schools"  about  ten  per  cent,  become  self-supporting  or  nearly  90,  thirty  per 
cent,  more  might  possibly  be  regarded,  if  they  have  very  excellent  home  care, 
as  having  a  chance  to  become  fairly  respectable  citizens,  but  the  remaining 
sixty  per  cent,  cannot  possibly  be  regarded  as  lit  for  anything  but  permanent 
custodial    care   in   Homes   with    industrial    colonies   attached. 

5th.  The  importance  of  having  a  census  of  the  feeble-minded  taken  a-  a 
basis  for  action. 

6th.  The  necessity  of  custodial  homes  for  feeble-minded  women  and  girls 
and  the  good  results  observed  as  a  consequence  of  establishing  such  homes. 


REPORT  UPON  THE  No.   63 


7th.  It  is  possible  to  ascertain  the  cause  of  many,  if  not  of  all  cases  of 
mental  defect,  and  if  this  knowledge  were  applied,  the  number  of  mental 
defectives   would   largely  decrease  instead   of  increasing. 

There  can  be  no  doubt  that  feeble-mindedness  goes  hand  in  hand  with 
moral  weakness  and  physical  weakness  or  at  least  a  poor  standard  of  physical 
health.     Among  other  causes  of  feeble-mindedness  are : 

'  1st.  Deficient  nutrition  in  the  early  years  of  life.     The  brain  is  starved. 
0  '  2nd.  The  employment  of  married  women  at  the  child-bearing  period  in 
factories,  etc. 

3rd.  The  marriage  of  relatives,  e.g.  cousins.  The  children  are  more 
often  defective  than  the  children  of  other  marriages. 

4th.  Extreme  age  or  extreme  youth  of  the  parents. 

5th.   A   hereditary   tendency   to   tuberculosis. 

6th.  Chronic  alcoholism  in  one  or  both  parents. 

7th.   Descent  from  a  feeble-minded,   criminal  or  insane' ancestry. 

These  are  not  theories  or  conjectures.  They  are  facts  ascertained  by 
the  patient  investigation  and  long  experience  of  government  officials,  physi- 
cians, and  others  who  have  studied  the  problem  of  the  feeble-minded,  and 
been  impressed  with  "the  total  inadequacy  of  the  provision  made  for  dealing 
"'with  the  enormous  class  of  mental  mcapables  who,  not  being  certified 
"lunatics,  are  unfit  either  to  earn  a  livelihood  or  look  after  themselves  or 
their  affairs." — The  Lancet. 

Preliminary  Report  on  the  Census  of  the  Feeble-minded  in  Ontario. 

In  preparing  a  census  of  the  feeble-minded,  I  endeavored  first  of  all  to 
avail  myself  of  the  assistance  of  the  large  number  of  persons,  both  officials 
and  private  persons,  who  are  known  to  be  interested  in  this  matter,  especially 
Dr.  R.  "W.  Bruce  Smith,  Inspector  of  Hospitals  and  Public  Charities;  Dr. 
Beaton,  Medical  Superintendent  of  the  Asylum  for  Idiots  at  Orillia;  Mr. 
J.  J.  Kelso,  Superintendent  of  Neglected  and  Dependent  Children,  members 
of  the  Local  Council  of  Women  and  others. 

To  all  these  officials  and  others-  I  beg  to  express  my  thanks  for  the  very 
great  assistance  they  have  rendered.  The  municipal  officials,  the  police 
authorities,  the  asylum  authorities,  as  well  as  those  in  charge  of  hospitals, 
homes  and  charitable  institutions  generally,  the  officers  and  members  of  the 
National  Council  of  Women,  and  of  Benevolent  Societies,  as  well  as  the 
educational  authorities,  have  all  expressed,  by  word  and  act,  their  sense  of 
the  importance  of  the  Government's  action,  and  their  willingness  to  co-oper- 
ate in  any  way. 

The  only  Provincial  institution  for  the  care  of  the  feeble-minded  is 
the  Asylum  for  Idiots  in  Orillia,  which  is  one  of  the  best  known  insti- 
tutions in  the  Province,  the  site,  a  very  beautiful  one,  extending  over  many 
acres  aud  sloping  down  to  the  shores  of  Lake  Couchiching.  The  site 
is  well  adapted  to  the  work  of  the  institution.  A  beautiful  grove  and  exten- 
sive lawns  add  to  its  attractiveness  and  suitability  as  a  permanent  residence 
for  those  who  by  reason  of  their  great  and  irremediable  disabilities,  can 
enjoy  not  many  pleasures.  This  magnificent  site  was  selected  years  ago  by 
the  present  superintendent.  Some  of  the  higher  grades  of  feeble-minded  are 
confined  here  because  there  is  nowhere  else  that  they  can  be  sent. 

As  to  separate  provision  for  the  higher  grades  of  the  feeble-minded  it 
would  seem  that  the  first  public  attempt  in  this  direction  in  Ontario  was 
made  in  1894.  In  that  year  Mr.  James  L.  Hughes,  Inspector  of  Public 
Schools  for  Toronto,  was   in  London,    England,  and   took   occasion   to   visit 


1907  FEEBLE-MINDED    IN   ONTARIO. 


the  "Special  Schools"  then  just  established.  He  saw  some  400  children 
who  were  in  attendance  at  these  schools.  On  his  return  to  Toronto  he  inter- 
ested Dr.  Fisher,  the  Chairman  of  the  Toronto  Public  Schools,  in  the  matter, 
and  the  Chairman  and  Inspector  visited  all  the  Toronto  Public  Schools  dur- 
ing the  autumn  of  1894  with  a  view  to  ascertain  how  many  mentally  defective 
children  were  in  attendance.  They  found  about  20,  and  it  was  not  thought 
that  this  was  a  large  enough  number  to  warrant  the  establishment  of  a 
"Special  Class"  for  the  feeble-minded. 

In  1897,  Dr.  A.  M.  Rosebrugh,  Secretary  for  Ontario  of  the  National 
Conference  of  Charities  and  Corrections,  wrote  to  the  National  Council  of 
Women  of  Canada,  then  assembled  in  their  fourth  annual  meeting  at  Hali- 
fax, asking  the  co-operation  of  the  Council  in  making  enquiries  regarding 
the  number  of  unmarried  women  in  each  Province  under  40  years  of  age 
who  are  either  idiotic,  semi-imbecile,  weak-minded,  or  who  from  any  cause 
are  incapable  when  at  large  of  taking  care  of  themselves.  In  answer  to 
this  request  a  committee  was  appointed  to  make  enquiries  and  report  at 
the  fifth  annual  meeting  held  in  Ottawa  in  1898.  The  committee  reported 
accordingly  the  result  of  their  labours  at  length,  including  the  following 
estimate  of  the  number  of  such  women  in  each  Province  as  follows:  — 

Manitoba  5 

Assiniboia    4 

P.  E.  Island  2 

Quebec  39 

New  Brunswick  150 

Nova  Scotia  135 

Ontario   : 900 

A  similar  committee  has  been  appointed  by  the  National  Council  of 
Women  from  year  to  year.     In  1899  the  following  resolution  was  passed:  — 

Resolved.  That  in  accordance  with  the  suggestion  of  the  Standing  Com- 
mittee upon  "The  care  of  feeble-minded  Women,"  the  National  Council  do 
petition  the  various  Provincial  Governments,  asking  them  to  conduct  a  care- 
ful investigation  into  the  matter  in  the  several  Provinces.  Be  it  further  re- 
solved that  a  deputation  of  members  of  the  several  Local  Councils,  with  the 
several  Provincial  Vice-Presidents  as  Conveners,  do  wail  upon  their  Provin- 
cial Governments  to  press  the  importance  of  the  matter  upon  them." 

In  1901,  the  committee  again  reported,  emphasizing  the  necessity  "t  en- 
lightening the  public  about  this  evil,  and  at  the  suggestion  of  the  National 
Conference  of  Charities  anu  Corrections,  and  with  the  approval  of  the  On- 
tario Government,  Mrs.  Evans  of  Hamilton,  Convener  of  the  Standing  Com- 
mittee, and  Mrs.  Willoughby  Cummings,  Secretary  of  the  National  Council, 
visited  the  institutions  for  the  care  of  the  feeble-minded  a1  Home.  Syra- 
cuse, and  Newark,  New  York  State,  and  also  at  Orillia  in  Ontario,  and  a 
similar  report  was  submitted  at  the  annual  meeting  in  1902.  On  Mav  20th, 
1903,  a  large  deputation  from  the  National  Council,  the  Prisoners'  Aid  As- 
sociation, the  Associated  Charities,  and  other  organizations  waited  upon  the 
Honorable  G.  AY.  Ross,  Premier  of  Ontario,  and  the  Honorable  J.  S.  Strat- 
ton,  Provincial  Secretary,  to  present  a  largely  signed  petition  from  citizens 
of  the  Province  of  Ontario,  requesting  that  provision  should  be  made  for  the 
custodial  care  of ' feeble-miii ded  women.  The  Premier  and  the  Provincial 
Secretary  both  agreed  as  to  the  wisdom  of  the  request,  ami  promised  t < .  do 
what  was  possible  to  carry  the  same   into  effect. 


10  REPORT  UPON  THE  No.   63 


The  committee  appeared  again  at  the  annual  meeting  in  Winnipeg  in 
1904,  reporting  progress,  and  once  more  in  1905,  at  the  annual  meeting  in 
Charlottetown,  and  in  November,  1905,  another  large  deputation  including 
representatives  from  all  parts  of  the  Province,  waited  upon  the  Premier, 
the  Honorable  J.  P.  Whitney,  and  the  Provincial  Secretary,  Honorable  W. 
J.  Hanna,  to  lay  this  matter  before  them.  In  June,  1906,  the  Honorable, 
the  Provincial  Secretary  gave  instructions  to  proceed  at  once  with  the  tak- 
ing of  a  cerisus,  and  the  first  step  was  the  issuing  of  the  following  letter. 
It  was  sent  to  officers  of  those  associations  who  had  already  petitioned  the 
Government,  also  to  all  municipal  officials,  police  authorities,  Governors 
of  Gaols,  Superintendents  of  all  Asylums,  Hospitals  and  Charitable  Insti- 
tutions, officers  of  the  Children's  Aid  Societies,  City  Missionaries  and  Dea- 
conesses, officers  of  Benevolent  Societies,  Educational  Authorities,  and  pri- 
vate persons  who  were  known  to  be  interested,  and  others.  In  all  about 
3,000  letters  were  sent  out,  and  a  large  number  of  replies  have  been  re- 
ceived. 


Department  of  thjj  Provincial  Secretary,  Ontario. 
Confidential. 

Re  Care  of  the  Feeble-Minded 

Toronto,  June  13th, 

My  Dear  ,  — The  Government  of  Ontario  has  received  numer- 
ous petitions  and  requests  for  better"  provision  for  the  care  and  control  of 
the  feeble-minded  in  this  Province,  who  have  not  been  certified  to  as  insane 
or  idiots,  and  yet  are  not  able  to  protect  themselves.  Imbecility  and  here- 
dity are  known  to  be  the  most  prolific  of  the  causes  of  pauperism  and  crime. 
It  has  been  determined  to  undertake  a  complete  enumeration  of  such  feeble- 
minded persons. 

I  am,  therefore,  instructed  by  the  Hon.  W.  J.  Hanna,  Provincial 
Secretary,  to  ask  your  assistance  in  this  matter,  and  respectfully  request 
that  you  will  forward  to  me  at  your  earliest  convenience  the  Dames  and 
addresses  of  any  such  feeble-minded  persons  known  to  you  and  any  further 
information  in  reference  to  this  matter  which  you  may  deem  of  importance. 

Any  information  you  may  be  pleased  to  give  me  will  be  regarded  as 
confidential. 

I  have   the   honor   to   remain, 

Tour  obedient  servant, 
Helen  MacMtjrchy. 

Please   address  reply  : 

Dr.  Helen  MacMurchy, 
133  Bloor  St.,  East. 
Toronto. 

Results  of  the  Census. 

In  all,  the  names  and  addresses  of  1,385  feeble-minded  persons  have 
been  thus  obtained  from  responsible  officials,  either  by  letter  or  interview, 
frequently  by  my  own  examination  of  feeble-minded  persons  reported  to 
me. 


1907  FEEBLE-MINDED    IN   ONTARIO.  11 


No.    of   women    676 

No.  of  girls  183 

No.  of  men  418 

No.  of  boys 108 

1,385 
This  number  is  exclusive  of  school  children  as  reported.  See  below.  No 
doubt  the  fact  that  this  enquiry  was  first  set  on  foot  in  connection  with  the 
number  of  mentally  defective  women  and  girls  in  the  Province  may,  to  some 
extent,  explain  the  proportion  in  the  above  figures.  I  have,  however,  re- 
ported all  whose  names  were  given  to  me  by  responsible  officials  and  others 
well  qualified  to  judge.  In  some  cases  the  ages  were  given.  Of  258  women 
where  the  age  was  given, 

66  were  between  16  and  20  years 
101  were  between  20  and  30  years 
44  were  between  30  and  40  years 
29  were  between  40  and  50  years 
10  were  between   50  and  60  years 
8  were  over  60  years. 
Of  67  girls  where  the  age  was  given — 
20  were  under  seven  years 
47  were  between  7  and  16  years. 
Of  104  men  where  the  age  was  given — 
24  were  between  16  and  20  years 
37  were  between  20  and  30  years 
19  were  between  30  and  40  years 
15  were  between  40  and  50  years 
6  were  between  50  and  60  years 
3  were  over  60  years. 
Of  35  boys  where  the  age  was  given — 
18  were  under  seven  years 
17  were  between  7  and  16  years. 
The  above  figures  do  not  include  any  allowance  for  such    vague    state- 
ments as   "a  large  number,"   "many,"   &c,   &c. 

T  rgent  Cast*   -Home  ('arc  Inadequate. 

It  is  manifest  that  these  returns  are  not  yet  complete,  and  also  require 
to  be  sifted  and  classified.  [Since  beginning  to  write  this  report  sixty-one  addi- 
tional interviews  and  letters  have  been  added,  and  some  long  lists  have  been 
received,  none  of  which  are  included  in  the  above  figures.]  There  are, 
among  the  answers  received,  43  special  nnd  urgent  appeals  for  certain  cases, 
in  which  it  is  felt  that  something  should  be  done  at  once.  The  number 
of  these  urgent  cases,  so  reported,  is  121.  These  are  all  feeble-minded 
women  and  girls.  In  48  cases  the  remark  is  made  thai  these  feeble-minded 
persons  are  well  cared  for,  but  in  other  case-  even  the  best  of  home  care  i< 
realised  to  be  insufficient.  E.  G.  File  No.  112.  Special  Case,  Girl  of  19  A 
recent  occurrence  has  impressed  upon  her  father  the  fad  that  he  cannot 
supervise  1km-  or  give  her  the  prot oct  ion  at  home  that  i*  necessary.  Able  and 
willing  to  pay.  he  asks  "Do  yon  know  of  any  institution,  public  or  Church, 
where  good  but  weak-minded  girls  could  be  trained,  if  possibleP" 

In  a  good  many  cases  these  mentally  defective  persons  are  in 
homes,     and    are    sometimes    very    well     eared     for.      A     number    of    let 


12  REPORT   UPON  THE  No.   63 


express  great  anxiety  as  to  their  fate  when  the  home  is  broken  up.  Quite 
a  number  are  kept  as  maids  and  workers  under  supervision  in  Government 
and  charitable  institutions.  This  also  is  often  a  good  arrangement.  They 
are  placed  as  inmates  in  the  Haven,  Toronto,  and  similar  institutions 
throughout  the  country,  where  the  authorities  feel  that  they  dare  not  let 
them  out,  and  yet  it  is  a  great  detriment  to  the  work  of  the  institution  and 
the  other  inmates  to  keep  them.  In  the  Industrial  Refuge,  Toronto,  where 
24  out  of  36  inmates  are  at  present  more  or  less  feeble-minded,  they  are  well 
and  permanently  taken  care  of  and  usefully  employed.  This  institution  is 
filled  to  its  utmost  capacity.  Id  the  Home  of  the  Good  Shepherd  at  Toronto, 
a  large  number  of  mentally  defective  women  and  girls  are  permanently 
cared  far,  and  are  also  successfully  employed. 

The  Houses  of  Refuge. 

It  is  quite  different  in  the  Houses  of  Refuge,  where  there  are  a  large 
number  of  feeble-minded.  My  returns  so  far,  which  are  by  no  means  com- 
plete, give  the  names  of  126  such  persons  in  the  Houses  of  Refuge  or  Poor 
Houses.  In  addition,  58  are  now,  or  have  recently  been,  in  gaols,  and  114 
have  been,  during  the  last  few  years  in  the  Mercer  Reformatory,  and  from 
these  places  they  come  and  go,  each  time  coming  back  worse  and  more  de- 
graded, and  there  is  at  present  no  way  to  prevent  the  very  great  evils  that 
constantly  arise.     Three  examples  among  many  are  given  below. 

From  a  small  town. 

"There  are  two  feeble-minded  girls  in  the  House  of  Refuge  now  with 
babies  a  few  months  old,  according  to  rules  they  must  stay  a  year  and  take 
care  of  the  babies,  then  the  girls  are  let  go,  perhaps  to  come  back  again  be- 
fore the  year  is  out." 

From  the  Governor  of  a  gaol. 

"I  am  decidedly  opposed  to  the  practice  of  sending  feeble-minded 
persons  to  the  gaol  as  has  been  done  hitherto.  I  think  it  is  barbarous  and 
ir  human,  and  I  am  glad  that  the  present  Government  have  taken  steps  to 
partially  remedy  this  state  of  things." 

Visit  to  Rescue  Home  at  ,  File  No.  209. 

"Ht.ye  at  present  five  girls,  ages  30,  27,  22,  19  and  18,  who  are  feeble- 
minded." One-feeble-minded  girl  was  admitted  only  four  weeks  before  my 
visit  with  twin  babies,  both  ;orirls,  (illegitimate,  a  few  weeks  old).  The  Sup- 
erintendeDt  has  not  room  for  these  girls,  and  cannot  well  keep  them,  but 
feels  that  she  cannot  send  them  out,  as  they  are  not  able  to  protect  them- 
selves. She  "wishes  there  were  any  place  where  they  would  be  cared  for 
and  kept  from  further  harm." 

Descendants   of   the  Fechlc-M  indcd. 

In  six  cases  special  attention  is  drawn  to  consanguinity  in  the  parents 
as  a  causo  ()f  feeble-mindedness  in  the  children.  In  158  cases  the  feeble- 
minded person  mentioned  is  related  closely  to  some  other  feeble-minded  per- 
son also  mentioned. 

Of  the  numbers  reported  above  it  was  stated  that  8  of  the  men  were 
married,  and  71  of  the  women.  Several  of  these  who  have  written  to  the 
Department  express  themselves  strongly  on  this  serious  matter,  e.g.,  Case 
of  H.  R.,  File  No.  425.  "Parents  insisted  on  taking  her  out  of  the  institu- 
tion where  she  was,  in  order  to  marry  her  to  a  man  who  was  'not  very  bright.' 
Tn  two  years  returned  to  the  same  institution  asking-  for  admission  with  her 


11)07  FEEBLE-MINDED    IN   ONTARIO.  IS 


child,  also  feeble-minded."  The  Superintendent  of  the  Institution  expressed 
himself  as  being  of  opinion  that  this  marriage  was   a  crime. 

""Relatives  should  not  be  allowed  to  marry,  as  this  seems  a  very  great 
source  of  evil,  and  the  issuing  of  Marriage  Licenses*  should  be  left  to  the 
magistrates  of  the  land.  Idiots  marrying  is  sure  to  bear  its  fruits."  Town- 
ship Clerk. 

''Yours  received  this  a.m.  re  feeble-minded.  I  am  very  much  pleased 
to  see  that  the  Provincial  Government  are  going  to  take  steps  in  that  di- 
rection, as  it  seems  there  is  no  place  for  these  poor  unfortunates  except  the 

County  Gaols.     We  have  one  of  such.     We  at  first  sent  him  to ,  but 

they  let  him  go  saying  it  was  not  a  suitable  place  for  him.  He  then  wan- 
dered about  the  country,  was  arrested  as  a  vagrant  and  sent  to  Gaol  in 
Toronto,  from  there  back  here.     We  then  had  him  arrested  under  the  same 

charge,  and  be  is  now  in Gaol.     His  parents  are  living.,    neither 

very  bright.  This  man  has  a  wife,  not  much  better  than  himself,  and  one 
child.  I  think  a  man  who  issues  a  license,  and  a  Minister  who  marries  people 
like  these,  should  be  prosecuted,  as  it  peoples  the  world  with  a  very  unde- 
sirable class,  ard  yet  no  fault  of  their  own.  Anything  I  can  do  to  help  on 
the  work  I  will  gladly  do." 

The  marriage  of  such  feeble-minded  persons  brings  about  such  terrible 
consequences  as  are  related  in  the  next  few  cases. 

Application  from  the  County  Attorney  of  -  -  to  admit  to  (Drill ia. 

A  family,  17  in  number,  all  descendants  of  one  feeble-minded  woman, 
all  of  whom  are  idiotic  or  feeble-minded  and  all  illegitimate.  Several 
were  admitted  to  the  Asylum  at  Orillia. 

File  Xo.  507.     The  ii.  family,   three  generations,  consists  of 

Grandparents — both  over  70. 

Parents — two  daughters;  elder  married,  has  4  children;  younger  mar- 
ried,  has  5  children. 

"This  whole  family  are  feeble-minded,  and  the  Clergyman  who  mar- 
ried these  two  daughters  should  have  been  sent  to  prison."  Opinion  of  the 
Police  Magistrate. 

The  records  at  the  Asylum  at  Orillia  show  the  same  thing.  Number  ot 
inmates  at  present  in  the  Asylum  who  are  related  to  other  inmates,  at  inv- 
ent in  the  Asylum. 

Two  of  the  same  family,   18  times 

Three  of  the  same  family,     9  times 

Four  of  the  same  family,  2  times 

Five  of  the  same  family,  2  times. 

Total,  81  inmates  are  relatives  of  other  inmates.  We  have  a  case  here 
of  a  mother  P.S.  and  her  son  J.S.  Another  A. P.  and  her  son  F.K..  and  one 
E.H.  and  her  daughter  V.H.  Then  we  have  ore  T.B.  and  her  daughter 
W.B.,  and  the  history  says  that  this  mother  gave  birth  to  8  illegitimate 
children.  In  nearly  every  case  where  there  are  two  or  more  feeble-minded 
members  of  one  family,  the  history  of  either  one  parent  or  tin  other  is  bad, 
showing  thai  heredity  has  a  crreat  deal  to  do  with  feeble-mindedness.  A.  U. 
Beaton,  Medical  Superintendent. 

The  P.  Family.  Mr.  J.  J.  Kelso,  Superintendent  of  Neglected  and  De- 
pendent Children  for  the  Province  of  Ontario,  to  whom  I  am  indebted  for 
much  valuable  assistance,  drew  my  attention  to  this  case.  Tt  i^  a  dreadful 
case.  In  April  1895,  Mr.  Kelso  was  asked  to  take  charge  of  a  neglected,  de- 
pendent, illegitimate  and  feeble-minded  child,  E.P.,   then  in  the   Industrial 

Home  at with  her  mother.  S.  P..  who  was  an  inmate  of  the  Bame 

institution,  and  was  also  feeble-minded  and  illegitimate.     On  January  30th. 


14  REPORT  UPON  THE  No.   63 


1897,  Air.  Kelso  discovered  that  a  child,  W.  B.,  feeble-minded  and  illegiti- 
mate, whom  he  was  asked  to  take  charge  of  was  the  grandson  of  S.P.  men- 
tioned above.  This  boy  is  now  in  the  Orillia  Asylum.  Finally,  on  ]kay  3rd, 
1906,  Mr.  Kelso  found  that  a  family  of  neglected  children  living  in  an- 
other place  were  also  grandchildren  of  S.P.  The  history  of  this  P.  family 
was  then  investigated  as  fully  as  possible  and  may  be  briefly  stated  thus  : 

About  thirty  years  ago  there  was   in  the   Poor  House  at  a 

feeble-minded  woman  named  S.P.  She  was  able  to  do  a  good  day's  work, 
and  she  can  do  a  good  day's  work  still  at  the  age  of  between  50  and  60. 
She  was  allowed  to  leave  the  Poor  House  and  come  back  at  her  own  will. 
Her  history  is  mixed  up  with  the  history  of  at  least  three  evil  men.  She 
was  no  more  able  to  protect  herself  than  a  child.  The  consequence  is  that 
to-day,  instead  of  one  feeble-minded  person,  the  Province  has  at  least  twelve 
such  persons — this  woman,  her  seven  children,  and  her  four  grandchildren — 
every  one,  including  the  mother,  illegitimate  and  all  feeble-minded.  Such 
a  case  as  this  needs  no  comment,  but  it  may  be  pointed  out  that  if  S.  P.  had 
been  cared  for  as  a  ward  of  the  Province  years  ago,  it  would  have  saved  the 
Province  thousands  of  dollars. 

Mentally  Defective  Children  in  Schools. 

Sufficient  time  has  not  yet  elapsed  for  the  educational  authorities  to 
make  anything  like  complete  returns.  But  there  are  a  number  of  teachers 
and  others  in  Ontario  who  have  been  thinking  of  this  problem  for  years,  as 
the  following  letters  will  show. 

*'l.  In  my  work  of  teaching  here  I  have  several  times  come  in  contact 
with  feeble-minded  children,  and  I  invariably  found  that  they  were  clever 
mechanically,  as  clever  as  the  other  children  and  sometimes  much  more  so. 

Do  you  not  think  that  these  children  should  be  taken  from  the  regular 
classes  in  the  public  schools  where  they  are  only  a  drag  and  where  they 
feel  their  incapacity  most  keenly  and  be  given  special  instruction  along 
mechanical  lines — wood  carving,  modelling,  &c,  so  that  they  might  develop 
and  so  enter  into  a  larger  life  through  what  might  be  said  to  be  the  only 
possible  door  of  entrance  for  them?" 

"2.  1  greatly  wish  something  could  be  done  to  provide  suitable  training 
for  such  unfortunates  (children  lacking  mentally).  They  get  little  good 
in  school— sit  moping  and  brooding  over  what  little  they  know,  but  learn 
very  little." 

."3.  I  have  the  names  and  ages  of  15  such  persons  (feeble-minded)  among 
my  schools,  all  unable  to  learn,  one  16  years  of  age  and  some  quite  young, 
4,  6,  7,  8,  most  of  these  are  not  unruly.  A  few  are  very  much  so,  and  a 
source  of  much  trouble  and  delay  in  the  schools  where  I  found  them.  There 
is  in  the  common  school  no  opportunity  for  care  and  training  such  as  they 
need.  The  Province  needs  not  merely  places  of  confinement  for  these  un- 
fortunates but  much  more  places  where  expert  training,  tender  sympathy 
and  loving  patience  can  be  given  to  every  one." 

"4.  I  have  been  teaching  for  the  past  7  years,  and  during  that  time  have 
had  4  or  5  children  who  have  been  as  you  describe  (feeble-minded).  I  feel 
strongly  that  there  should  be  some  special  place  provided  for  such  children." 

I  have  received  detailed  reports  from  three  School  Inspectors  that  in 
their  districts  there  are  119  children  who,  in  the  opinion  of  the  teachers,  nrp 
feeble-minded.  The  experience  of  other  investigators  shows  that  this  state- 
ment is  not  likely  to  be  far  wrong.  Taking  this  as  a  basis  of  calculation,  it 
would  show  that  there  is  a   considerable  number  of  feeble-minded  children 


1907  FEEBLE-MINDED    IN   ONTARIO.  15 


in  our  Ontario  Public  Schools  to-day.  And  there  is  no  doubt  that  if  com- 
pulsory school  attendance  were  really  enforced,  a  larger  number  of  such 
children  would  be  found. 

Public  Opinion. 

It  is  evidently  the  mind  of  the  people  of  this  Province  that  something 
should  be  done  for  the  feeble-minded,  and  for  the  protection  of  the  com- 
munity from  evils  already  referred  to.  Our  present  policy,  resulting  in 
such  terrible  consequences,  for  which  we  are  responsible,  as  the  history  of 
the  P.  family  shows,  no  one  approves  of.  Besides  the  petitions  presented 
to  the  Government  for  years,  a  large  number  of  competent  persons  holding 
important  official  and  other  positions  have  so  expressed  themselves  in  writ- 
ing to  the  Department.     A  few  of  these  may  be  given. 

From  a  Municipal  Official. 

"1.  I  sincerely  hope  the  Government  of  Ontario  will  do  something  for 
the  feeble-minded  in  this  Province.  It  will  reflect  great  credit  upon  them  if 
they  do." 

From  a  Police  Magistrate. 

"2.  We  are  heartily  in  sympathy  with  this  movement,  and  will  at  any 
time  be  quite  willing  to  furnish  you  with  all  the  assistance  in  our  power." 

From  a  Municipal  Officer. 

"3.  I  consider  this  very  matter  of  vital  importance.  No  doubt  our  state 
will  sooner  or  later  have  to  care  for  such." 

From  a  Municipal  Officer. 

"4.  Our  Municipal  Council  fully  approve  of  the  steps  being  taken  by  the 
Ontario  Government  in  the  direction  intimated." 

From  a  Municipal  Officer 

"5.  I  am  pleased  to  find  that  at  last  attention  is  to  be  given  to  1 1 1< ■  class 
of  persons  referred  to,  and  any  information  or  assistance  I  can  give  will  be 
always  at  your  disposal.  It  is  a  subject  that  has  been  neglected  far  too 
long." 

From  Private  Citizens. 

"6.  In  reply  to  your  circular  would  like  to  say  that  I  think  there  i^  i  "ly- 
ing need  for  a  Home  or  Institution  of  some  sort  for  the  care  of  the  feeble- 
minded." 

"7.  I  believe  it  would  be  in  the  interests  of  the  public  if  all  such  persons 
were  properly  cared  for." 

"S.    I  have  long  thought  that  something  was  required  for  that  clas 

"9.  I  would  be  glad  to  do  anything  in  my  power  to  aid  the  work  of  car- 
ing for  these  unfortunate  members  of  society.  I  have  too  often  seen  the 
awful  results  of  allowing  them  to  drift  at  large." 


SUMMARY. 

In  summing  up  the  results  shown  by  this  preliminary  reporl   W  6ec< 
idcai'  thai    we  have  t<>  deal   with    four  classes  of  feeble-minded  persons. 

1.  There  are  first  of  all  habitual  offenders,  men  and  women  who  air  never 
crat  of  the  gaol  or  the  Mercer  for  more  than  a  few  months  al  a  tun.-.  They  now 
belong  to  the  Criminal  Class,  and  probably  the  reason  thai  they  belong  to 
the  Criminal  Class  is  that  thev  are  feeble-minded.  Whal  cai  be  done  for 
them?     The  indeterminate  sentence  is  fie'  only  solution.     V"  one  would  be- 


16  REPORT   UPON  THE  No.   63 


lieve,  who  had  not  personally  visited  the  Mercer  and  carefully  examined 
each  inmate  separately,  what  a  very  large  proportion  are  distinctly  and 
marked  feeble-minded. 

II.  We  then  come  to  those  who  are  not  criminals — those  girls 
who  are  constantly  found  in  Maternity  Hospitals,  Infants'  Homes, 
the  Haven,  the  various  Refugee,  &c.  These  are  all  mothers.  It  should  be 
required  of  all  Superintendents  of  Maternity  Homes  and  Hospitals,  of  all 
Poor  Houses,  Refuges,  and  other  Charitable  Public  Institutions  to  report  at 
once  to  this  Department  the  admission  of  any  feeble-minded  woman  in  this 
position.  Someone  should  be  appointed  to  act  for  the  Government  and 
manage  the  affairs  of  the  feeble-minded  as  the  Official  Guardian  manages 
the  affairs  of  infants,  investigating  each  case  and  taking  means  to  lessen 
the  great,  and  at  present,  fast  increasing  burden  of  the  mentally  defective. 
If  there  were  a  Home  where  such  persons  could  be  taken  care  of  and  where 
they  could  work,  their  labour  would  render  the  Home  nearly  self-supporting 
and  they  themselves  would  be  happy  and  safe,  and  the  problem  of  the  next 
generation  would  be  solved  to  a   large  extent. 

III.  Then  there  are  such  cases  as  the  young  girl  of  19  mentioned  above. 
"Good  but  weak  girls"  should  be  classified  by  themselves  in  a  separate  de- 
partment. In  many  cases  their  .friends  would  pay  for  their  maintenance. 
It  is  obvious  that  a  Home  for  feeble-minded  women  is  required  by  the  Pro- 
vince in  the  best  interests  of  the  community  and  of  these  women  themselves. 

IV.  Finally,  Where  were  these  feeble-minded  persons  thirty  years  ago? 
Where  are  the  children  who  will  fill  their  places  thirty  years  hence  ?  In 
our  schools.  Now  is  the  time  to  take  hold  of  these  mentally  defective  chil- 
dren and  make  something  of  them,  and  for  the  60  to  90  per  cent,  that  will 
not  be  able  to  live  in  the  world  at  large  without  becoming  degenerate,  un- 
employable, criminals,  and  alas,  the  parents  of  children  still  more  mentally 
defective,  degraded  and  dangerous  than  themselves,  special  schools  and 
classes  and  permanent  care  afterwards  are  urgently  required. 

I  have  the  honour  to  remain, 
Your   obedient  servant, 
September  30th,  1906. 

HELEN  MACMURCHY. 

To  the  Hon.  W.  J.  Haxna,  M.PP.,  Provincial  Secretary. 


REPORT 


UPON 


The  Care  of  the 


Feeble-Minded  in  Ontario 

1908 


PRINTED  BY  ORDER  OF 

THE  LEGISLATIVE  ASSEMBLY  OF  ONTARIO 


TORONTO 
Printed    by    L.  K.  CAMERON,  Printer  to  the  King'*  Most  Excellent  Majesty 

1908 


WARWICK  BRO'S  &  RUTTER,  Limited,  Printers, 
TORONTO. 


la  F.M. 


To  the  Hon.  TV.  J.  Hanna,  Provincial  Secretary  for  Ontario: 

Sir, — I  have  the  honor  to  present  a  Second  Report  on  the  number  of 
the  Feeble-Minded  in  Ontario,  and  also  the  results  of  an  enquiry  made  into 
their  history  and  present  condition,  as  a  basis  for  determining,  with  due 
regard  to  efficiency  and  economy,  the  best  method  of  caring  for  such  feeble- 
minded in   this  Province. 

Since  the  date  of  the  Preliminary  Report  a  large  number  of  additional 
cases  have  been  seen  by  me,  or  brought  to  my  attention  by  others.  The 
figures  now  stand  as  follows  : 

Census  of  the  Feeble-Minded  in  Ontario. 


To  September  30th,  190b\ 

To  January  31st,  1908. 

Number  of  Women 676 

Number  of  Men 418 

Number  of  Bovs 109 

Number  of  Children  in  School,  119 

Total 1,505 

809 
219 
447 
L35 

1 5i  i 

1,760 

In  accordance  with   instructions  received  from  the  Hon.  the  Provincial 
Secretary  and  in  order  to  obtain  more  definite  information  as  to  these  cases, 

the   following  letter  was   issued: 

DEPARTMENT  OF  ASYLUMS  AND   PUBLIC  CHARITIES 
Care  ov  Feebi  b-Mindi  d 

PaRL]  \mi  \t    Bun  DINQS, 

ToiitiN  i  o,   December,   19  '" 

Dear  Sip,     With  further  reference  to  confidential   information   previously   re 
respecting    the    feeble-minded,    yen    are    earnestly    requested    to    fill     np    the   subjoined 

Report  and   return  the  same  to  me.   so  that  the   fullesl    information    may   be   laid   before 
the  Legislature  on  this  subject. 

Yours  very   respectfully. 

II  I  M  V      M  \<  MUKI   HY 


REPORT  UPON  THE  No.  62 


Name  ;  Age  ;  Sex  

Religion  ;  Married  or  Single  ;  Name  of  husband  

P.O.  address  of  person  ;  County  

City,  Town,  Village  or  Township  ;  P.O.  address  of  husband  

Which  of  the  following  terms  best  describes  the  mental  state: — Idiotic,  Imbecile,  Simple, 

Feeble-minded,   Fair,   Good.     {Erase  all  terms  but  one). 

With  whom  is  the  person  living  and  give  P.O.   address  

State  whether  the  person  is  well  cared  for   

What  work  can  the  person  do   

Can   the  person   read   and   write    • 

Has   person   ever   been   in   any   County   House   of   Refuge,    Hospital    for   the    Insane  or 

Idiotic,   General  Hospital  or  other   Charitable   Institution.      If   so,   state  when   and 

where,  length  of  residence  therein  and  number  of  times  admitted.     (This  information 

is  most  important  and  should  be  given  fully). 


Has  person  children  ;  If  so,  how  many  

Boys  and  ages   ;  Girls  and  ages  

Which    of    the    following    terms    best    describes    their    mental    state; — Idiotic,    Imbecile, 

Simple,   Feeble-minded,   Fair,   Good.     (Please   give  particulars  of  each  child  fully). 


Py  whom  are  children  cared  for   and  give   P.O.    address,   and   if   in   Public   Institution, 
state    length    of    residence    


The  name  of  the  person  most  familiar  with  the  history  of  the  case  is 
P.O.     address     


Signature. 
This  letter  is  not,  of  course,  applicable  to  the  circumstances  of  every 
case  mentioned  by  those  who  have  favored  the  Department  with  their  assist- 
ance ~  and  co-operation.  In  the  case  of  children,  the  majority  of  the 
questions  do  not  apply,  nor  do  they  in  the  case  of  young  persons  living  at 
home.  Excluding  all  these,  and  others  as  far  as  possible,  who  are  not  within 
the  terms  of  reference  of  the  present  inquiry,  there  has  been  received  more 
or  less  definite  information  regarding  612  persons,  distributed  as  follows,  as 
to  present  residence,  over  the  counties  of  Ontario  :  « 

Brant   27  Nipissing    1 

Bruce   4  Norfolk   22 

Carleton    7  Northumberland    21 

Durham   13  Oxford    15 

Dufferin    1  Ontario    7 

Elgin    7  Peel    3 

EsBex    5  Parry  Sound   5 

Frontenac   9  Perth   5 

Grey    2  Peterborough    7 

Halton    9  Prince  Edward   5 

Hastings    21  Renfrew    2 

Huron   9  Simcoe   27 

Kent    19  Victoria  and  Haliburton   7 

Lambton    19  "Waterloo    17 

Laitark    2  Wellington    17 

Lennox  and  Addington   2  "Welland    15 

Lincoln    4  York    240 


Leeds    8  

Middlesex    19  61£ 

Muskoka    9 


1907  FEEBLE-MINDED   IN    ONTARIO. 


About  one  thousand  copies  of  the  above  letter  were  issued,  and  the  num- 
ber of  returns  received  may  be  regarded  as   encouraging.     It  may  be  men- 
tioned that  the  larger    number    of    women    and    girls  reported  is  probably 
accounted  for  by  the  fact  that  the  enquiry  was  at  first  undertaken  in  regard 
to  feeble-minded  women  from  fifteen  to  forty-five.     (It  seems  however,  that 
the  number  of  feeble-minded  boys  born  is  larger  than  the  number  of  feeble- 
minded girls  born,  in  the  proportion  of  three  to  two.     This,  at  least,  seems 
to  be  the  opinion  of  experts  in  other  countries).     The  relatively  large  number 
from  York  County  and  Toronto  is  partly  accounted  for  on  the  basis  of  popu- 
lation.    According  to  the  census  of  .1901,   York  County  and  Toronto   con- 
tained twelve    and    a  half    per    cent,    of  the   total    population    of  Ontario. 
Besides,     since     1901    the    movement    of    population    toward     the  city   has 
increased,  and  this  is  very  evident  in  persons  belonging  to  the  higher  grades 
of  the  feeble-minded.      They  inevitably   tend  to  drift  to   cities  and   towns. 
Again,  in  the  Andrew  Mercer  Eefuge,  the  Toronto  hospitals,  and  in  all  the 
charitable  institutions  of  Toronto,   there  are  always  many  inmates  who   do 
not  belong  to  Toronto  or  York  County  at  all,  but  may  come  from  any  county 
in  the  Province.     This  is  especially  the  case  in  the  Maternity  Departments 
of  the   different  hospitals,  where  we  find  so  many  feeble-minded.      Finally 
while  the  time  at  my  disposal  did  not  permit  me  to    visit  as  many  places  in 
Ontario  as  I  wished,  I  have  been  able  for  the  past  three  years,  to  carry  (on 
the  work  of  investigation    into    cases    in  Toronto    and    York  County  almost 
daily,  visiting  the  Institutions  there  frequently,   and  it  is  well  known  that 
to   obtain   information     of    any     value   about     the    feeble-minded,     personal 
investigation  as  well  as  personal  interest  and   sympathy  are  indispensable. 
The  history  of  the  cases  must  be  followed  through  a  period  of  years,   and 
from  Chief  Inspector  Archibald  of  the  Toronto  Police  Force,  Mrs.  O'Sulli- 
van,   Superintendent   of   the    Andrew   Mercer    Refuge,    Miss    Sanderson    and 
Miss  Brooking,    the  former  and    the   present    Superintendent   of  the    Haven 
and   Prison  Gate  Mission,   Mrs.    Jordan    of  the    Infants'   Home,   Mr.   J.  J. 
Kelso,    Provincial    Superintendent    of    Neglected    and    Dependent   Children 
and  members    of  his  staff,   as  well  as    from    the    officials    of   the    different 
hospitals    and   other     Institutions,     information     has   been    obtained    which 
otherwise  it  would  have  been  quite  impossible  to  get  and  which  puts  us  into 
possession  of  the  facts  of  the  situation,   so  far  as  Toronto  is  concerned.      I 
have  again  to  express  my  sincere  thanks  to  hundreds  of  citizens  throughout 
the    Province  who  forwarded  to   the  Department  a    great    deal   of   valuable 
information  to  obtain  which  they  must  have  expended   much  time,   energy 
and   tact. 


Geneeal  Summary  of  the  Information-  Received. 

The  information  requested    in  the   letter  referred    to   above    falls  natur- 
ally into   the  following    divisions : 

1.  The  care  given  to  the  feeble-minded  in  Ontario  at   the  present   time. 

2.  The  work  that  they  can  do. 

3.  The   degree  of  education  they  possess. 

4.  Their  history  in  relation  to   maintenance  in   Government    or   Chari- 
table Institutions,  i.e.,  What  have  they  cost  the  Provimv  P 

5.  Their   offspring. 


REPORT  UPON  THE  No.   62 


The  Care  given  to  Feeble-Minded  Persons  at  the  Present  Time. 

AVitli  the  exception  of  those  who  are  in  Institutions,  the  care  is  not  at 
all  satisfactory.  In  only  128  cases  is  it  stated  that  the  home  care  is  good, 
and  even  in  these  cases  a  remark  is  often  added  indicating'  that  the  home 
care  is  not  really  satisfactory  or  not  likely  to  continue.  In  one  sad  case 
the  mother  of  a  feeble-minded  girl  of  14  is  the  victim  of  an  incurable  disease, 
and  though  admission  has  been  obtained  for  her  at  the  Hospital  for  Incur- 
ables, Toronto,  the  poor  mother  cannot  avail  hereslf  of  the  comfort  and  care 
provided  for  her  in  that  Institution,  because  there  is  no  one  else  to  care  for 
the  daughter,  and  we  have  no  Institution  in  which  she  can  be  placed.  What 
will  become  of  her  when  the  mother  is  gone? 

Sooner  or  later  the  large  majority  of  feeble-minded  persons  are  sup- 
ported by  the  State.  In  the  first  place  most  of  them  have  never  had  a  good 
home  or  good  parents.  It  is  well  known  that  heredity  is  the  most  important 
single  factor  in  the  maintenance  and  increase  of  the  proportion  of  feeble- 
minded in  the  community.  It  requires  no  argument  to  show  that  the  feeble- 
minded child  of  feeble-minded  parents  will  inevitably  drift  to  one  or  other 
of  the  Charitable  Institutions.  The  following  case  came  to  light  recently. 
A  feeble-minded  girl,  aged  about  22  years,  had  got  married  to  a  man  also 
feeble-minded,  and  within  a  year  or  two  was  brought  back  by  the  police  to 
the  Charitable  Institution  of  which  she  berself  had  formerly  been  an  inmate, 
with  her  baby,  because  she  was  so  feeble-minded  as  to  be  absolutely  incap- 
able of  taking  care  of  the  child.  The  only  difference  between  this  case  and 
the  average  case  is  that  in  the  average  case  the  parents  of  the  feeble-minded 
child  are  frequently  not  Tmown.  Sometimes  the  mother  is,  but  the  father 
not  often.  In  a  small  number  of  cases,  the  feeble-minded  person  has  a  good 
home  and  good  parents,  who  will  make  great  efforts  to  care  for  him  or  her 
at  home,  thus  sacrificing  the  best  interests  of  themselves,  the  other  members 
of  the  family  and  of  the  feeble-minded  son  or  daughter  too.  One  cannot  but 
admire  and  reverence  the  parental  affection  which  leads  them  to  do  this,  yet 
it  is  mistaken  kindness.  The  effect  of  a  feeble-minded  child  on  the  normal 
child  is  not  good.  Besides,  social  life  must  be  sacrificed.  The  family  must 
be  almost  isolated.  The  time  that  the  mother  should  be  able  to  give  to  the 
other  children  is  almost  all  taken  up  with  the  constant  care  necessary  for 
tin  feeble-minded  one,  and  the  others  are  neglected.  And  this  care  must 
continue,  not  for  ten  years  or  so,  as  in  the  case  of  the  normal  child,  but  for 
perhaps  fifty  years  or  more.  There  are  few  homes  secure  enough  to  outlast 
two  generations.  When  the  parents  are  gone,  the  next  generation  cannot 
often  give  the  permanent  and  constant  rare  that  the  feeble-minded  require. 
This  permanent  shelter  and  security  ran  only  be  given  in  an  Institution.  It 
is  one  of  the  duties  of  the  worker  for  the  feeble-minded  to  make  this  fact 
clear. 

2.  The  Work  that  they  can  do. 

Of  the  whole  number  only  thirty-nine  are  not  said  to  be  able  to  work. 
The  majority  can  do  housework,  laundrywork,  sewinar.  knitting,  occasionally 
fancywork,  farm  and  garden  work,  etc.,  and  in  many  instances  are  called 
"good  workers,"  "neat,"  "clean,"  etc.  This  is  encouraging,  but  nothing  like 
what  it  would  be  if  these  persons  had  been  trained  in  early  life.  Those  who 
could  learn  such  employments  could  learn  more.  One  of  the  principles  we 
can  depend  on  in  dealing  with  the  feeble-minded  person  is  that  a  feeble- 
minded person  can  do  almost  any  ordinary  work  that  a  normal  person  can 


1907  FEEBLE-MINDED    IN    ONTARIO. 


do,  if  under  constant  supervision.  But  to  do  this  the  Feeble-minded  per- 
son's powers  must  be  trained  in  the  only  possible  way,  i.e.,  through  manual 
training  and  education.  A  feeble-minded  woman,  aged  thirty,  was  admitted 
a  few  weeks  ago  at  the  request  of  one  of  the  members  of  this  House  to  a 
Charitable  Institution  in  Toronto.  She  had  been  the  sole  charge  of  an  older 
sister  who  had  been  more  than  a  mother  to  her.  From  babyhood  to  the 
age  of  thirty  this  sister  had  dressed  her,  done  everything  for  her, 
watched  her,  etc.  She  could  do  nothing  for  herself.  Yet  she  was  perfectly 
capable  of  dressing  herself  and  soon  learned  to  do  it  under  the  nurse's  direc- 
tion, being  quite  happy  in  her  new  accomplishment.  Her  feeble  powers  had 
never  been  developed  because  they  were  below  normal.  In  an  Institution  for 
the  feeble-minded,  each  inmate  feels  that  he  or  she  is  among  equals.  It  is 
a  world  of  its  own  and  of  their  own.  Here  they  can  be  taught  self-respeet. 
The  better  ones  become  leaders  and  develop  themselves  and  others.  Useful 
and  remunerative  employments  may  be  followed  by  all  who  are  in  the 
higher  grades  of  the  feeble-minded,  and  it  must  never  be  lost  sight  of  that 
many  of  them  may  become,  in  such  a  training  institution,  self  supporting, 
as  long  as  they  remain  in  the  shelter  and  under  the  parental  supervision  that 
such  a  permanent  home  affords. 

3.  Degree  of  Education . 

Many  of  the  feeble-minded  can  read  and  write.  They  never  do  either 
really  well,  but  sufficiently  well  to  write  a  letter  and  often  to  read  for  their 
own  pleasure  and  profit.  244  of  the  whole  number  612  can  read  and  write 
24  can  read  but  cannot  write,  and  the  remainder  can  neither  read  nor  write. 
An  hour  or  two  a  day  is  long  enough  for  school  lessons  and  the  three  ITs 
must  necessarily  be  the  limit.  It  is  time,  strength,  and  money  wasted  to 
attempt  to  store  a  mind  when  there  is  no  mind  to  store,  or  to  try  to  develop 
powers,  when  no  powers  are  there  to  develop. 

4.  Have  these  Persons  been  Inmates  of  any  Government  of  Charitable 
Institution?    What  do  they  cost  the  Province  fob  Maintenan 

Only  94  out  of  the  total  number  are  not  reported  as  having  been  inmates 
of  any  such  institution.  Of  the  others,  a  good  many  have  been  in  and  nut 
of  such  Institutions  all  their  troubled  and  troubling  lives.  ~(l<i  are  reported 
as  inmates  of  "Rescue  Homeir;  Homes  For  the  Friendless,  Havens,  Refn 
Infants'  Homes,  Maternity  Hospitals  and  similar  Institutions  in  various 
parts  of  Ontario.  12°>  have  served  tonus  in  the  Andrew  Mercer  Reforma- 
tory. 87  have  been  confined  fn  jails.  20  have  been  senl  to  the  Orillia 
A.sylum.     The  information   about   the  others  is  indefinite. 

COTJNTV    Hoi  SES    OF     REFFGE. 

A  large  proportion  of  the  inmates  of  the  County  Houses  of  Refuge  are 
feeble-minded.  The  Government  Inspector  has  again  and  again  drawn 
attention  to  this  faet,  and  his  statements  are  borne  oul  by  nil  who  have  had 
anv  opportunitv  to  know  about  the  working  of  these  Institutions.  Of  the 
012  reported  above,  only  a  very  small  number  are  in  County  Houses  of 
"Refuge,   and   it  becomes  necessary  therefore,    to  deal   with   this  pari    of   the 


REPORT  UPON  THE  No.  62 


question  by  itself.  I  made  three  special  visits  to  Houses  of  Eefuge  within 
the  Province,  one  in  the  centre  of  Ontario,  one  in  the  south,  and  one  in  the 
west.  In  the  first  the  Superintendent  gave  me  at  once  a  list  of  the  names 
of  twenty  inmates  who  are  feeble-minded.  In  the  second,  I  found  on 
enquiry,  almost  an  equal  number.  In  the  third,  a  place  situated  about  150 
miles  from  Toronto,  I  was  fortunate  enough  to  meet  the  Medical  Officer 
on  the  day  of  my  visit.  He  has  had  many  years'  experience,  and  he  assured 
me  that  in  his  opinion,  three-fourths  of  the  inmates  of  our  County  Houses 
of  Refuge  are  feeble-minded. 

There  were  90  inmates  on  the  day  of  my  visit,  including  'JO  women, 
and  at  least  half  of  them  I  found  to  be  feeble-minded.  The  Medical  Officer 
mentioned  that  five  infants  had  been  born  recently  in  that  County  House  of 
Eefuge,  the  mother  in  each  case  being  a  feeble-minded  woman.  He  gave 
me  the  history  in  some  detail  of  one  feeble-minded  woman,  who  had 
recently  been  in  the  House  of  Refuge  and  had  gone  out  just  when  she  chose, 
as  such  persons  do  under  our  present  system,  or  rather  lack  of  system  of 
dealing  with  the  feeble-minded,  to  continue  her  unhappy  career  and  to 
repay  our  neglect  of  h.et,  the  ward  of  the  State,  by  bringing  a  burden  of 
expense,  reproach,  and  disgrace  upon  us.  This  poor  neglected  feeble-minded 
woman  is  already  the  mother  of  six  illegitimate  children,  the  sixth  of  whom 
was  born  in  that  House  of  Refuge.  I  asked  the  Medical  Officer  what  had 
become  of  these  children,  and  he  replied  that  he  thought  they  had  been 
"adopted  out."  On  enquiry  as  to  whether  the  children  were  normal,  he 
replied  that  they  were  all  so  far  as  he  knew,  feeble-minded.  It  requires 
no  argument  to  make  it  clear  what  a  danger  this  is.  If  the  feeble-minded 
child  who  has  a  home  of  its  own,  even  a  pretty  good  home,  cannot  be 
properly  taken  care  of  there,  what  will  likely  happen  in  a  foster-home? 
Besides  it  can  never  be  fair  to  foster-parents  to  expect  them  to  receive  a 
feeble-minded  child.  The  Children's  Aid  Society  recognizes  this  so  strongly 
that  it  is  one  of  their  rules  not  to  take  children  who  are  mentally  defective. 
Still,  as  long  as  we  are  making  no  other  provision  for  feeble-minded  child- 
ren, what  can  the  officers  of  the  Children's  Aid  Society  do?  As  one  of  them 
said  at  a  conference  recently  "We  cannot  let  the  children  perish,  and  there 
is  nowhere  that  we  can  send  them.  What  else  can  we  do?"  Further,  the 
whole  question  of  the  shelter  and  the  maintenance  of  the  feeble-minded  in 
our  Charitable  Institutions  is  one  that  needs  attention.  To  quote  from  the 
letter  of  an  experienced  worker,  who  wrote  the  Department  drawing  atten- 
tion to  this  matter,  "That  class  of  person  is  a  most  undesirable  class  to  be 
mixed  with  others  in  a  Charitable  Institution."  Another  leading  worker 
(Tile  No.  708)  in  a  Charitable  Institution  in  Ontario  refers  to  the  same  sub- 
ject as  follows  : 

"The  trouble  is,  these  girls  tell  so  many  different  stories,  and  as  to  the 
time  and  cost  of  maintenance,  some  of  them  are  only  out  of  the  Homes  a 
few  days  at  a  time,  for  instance,  M.S.  The  Matron  of  the  Rescue  Home 
here  says  it  will  soon  be  impossible  for  them  to  keep  so  many,  as  they 
hinder  the  r?scue  work  and  besides,  the  Home  cannot  afford  it.  If  these 
places  refuse   to  take  these  unfortunates,   as   they   say  they  will,    what  are 

they  to  do?     Dr. is  very   anxious  that   something  should  be   done, 

and  suggests  Cottage  Homes,  and  have  the  inmates  classified  according  to 
their  state  and  what  they  are  able  to  do.  He  would  like  the  Government  to 
do  something  for  the  men  too.  Do  you  not  think  that  the  doctors  of  the 
several  Institutions  should  maka  a  SDPcified  report  of  such  cases  as  would 
need  particular  (custodial)  care,  and  recommend  them  for  such  to  the 
Government?" 


•1907  FEEBLE-MINDED    IN    ONTARIO. 


Cost  of  Maintenance. 


In  regard  to  the  amount  expended  now  by  the  Province  in  caring  for 
the  feeble-minded,  an  approximate  estimate  may  be  made  from  these  statis- 
tics and  the  figures  published  in  the  annual  reports  of  our  hospitals  and 
charities  of  our  lunatic  and  idiot  asylums,  and  of  our  jails.  In  Great 
Britain,  it  is  said  that  a  convict  costs  £40  a  year,  a  prisoner  costs  £24  a 
year  and  a  pauper  costs  £21  a  year. 

Charitable   Institutions. 

The  average  cost  of  inmates  in  our  Charitable  Institutions  is  31  cents 
a  day.  The  annual  cost  then  of  206  feeble-minded  persons  who  are 
reported  as  inmates  of  such  institutions  would  be  $23,308.90. 

County  Houses    of   Refuge. 

In  regard  to  the  cost  of  inmates  of  the  County  Houses  of  Refuge  who 
are  feeble-minded,  it  would  be  a  safe  estimate  to  say  that  about  20  per 
cent,  of  the  whole  number  of  inmates  are  feeble-minded.  Taking  the  figures 
given  on  pp.  107-116  of  the  Report  of  the  Inspector  of  Prisons  and  Public 
charities,  and  subtracting  from  the  total  expenditure  in  each  case  the  sums 
obtained  from  sale  of  products,  we  find  that  the  Province  pays  every  year 
over  1100,000  for  its  County  Houses  of  Refuge.  At  least  $20,000.00  of 
this  must  be  spent   on  the  care  of  the  feeble-minded. 

The  Jails  and  the  Andrew  Mercer  Reformatory. 

One  hundred  and  twenty-three  feeble-minded  women  have  served 
terms  in  the  Andrew  Mercer  Reformatory  during  the  six  years  from 
1901  to  1906.  It  is  to  be  expected  that  in  this  investigation  difficulties 
will  arise  on  account  of  the  different  names  and  aliases  assumed  by 
these  persons.  Be  ides,  we  expect  to  have  reports  of  the  same  person 
appearing  on  the  list  of  those  known  to  the  police  and  those  who  have 
served  terms  in  the  Mercer.  There  were  eighteen  such  duplicate  reports, 
and  in  many  cases  one  supplemented  the  other.  There  were  also  numerous 
"aliases,"  which  had  to  be  carefully  compared,  so  that  this  return  might 
be  as  accurate  as  possible.  When  all  these  allowances  have  been  made,  it 
is  found  that  123  feeble-minded  women  above  mentioned  as  being  inmates 
of  the  Mereer  in  1901-1906,  have  served  a  total  of  244  terms  in  that  Insti- 
tution, either  during  that  period,  or  for  crimes  committed  by  them  pre- 
viously. The  largest  number  of  terms  served  by  any  one  feeble-minded 
woman  is  13.  As  the  average  length  of  a  term  during  that  period  is  about 
six  months,  this  means  that  the  total  time  of  maintenance  is  equal  to  122 
years.  The  average  annual  cost  of  an  inmate  during  1901-6  being  $268.13, 
the  total  cost  to  the  Province  of  the  terms  served  by  these  feeble-minded 
women  alone  is  $32,711.86. 

Jails. 

Thirty-seven  of  the  feeble-minded  persons  reported  have  served  terms 
in  jails,  sometimes  for  no  offence.  This  is  nol  approved  of  by  our  people. 
The  sense  of  the  community  is  against  it.  The  Governors  of  the  jails  and 
other  officials  condemn  it.  On  Nov.  4th,  1907,  the  Muskoka  Grand  Jury 
in  their  presentment  to  Chief  Justice  Falconbridge  referred  to  the  fact  that 


10  REPORT  UPON  THE  No.  62 


they  had  found  in  the  jail  "a  woman  who  is  kept  in  jail,  we  understood, 
only  because  she  has  not  reason  and  power  to  care  for  herself.  This  Grand 
Jury  emphatically  and  unanimously  deplore  that  such  treatment  should 
exist  in  this  so-called  free  and  Christian  Province  of  Ontario." 

The  thirty-seven  feeble-minded  persons  who  are  reported  as  having 
served  terms  in  jails  throughout  the  Province,  are  maintained  at  a  cost 
of  22  cents  a  dav,  and  the  average  length  of  a  sentence  being  25  davs,  the 
total  cost  would'be  8203.50. 

Permanent  Residents  in  Institutions. 

Besides,  in  many  cases  reported  by  Chief  Inspector  Archibald  and 
others,  feeble-minded  persons  are  simply  in  and  out  of  jail  or  the  Mercer, 
or  some  other  Government  or  Charitable  Institution  all  the  time.  They 
are  never  anywhere   else. 

No.  58.  B.M.,  age  38  years.  "Good  at  housework  if  kept  sober  and 
from  bad  company."  Many  times,  almost  numberless  times  in  jail.  Has 
also  been  in  Haven  and  House  of  Industry.  Is  nearly  all  her  time  in 
prison  or  in  institutions. 

No.  61.     Mrs.  W.,  age  70.     In  House  of for  thirty  or  forty 

years.  Has  three  sons  and  three  daughters.  The  family  are  all  weak- 
minded  and  so   are  her  grandchildren. 

No.  76.     M.  L.,  age  26.     Has  been  in  jail,  Mercer,  House  of  , 

Haven,  Infants'  Home,  F.Y.  Home,  F.W.  Home.  Spent  a  good  portion 
of  her  life  in  Institutions  and  should  have  spent  it  all.  The  L.  family  are 
all    well-known,    weak-minded,    cunning    criminals. 

No.  435.     R.  D.,  age  19.     In  jail  nearly  all  the  time,  but  at  present  in 
the  Mercer  Reformatory.      She  let  her  child  die   at  birth. 

No.  64.  A.W.,  age  45.  Has  been  in  Salvation  Army  Home,  Haven, 
Mercer  and  Jail.     Has  spent  much  of  her  life  in  an  Institution  or  in  prison. 

No.  62.  .G.W.,  age  30.  Has  been  in  Mercer,  Jail,  Salvation  Army 
Home,  Haven.     Always  in  a  Home  or  prison. 

No.  81.  H.T.,  age  26.  Has  been  in  Haven,  Prisoners'  Aid  Home, 
Refuge,  Jail  and  Mercer.     Has  spent  a  good  part  of  her  life  in  confinement. 

No.   59.     G.P.,  age   69.      Has  been   in  Jail,   Mercer,   House  of  , 

Haven,  Prisoners'  Aid  Homq,  Salvation  Army  Home,  every  Charitable 
Institution  that  would  receive  her  for  the  past  20  years.  All  her  life  is 
spent  in  prison  or  in  Institutions. 

No.  79.  A.O.,  age  55.  Has  spent  most  of  her  life  in  prison  or  in  an 
institution  on  charity. 

No.  73.  M.M.,  age  26.  Spent  most  of  her  life  in  prison  or  in  an 
institution.  "Has  had  at  least  four  illegitimate  children  and  I  do  not  know 
how  many  more." 

No.  77.  L.L.,  age  24.  Spent  most  of  her  life  in  prison  or  in  institu- 
tions, should  never  be  let  out. 

No.  60.  A.K.,  age  19.  Has  been  in  Mercer  Reformatory,  Toronto  Jail, 
^Industrial  Refuge,  Prisoners'  Aid  Home.     Was  always  in  a  Home  or  Prison. 

No.  70.     M.H.,   age  50.     Spent  most  of  her  life  in  institutions. 

No.  51.  L.H.,  age  30.  She  has  been  in  Mercer  Reformatory,  Jail, 
Haven,  Prisoners'  Aid  Home.  Spent  a  good  portion  of  her  life  in  prison 
^  or  in  an  institution. 

No.   56.     Mrs.   H.,  age  65.     Has  always  been  in  a  prison  or  a  subject 
-f-      of  charity. 


1907  FEEBLE-MINDED   IN    ONTARIO. 


No:   68.     A.C.,  age  19.     Has  been  in  Mercer  Reformatory,  Jail,  Haven,    /s 
Industrial  Refuge  Prisoner's  Aid  Home.      Spent  a  good  part  of  her  life  in 
prison  or  in  charitable  Institutions. 

No.  51.  M.H.,  age  26.  Has  been  in  Mercer  Reformatory,  Toronto 
Jail,  Prisoners'  Aid  Home,  Haven.  Spent  a  good  portion  of  her  life  in 
prison  or  some  charitable  institution. 

Present  day  studies  by  Kraepelin  and  others  prove  that  fully  two-thirds 
of  the  petty  thieves  and    tramps  are    mental    defectives,   and    in    1905  the  y( 
Inspector    under   the   Inebriates'   Act   in    Great   Britain    pointed   out   in   his 
report    that    a    majority    of    those    confined    in    Reformatories    for    Chronic 
Inebriates  are  feeble-minded. 


The   Asylum  at   Orillia. 

The  expense  of  those  feeble-minded  children  (not  idiots)  who  have 
been  unavoidably  sent  to  the  Asylum  at  Orillia  because  there  was  nowhere 
else  for  them  to  go  is  also  very  considerable.  From  the  figures  given  in  the 
Annual  Report,  it  may  be  judged  that  exclusive  of  the  exceptional  cases 
who  spend  only  a  few  months  there,  the  average  time  spent  in  the  Asylum 
by  the  inmates  may  be  somewhere  about  eight  years.  This  is  probably  too 
low  an  estimate  for  our  present  purpose,  as  the  majority  of  cases  of  feeble- 
minded sent  to  Orillia  of  whom  I  have  reports,  went  there  at  an  early  age. 
For  example,  W.  B.  who  is  Feeble-Minded  and  whose  mother  and  grand- 
mother were  both  Feeble-Minded  was  sent  to  Orillia  in  1906  at  the  age  of  11, 
and  will  probably  be  there  for  40  or  50  years,  a  cost  to  the  Province  of  about 
$4,000.00. 

However,  taking  eight  years  as  an  estimate,  I  have  records  of  twenty 
feeble-minded  persons  (chiefly  children)  sent  to  Orillia.  The  annual  cost 
of  each  inmate  is  $85.71.  The  total  expense  then,  of  20  for  8  years  will 
be  $13,713.60. 


The  Offspring  of  Feeble-Minded  Persons. 

The  information  on  this  part  of  the  enquiry  is,  as  might  be  expected. 
far  from  complete.  In  a  great  many  cases  little  or  nothing  is  known  as  to 
the  children  of  a  feeble-minded  person,  after  a  certain  period  has  elapsed. 
True,  where  we  have  a  record  of  those  who  are  inmates  of  Rescue  Homes, 
Maternity  Hospitals,  Infants'  Homes,  and  other  Charitable  [nstitutions, 
the  number  of  children  is  large.  But  after  a  few  years  these  inmates  and 
their  children  are  lost  sight  of.  The  mother  (urns  up  perhaps  in  another 
City.  Another  Charitable  Institution  takes  her  in,  her  previous  record  is 
unknown,  and  another  record  of  the  very  same  character  is  made.  An  effort 
made  to  recover  the  record  from  the  beginning  is  usually  unsuccessful.  "Do 
not    know    about  the    children."      "Has    had    several    children."      "In    the 

vicinity  of  this  village,  in  the  Township  of .  there  have  been  living  for 

years  some  families .  named  A —        and   15  The   tribe   seem  to   increase 

rapidly  and  the  progeny  will  certainly  ooj  make  good  citizens.  All  are 
more  or  less  feeble-min (1(m1.  Tt  would,  it  seems  to  me,  be  well  for  the  authori- 
ties to  make  enquiries  about  them." 

Such  statements  as  these,  which  are  frequently  repeated  in  the  cours 
the  present  enquiry,  show  that  this,  as  everyone  recognizes,  is  the  mosl  serious 
aspect  of  the  situation.      In   all,  from   the  comparatively   Bmall   proportion 
of  cases  where  we  have  definite  information   about    the  children,   and   where 


12  REPORT  UPON  THE  No.  62 


the  statement  or  presumption  is  that  the  children  are  feeble-minded  the 
number  of  children  so  reported  is  234*.  Quite  a  number  of  these  are  already 
in  Government  or  Charitable  Institutions,  supported  at  the  public  expense. 
(are  was  taken  to  exclude  from  this  record  as  far  as  possible,  normal 
children.  There  is  very  grave  doubt  as  to  whether  the  children  of  a  feeble- 
minded mother  are  ever  normal  mentally.  Those  who  have  had  most  experi- 
ence in  dealing1  with  the  subject,  while  perhaps  not  prepared  to  deny  the 
possibility  that  such  children  might  be  normal  mentally,  almost  always 
reply,  ''Practically,  you  may  say  ,  No,"  and  often  add  that  they  themselves 
do  not  know  an  instance  of  a  feeble-minded  mother  with  a  normal  child. 
Some  such  cases  have  been  reported  to  me  in  this  Province,  and  I  am  anxious 
to  investigate  them,   but  so  far  have  not  been  able  to  do  so. 

Mentally  Defective  Children  in  our  Schools. 

The  Department  has  communications  from  forty-five  different  people 
in  the  Province  in  reference  to  this  branch  of  the  enquiry.  There  can  be 
no  doubt -that  here  is  the  place  to  concentrate  our  attention  and  energy. 
The  problem  must  be  studied  in  the  school-room.  Dr.  Potts,  one  of  the 
investigators  specially  appointed  by  the  Royal  Commission  in  Great  Britain, 
examined  31,092  school  children  in  the  "Pottery  Towns"  of  England.  He 
found  185  of  the  number  mentally  defective,  or  about  .59  per  cent.  Dr. 
Francis  "Warner  in  an  examination  of  100,000  children  in  London,  showed 
that  one  per  cent,  were  mentally  defective,  and  other  authorities  have 
published  statistics  to  show  that  about  two  per  cent,  of  the  elemelntary 
school  children  in  certain  large  cities  will  never  be  able  to  manage  the'ir 
own  lives  successfully  on  account  of  mental  deficiency.  This  seems  appalling, 
and  perhaps  the  most  important  lesson  we  can  learn  from  it  is  the  necessity 
of  our  dealing  with  the  question  now  while  we  have  nothing  like  that 
number.  If  we  let  this  time  pass  and  defer  and  delay  to  face  the  question, 
the  number  will  inevitably  increase  until  we  lose  the  present  oppor- 
tunity and  come  to  feel,  as  they  do  in  England,  that  the  problem  is  so' 
utterly  overwhelming  that  it  cannot  be  dealt  with  successfully.  From  the 
statistics  now  before  me,  I  have  reason  to  think  that  the  number  of  mentally 
defective  children  of  school  age  in  Ontario  is  somewhere  between  three  and 
five  per  thousand,  that  is,  .3  to  .5  per  cent,  of  the  total  population  under  14 
But  it  is  difficult  to  form  a  correct  estimate  at  present.  We  need  very  much 
a  better  enforcement  of  our  Truancy  Laws.  It  seems  to  be  generally  agreed 
that  there  are  many  children  of  school  age  who  are  not  in  school,  and,  of 
course  one  cannot  wonder  that  the  backward  and  mentally  defective  child- 
ren, who  feel  they  are  not  wanted  there,  and  for  whom  nothing  much  is 
attempted  to  be  done  in  our  schools  at  present,  are  the  first  to  stay  away.  It 
is  very  important  to  differentiate  between  a  child  who  is  only  backward,  and 
one  who  is  mentally  defective.  "A  mentally  defective  child  would  be  abnor- 
mal for  any  age,  whereas  a  backward  child  is  merely  abnormal  for  its  own 
age."  A  child  is  often  backward  because  he  does  not  see  well,  or  does  not  hear 
well,  or  does  uot  breathe  or  develop  well  on  account  of  adenoid  growths  almost 
closing  the  breathing  nassa<?es  and  thus  pr^v^ntincr  the  purifying  of  the 
blood.  He  mav  be  backward  bpoauso  he  works  lonsr  hours  out  nf  school, 
or  bpcausp  he  is  not  properly  fed,  or  because  he  is  not  well.  Th^  School 
Doctor,  when  Medicnf  Inspection  of  Schools,  now  permitted  and  advised  in 


"This  number  is  in  addition  to  the  612  mentioned  above.  They  are  not  reckoned 
in  the  total  because  they  may  possibly  be  included  already  in  the  figures  given  for 
school  children,  etc 


1907  FEEBLE-MINDED   IN    ONTARIO.  13 


this  Province,  is  carried  out,  will  save  and  help  many  backward  children 
and  mentally  defective  children.  But  while  skilled  medical  aid  to  sight  or 
hearing  or  breathing  may  and  often  does  change  a  backward  child  into  a 
normal  child,  no  skill,  no  knowledge,  no  training — nothing — will  ever 
change  a  mentally  defective  child  into  a  normal  child.  What  can 
be  done  is  to  make  the  most  of  the  powers  and  capacities  the  mentally- 
defective  child  has — to  train  the  bodily  powers,  the  hand,  the  eye, — the  power 
of  working,  and  place  the  child  who  will  always  remain  a  child  in  mind, 
though  not  in  body,  in  the  society  of  its  equals,  in  a  sheltered  corner  of  the 
world,  that  is,  an  Institution,  where  conditions  are  adapted  to  it.  'The  life 
history  of  the  mentally  defective  children  in  our  Public  Schools  to-day  may  be 
written  down  in  outline  just  as  soon  as  their  mental  defect  has  been  accurately 
recognized, .  or  to  speak  medically,    diagnosed.       It  may  be   predicted   what 

will  become  of  them,   as  in  the  following  cases  :    A  boy  M and   a   girl 

N who  had  been  in  our  public  schools  up  to  the  age  of  14.     M was 

a  bojT  of  sixteen,  small  for  his  age,  not  at  all  a  bad  boy,  but  showing  marked 
mental  defect.  He  could  not  write,  he  could  read  a  little,  he  could  not 
make  change  for  a  dollar.  He  had  been  in  one  place  as  an  errand  boy  since 
leaving  school,  but  his  employer  discharged  him  at  the  end  of  a  week 
because  he  brought  back  the  parcels,  saying  the  people  did  not  want  them, 
etc.,  etc.  He  got  his  week's  wages,  but  assured  his  mother,  first  that  he, 
had  not  received  the  money,  and  then  that  he  had  lost  it.  His  father  had 
beaten  him  repeatedly  and  severely,  hoping  thus  to  make  him  a  good  boy. 
He  had  already  begun  to  get  into  trouble  with  the  police  through  doing 
things  at  the  bidding  of  other  boys  (very  characteristic  of  the  feeble- 
minded). His  mother  assured  me  that  neither  she  nor  his  father  ever  had  been 
told  by  the  school  authorities  that  he  was  mentally  defective.  Nor  had  they 
thought  so  themselves.     If  we  had  a  farm  colony  for  boys,  such  as  the  one 

at  Sandlebridge  in  England,  M would  "fit"  there.     He  is  fond  of  such 

things.  He  could  do  a  good  deal  of  work,  under  constant  supervision.  As 
it  is,  he  will  remain  unemployed.  Nor  is  that  the  worst.  He  will  commit 
or  get  the  blame  for  some  petty  offence.  At  the  age  of  18  or  20  he  will  be 
a  "Jail-Bird."  And  from  that  his  career  will  be  downward.  It  will  cost 
us  a  good  deal  of  money  to  secure  his  conviction,  to  pay  the  Policeman,  the 
Magistrate,  the  Crown-Attorney,  the  Jailer,  the  Jail-van,  and  all  the  rest, 
and  to  keep  him  in  Jail,  or  in  some  House  of  Refuge,  or  House  of  Correction, 
or  as  a  tramp.  And  then  we  shall  have  no  reason  to  be  proud  of  our  handi- 
work, when  we  are  through.     M will  be  a  spoiled  citizen  and  a  spoiled 

man — a  bad  product.  Instead  of  being  nearly  or  quite  self-supporting  on 
a  farm  colony  and  being1  happy  and  useful  and  decent,  what  a  failure  his 
life  will  be!  And  that  failure  is  our  failure,  not  his.  He  is  an  irresponsible, 
but  we  are  responsible. 

I  saw  the  girl  N ,  on  the  same  day.     Her  home  was  with  her  married 

brother,  about  two  miles  northwest  of  the  house  where  M—  lived,  in  the 
same  city.  She  wps  fifteen  years  old.  She  was  alone  in  the  house,  her 
brother's  children  being  at  school,  and  her  sister-in-law  out  at  work.  Sin1 
could  not  read  or  write  at  all  or  make  change  lot  a  dollar.  Yel  Bhe  was  not 
without  a  certain  intelligence.  She  had  been  getting  into  trouble.  She 
was  apparently  not  unkindly  treated  and  was  evidently  attached  to  her 
sister-in-law.  But  she  belonged  to  a  class  that  simply  can  not  get  on  in  tin1 
world.  They  must  have  a  sheltered  corner,  a  back-water  of  lit.-  to  them- 
selves where  they  are  shielded  from  all  the  difficulties  and  temptations  of 
life  exeept  those  easy  ones  which  can  be  no-t  and  conquered  by  a  child  of 
eight  or  nine  years.  Someone  musl  alwavs  be  at  h -md  to  "helo  them  out," 
to  exercise  judgment   and   self  control   and  the  power  of  inhibition   tor  them 


14  REPORT  UPON  THE  No.   62 


The  poor  girl,  simple  and  silly,  is  already  snowing  signs  that  she  is  going  to 
follow  the  path  so  familiar  to  all  who  know  anything  about  the  history  of 
such  cases.  Left  to  herself,  she  will  soon  be  an  inmate  of  some  Institution, 
having  lost  her  character  and  having  before  her  an  unhappy  and  harmful 
life. 

These  pupils  are  undoubtedly,  as  a  rule,  recognized  by  the  teachers 
in  the  school-room.  It  is  only  in  very  exceptional  instances  that  the  teacher 
is  so  out  of  sympathy  with  the  pupil  that  mental  defect  is  not  recognized. 
In  the  year  1905,  the  first  letter  received  by  me  upon  the  subject  of  this 
enquiry  was  from  one  of  our  Ontario  Public  School  teachers,  as  follows  : 

"It  just  occurred  to  me  to  speak  to  you  of  the  feeble-minded.  In  my 
work  of  teaching  here  I  have  several  times  come  in  contact  with  feeble- 
minded children  and  I  invariably  found  that  they  were  clever  mechanically — 
well, — as  clever  as  other  children  and  sometimes  much  more  so.  They  can 
draw  easily,  and  write,  and  do  anything  in  the  cutting  line.  I  remember 
one  child  who  could  not  speak  so  a  stranger  could  understand  him,  and  could 
not  read  a  line  nor  spell  a  word  though  he  was  twelve  years  old,  but  he  could 
copy  a  head  line  splendidly  and  do  the  drawing  better  than  any  of  the? 
other  pupils. 

"Do  you  not  think,  Doctor,  that  these  children  should  be  taken  from  the 
regular  classes  in  the  Public-  Schools,  where  they  are  only  a  drag,  and  be 
given  special  instruction  along  mechanical  lines,  wood  carving,  modelling, 
etc.,  so  that  they  might  develop  and  so  enter  into  a  larger  life*  through 
what  might  be  said  to  be  the  only  possible  door  of  entrance  for  them?" 

In  the  ordinary  Public  School  class  there  is  little  that  the  best  and 
kindest  teacher  can  do  for  the  mentally  defective  child, who  is  siniply  a 
"drag"  on  the  rest  of  the  class,  and  cannot  learn  by  the  ordinary  methods. 
But  in  a  small  class  of  12  or  15,  specially  planned  for  them,  their  relative 
progress  is  remarkable  and  encouraging  to  the  teacher  and  to  themselves. 
It  is  important  to  recognize  also  that  children  who  are  so  far  behind  as  to 
appear  hopelessly  defective,  may,  in  such  a  special  class,  be  recognized  as 
only  backward  from  some  removable  cause.  Thus  in  an  investigation  under- 
taken  in  connection  with  the  Second  North   School  of  Hartford,  Conn.,  the 

first  child  that  was  examined  .was  Xellie  K .     Xellie  was  thirteen  years 

old,  had  been  in  the  first  grade  for  seven  years  and  could  not  read  a  complete 
sentence.  This  certainly  looks  like  a  mentally  defective  child.  She  did  not 
breath  through  her  mouth,  but  examination  by  a  physician  revealed  the 
presence  of  large  adenoid  growths,  and  after  medical  and  surgical  treatment 
her  mother's  account  of  her  was  as  follows  : 

"Xellie,  she  never  talk  to  me  before,  she  don't  say  nothing.  She  is  so 
quiet.  Now  she  come  running  in  "Mamma,  I  kin  sing,  mamma  I  kin  read, 
teacher  says  she  will  put  me  in  another  room"  and  she  sing  and  play  and  so 
happy  all  the  time."  The  saving  of  Nellie  and  a  few  children  like  her,  by 
means  of  special  classes  would  soon  repay  us  for  the  small  additional  expense 
of  establishing  such  classes.  Yet  only  these  children  who  are  capable  of 
intellectual  improvement  should  be  sent  to  a  Public  School.  The  Public 
School  is  not  a  Hospital,  a  place  of  detention,  or  a.  place  of  custodial  care. 

The  finding  and  classifying  of  these  children  is  not  a  difficult  or  unlovely 
Task  to  one  who  realizes  its  importance.  To  one  who  is  interested,  nothing 
else  is  more  worth  while.  It  soon  becomes  a  labor  of  love.  In  the  first  place, 
the  teacher  is  prepared  to  meet  such  an  one  half-way  and  lend  the  all-powerful 
aid  in  such  a  situation  that  only  a  teacher  can.  "I  am  of  the  opinion,"  writes 
the  leading  education  authority  in  one  of  the  cities  of  Ontario,  in  a  letter 
to  this  Department  in  reference  to  the  present  investigation,  and  enclosing 
a  list   of  names  of  feeble-minded   children   in  the  schools  under  his  charge. 


1907  FEEBLE-MINDED   IN    ONTARIO.  15 


''I  am  of  the  opinion  that  the  visit  to  the  city  of  one  who  would  make  it  his 
business  to  visit  each  school-room  and  enquire  of  the  teachers  as  to  the  exist- 
ence of  such  (mentally  defective)  pupils,  would  result  in  the  discovery  of 
many  more  than  the  above." 

For  really  helpful  and  successful  work,  however,  in  this  as  in  everything 
else,  the  home  is  the  strategic  point.  Many  parents  who  would  resent  a 
request  to  take  a  child  to  a  special  class,  or  will  pay  no  attention  to  an  official 
notice,  will,  on  the  contrary ^  respond  at  once  when  you  go  to  see  them  in  a 
friendly  way.  One  of  the  teachers  in  a  school  had  arranged  for  special 
treatment  for  a  defective  child.  In  a  burst  of  gratitude,  the  mother,  who 
is  a  Russian,  exclaimed  "In  my  country,  my  children  had  just  one  mother, 
but  here  every  teacher  is  a  mother  to  them." 

There  are  two  main  lines  which  work  for  feeble-minded  children  in 
schools  has  followed.  First  the  "Special  Class  or  Special  School"  attached 
to  the  public  schools  in  cities  and  large  towns  where  there  are  twelve  or 
more  backward  or  defective  children.  This  is  the  place  where  we  have  what 
we  need,  "forward  teachers  for  backward  pupils."  Here  the  "hard  cases" 
which  no  one  has  succeeded  with  are  sympathetically  studied  and  "coached," 
if  necessary  by  the  educational  expert.  They  are  seen  by  the  school  physician 
and  if  merely  backward,  may  be  brought  up  near  the  average  and  may 
return  to  the  ordinary  classes.  But  mentally  defective  children  need  differ- 
ent treatment.  They  may  be  made  "self-supporting,  but  never  self-control- 
ling." They  cannot  fight  the  battles  of  life,  or  meet  its  temptations.  They 
will  always  be  children  and  therefore  must  be  cared  for  and  helped  in  a 
permanent  parental  home  where  they  are  trained,  taught  useful  employ- 
ments, their  powers  made  the  most  of  and  their  earning  capacity  utilized 
for  their  own  support  and  happiness.  Thus  we  shall  cut  off  the  supply  of 
probably  80  per  cent,  of  the  mentally  defective  for  the  next  generation,  and 
we  shall  save  all  the  time  and  money  we  now  waste  by  classifying  them  as 
paupers,  prostitutes,  criminals,  tramps,  when  they  are  not  anything  but 
irresponsibles. 

The  most  hopeful  years  for  training  feeble-minded  children  are  from 
3  to  13  and  special  classes  for  mentally-defective  children  arc  a  part  of  the 
school  system  of  England,  the  United  States,  France,  Finland,  Norway, 
Denmark,  Sweden,  Switzerland,  etc.  In  Germany  it  is  stated  that  there 
are  203  Special  Schools,  31  of  which  are  situated  in  Berlin.  There  are  116 
German  cities  which  have  these  schools  and  the  total  number  of  pupils  La 
13,100.  Special  Institutions  called  Parental  Homes,  Schools  for  the  Feeble- 
Minded  or  known  by  other  names  are  now  established  in  all  these  countries. 
Their  great  value  is  preventive,  educational,  social  and  economic.  They 
prevent  pauperism,  illegitimacy,  unemployment,  unhappiness  and  crime. 
They  save  money,  trouble,  and  the  birth  of  a  new  generation  of  feeble- 
minded. 

England. 

Private  benevolence  took  up  the  matter  of  providing  Bomes,  Refuges 
and  Schools  for  the  higher  grades  of  the  Feeble-Minded  about  1887.  The 
Board  of  Education,  The  Local  Government  Board,  the  Metropolitan  A-sylums 
Board,  the  Guardians  of  the  Work-Houses,  and  other  public  bodies  Followed 
and  all  these  have  institutions  or  schools  under  their  care.  In  L892,  Spe 
Classes  for  Mentally  Defective  Children  were  opened  in  Leicester  and  after- 
wards in  London.  The  number  attending  these  special  classes  in  London 
was   e-iven   in  190G  as   5,070   and    in    1906-7,    1,868   children    examined    tor 


16  REPORT  UPON  THE  No.  62 


admission  to  Special  Classes  were  found  mentally  defective.  Mrs.  Burgwin, 
the  Superintendent  of  Schools  for  the  Feeble-Minded  under  the  charge  of 
the  London  County  Council,  says,  in  her  report  for  1906. 

"The  proper  classification  of  the  mentally  deficient  is,  through  lack 
of  suitable  accommodation,  still  far  from  ideal,  and  this  must  be  so  till 
.some  authority  makes  provision  for  the  lower  class,  which  is  hardly  capable 
of  benefiting  by  instruction  in  a  day  school,  and  requires  permanent  custodial 
treatment." 

In  1899,  (62  and  63  Vict.)  an  Act  was  passed  to  enable  a  school  authority 
"to  make  such  arrangements  as  they  think  fit  for  ascertaining  what  children 
in  their  district,  not  being  imbecile  and  not  being  merely  dull  or  backward, 
are  defective  ....  but  not  incapable  by  reason  of  such  defect  of  receiving 
benefit  from  instruction  in  such  special  classes  or  schools  as  are  in  this  Act 
mentioned."  Revised  Regulations  and  also  a  list  of  Certified  Schools  for 
Defective  Children  were  published  by  the  Governmejit  (Board  of  Education) 
in  1907  and  under  these  acts  and  regulations  a  great  many  places,  notably 
Manchester  and  Birmingham,  have  special  schools  and  classes  as  an  integral 
part  of  their  School  System.  The  Metropolitan  Asylums  Board,  under  an 
order  from  the  Local  Government  Board  of  March  9th,  1903,  is  empowered 
to  detain  under  custodial  care  mentally  defective  children  up  to  the  age 
of  twenty-one  years,  and  it  is  understood  that  on  the  issue  of  the  coming 
Report  of  the  Royal  Commission,  a  movement  will  be  made  to  extend  the 
age  limit  to  cover  permanent  custodial  care,  so  necessary  in  these  cases. 
The  Star-Cross  Institution  and  th*e  Sandlebridge  Schools  are  described 
elsewhere  in  this  report. 

United  States. 

The  first  Special  Class  for  Mentally  Defective  Children  in  the  United 
States  was  opened  in  Providence  in  1894.  In  1899  similar  classes  were 
opened  in  Boston,  Chicago  and  Philadelphia,  and  they  are  now  established 
in  many  American  cities.  The  Board  of  Education  of  Detroit  appointed  in 
December,  1907,  a  Commission  to  study  the  Mentally-Defective  and  Back- 
ward Children  in  the  public  schools,  and  in  smaller  places  such  as  Aurora, 
111.,  a  movement  is  now  on  foot  to  establish  a  special  school  for  backward 
children.  These  special  schools  should  of  course  act  as  "Clearing  houses." 
It  is  gratifying  that  some  called  mentally  defective  may  turn  out  to  be 
merely  backward  when  the  underlying  cause  of  their  condition  is  discovered. 
They  go  back  to  the  ordinary  class.  Another  small  number  may  fill  a  place 
in  the  community  if  the  home  care  is  excellent  or  ideal.  The  large  number, 
about  65  or  75  per  cent,  need  the  permanent  Home  where  they  will  always 
have  supervision  of  a  parental  character.  Of  course  a  great  deal  depends 
on  the  teachers.  The  success  of  the  special  classes  in  England  for  instance, 
is  accounted  for  whon  one  reads  the  report  of  the  Official  Inspection  of 
Special  Classes.  "Earnest,  gentle  care  is  a  marked  characteristic  of  the 
teaching."  "The  treatment  of  the  poor  children  by  Miss  — — ,  whilst  tho- 
roughly firm,  is  tenderly  kind  and  her  expert  intelligence  has  produced 
results  in  a  very  short  period  which  could  hardly  be  expected." 

The  Hon.  Robprt  X.  Hubbard.  Commissioner  of  Charities.  New  York 
City.  ha«  just  appointed  a  Commission  to  consider  the  ways  and  me°ns  and 
nrar-tical  methods  of  establishing  a  Normal  Softool  for  teachers  of  mentally- 
backward  children.  It  has  for  a  Ion?  ti^"10  been  known  that  tear-hprs  of  surh 
sr-nnols  were  welcome  at  Waverlv  and  Dt\  Eernald  has  even  established 
bripf  couT-.=es  for  their  benefit.  Indeed  the  national  rppoornition  of  this 
problem    in    the    United    States   was   shown   at    the   annual    meeting    of    the 


1907  FEEBLE-MINDED   IN    ONTARIO.  17 


National  Educational  Association,  in  July  1907,  at  Los  Angeles,  when  the 
Department  of  Special  Education  appointed  a  National  Committee  with 
Professor  Groszmann  as  Chairman,  whose  duty  it  is  to  prepare  and  submit 
to  the  Annual  Meeting  in  1908  plans  as  to  how  the  problem  of  the  "excep- 
tional" (including  feeble-minded)  child  may  be  studied  so  as  to  provide  not 
only  for  its  suitable  training  but  first  of  aT  for  a  better  understanding  of 
its  status  and  its  needs. 

The  work  of  these  Special  Classes  in  the  east  side  of  New  York  has  been 
so  helpful  that  at  least  fifty  of  these  classes  are  now  in  operation.  One 
of  our  own  Ontario  teachers  who  is  at  present  in  the  United  States  and  who 
is  a  teacher  of  a  Special  Class  wrote  to  the  Department  almost  as  soon  as  the 
enquiry  was  begun  expressing  her  interest  in  it,  and  describing  her  own 
Special  Class. 

"The  Class  is  ungraded,  and  the  ages  of  the  children  range  from  seven 
years  to  fifteen  years.  A  good  deal  of  time  is  spent  on  manual  training  and 
gymnastics.  We  have  a  work-shop  in  the  school,  and  the  boys  are  having 
training  in  wood-work  from  the   special  teachers  in  the  work-shop. 

"So  far  as  the  regular  school  subjects  are  concerned  the  work  is  con- 
ducted pretty  much  as  it  is  in  the  ungraded  schools  in  the  country,  but  as  I 
have  an  assistant  and  only  fourteen  pupils  they  get  more  attention  than  the 
country  children  usually  do.  Indeed,  in  one  or  two  cases  we  have  been  able 
to  return  the  boys  to  the  regular  classes  after  six  or  eight  weeks'  work. 
These  cases  were  of  course  not  really  defective,  but  so  deficient  in  their  school 
work  that  in  a  large  class  they  could  not  get  any  hold  on  the  work  the  class 
was  doing.  The  difficulty  in  dealing  with  most  of  the  defective  boys  I  have 
seen  is  in  finding  some  way  of  rousing  them  to  action  without  frightening 
them.  They  have  been  so  frightened  in  the  large  classes  that  they  have 
sat,  not  doing  even  the  little  they  can  do.  I  will  give  a  little  account  of  each 
boy  separately."  Then  follows  a  brief  sketch  of  each  one  of  the  fourteen 
boys,  written  with  such  a  keen  appreciation  of  the  facts  of  each  case,  and 
displaying  at  the  same  time  so  much  knowledge  of  and  sympathy  with  their 
condition  that  one  almost  feels  a  personal  interest  in  each  boy.  It  is  often 
the  case  that  with  these  "left-behinds"  we  are  so  conscious  of  the  obvious 
defects  that  we  overlook  or  consider  slightly  the  capabilities.  In  these 
sketches  we  find  such  interesting  notes  as  these:  "Very  childish,  but  at  the 
same  time  he  has  a  strong  sense  of  responsibilty  and  is  quite  accurate  in 
giving  messages." 

In  the  Chicago  Public  Schools  there  was  established  in  September,  1899, 
a  Child-study  Department  under  the  care  of  Dr.  D.  P.  MacMillan,  whose  work 
on  the  physical  and  mental  condition  of  school  children  is  so  well  known. 
One  important  part  of  the  work  of  the  Department  is  the  study  of  "Sub- 
Normal"  children.  Sometimes  these  children  are  found  to  be  "Custodial 
Cases"  and  are  sent  to  state  or  private  Institutions  for  such  cases.  If,  how- 
ever, there  is  a  hope  that  they  may  be  able  to  profit  by  special  training  in  tbj 
public  schools,  they  are  sent  to  the  ungraded  rooms  for  sub-normal  children, 
which  form  an  integral  part  of  the  Public  School  System  of  Chicago. 

Philadelphia  has  ten  classes  for  backward  children.  There  vrers  in  l!H>6 
seven  centres,  and  the  number  of  children  provided  for  was  200.  The 
climated  number,  however,  in  the  city  is  2,600,  and  a  great  effort  is  being 
made  to  increase  the  number  of  special  classes  and  make  attendance  on  (hem 
compulsory.  This  effort  has  been  so  far  successful  that  in  tie  twenty-sixth 
annual  report  (1907)  it  is  announced  that  one  special  school  nas  also  been 
set  apart  for  backward  children.  This  will  greatly  increase  the  available 
accommodation . 

2   F  M 


18  REPORT  UPON  THE  No.  62 


One  of  the  most  important  signs  of  recent  progress  is  the  appearance  of 
The  Psychological  Clinic,  a  monthly  journal  devoted  to  the  study  and  treat- 
ment of  "Mental  Retardation  and  Deviation."  This  is  indeed,  practically 
a  monthly  magazine,  devoted  to  the  study  of  mentally  defective  children.  It 
is  edited  by  Prof.  Lightner  Witmer,  Ph.  D.,  of  the  University  of  Pennsyl- 
vania, and  is  published  at  the  University.  The  magazine  has  just  com- 
pleted its  first  year  and  is  invaluable  to  all  who  are  interested  in  the  subject. 

State  Institutions. 

When  we  consider  the  Institutions  for  the  permanent  care  of  the 
feeble-minded,  the  first,  and  we  might  also  say,  the  greatest  State  Insti- 
tution in  America  is  the  Massachusetts  School  for  the  Feeble-Minded  at 
Walthani,  Waverley  P.  0.,  Mass.,  of  which  Dr.  Walter  E.  Fernald  is  the 
Superintendent.  Dr.  Fernald  is  known  all  over  the  world  as  one  of  the  fore- 
most authorities  on  the  feeble-minded,  and  renown  has  been  brought  to 
the  Institution  by  the  great  success  of  his  methods  in  teaching  and  training 
them.  It  has  about  700  inmates  and  there  is  a  farm  colony  at  Templeton,  50 
miles  distant  from  Waltham,  where  a  tract  of  land  three  miles  long  by  one 
mile  wide  affords  scope  for  about  150  men.  In  April,  1907,  the  State  of 
Massachusetts  acquired  a  new  property  of  500  acres  near  the  Town  of  Wren- 
ham  for  another  Institution  for  the  feeble-minded.  Physical  efficiency  is 
encouraged  in  every  way  and  useful  training  is  the  key-note  to  the  suc- 
cess of  the  Institution  and  the  happiness  of  its  inmates.  Thus,  the 
smaller  boys,  as  soon  as  they  are  able,  are  taken  out  in  the  field  in  classes 
and  learn  to  pick  up  stones  from  the  hill-side,  to  dig  ditches,  to  handle  the 
hoe  and  shovel,  etc.  Then  there  are  training  classes  for  household  occupa- 
tions such  as  floor  polishing,  cleaning  and  polishing  taps,  cleaning  knives, 
learning  to  dress  and  undress  themselves,  etc.  They  learn  to  sew,  darn, 
sweep,  make  beds,  wash  dishes,  peel  vegetables,  sort  rags  by  color,  etc.,  etc. 
All  for  whom  a  task  can  be  found  which  involves  useful  manual  labor  are 
set  to  work,  in  the  first  place  for  their  own  improvement  and  training,  but 
often  with  an  economic  result.  It  is  not  now  the  policy  at  Waltham  to  dis- 
miss inmates.     It  is  understood  that  they  should  stay. 

The  State  of  Maryland  in  1888  granted  a  charter  for  a  school  for  the 
feeble-minded  and  authorized  the  expenditure  of  $16,000.00  for  a  site  and 
of  $5,000.00  per  annum  for  maintenance.  A  farm  of  200  acres  was  originally 
purchased  and  the  Institution,  it  is  hoped,  will  shortly  be  able,  when  addi- 
tions are  made,  to  accommodate  500  inmates.  The  following  extracts  from 
an  address  by  the  President  of  Trustees,  Hon.  Herman  Stump,  well  indicate 
the  modern  and  progressive  ideas  by  which  the  management  is  actuated  : 

"Every  consideration  of  humanity,  of  wise  statesmanship,  of  good  pub- 
lic policy,  combine  to  sanction  and  enforce  the  cause  of  the  feeble-minded. 
Even  upon  the  lowest  and  most  practical  consideration  there  is  nothing, 
which,  done  rightly,  will  help  so  much  to  diminish  the  drain  on  the  pockets 
of  the  taxpayers,  as  the  wise  and  prudent  care  of  these  unfortunates. 

It  is  calculated  that  eighty  per  cent,  of  the  children  of  feeble-minded 
parents  are  feeble-minded,  and  the  reproduction  of  these  alarmingly 
increase,  and  whole  families,  generation  after  generation,  are  found  in  our 
Alms  Houses.  Many  scarcely  able  to  distinguish  right  from  wrong,  are 
incarcerated  in  our  prisons,  where  I  am  informed  that  over  one-third  of 
those  undergoing  punishment  show  in  their  manner  and  physical  deformities, 
unmistakable  weakness  of  mind.  Many  go  on  developing  more  and  greater 
mental  deficiencies  until  an  Insane  Asylum  becomes  their  home.  Many  are 
2a  f.m. 


1907  FEEBLE-MINDED   IN   ONTARIO.  19 


in  eleemosynary  Institutions  which  receive  aid  from  the  state.  Lastly, 
many  are  born  to  worthy,  but  poor  devoted  parents  who  fondly  watch  over 
and  care  for  their  imbecile  offspring,  day  after  day,  unable  to  go  forth  to 
earn  a  precarious  livelihood.  This  unhappy  home,  through  no  fault  of  the 
inmates,  gradually  becomes  a  burden  upon  the  public  imless  relief  is  offered. 
Let  us  take  these  children  from  our  Alms  Houses,  where  the  expense  of  keep- 
ing them  is  great,  and  send  them  to  the  feeble-minded  Institution  where  they 
will  be  properly  trained  and  cared  for,  nurse  the  ray  of  intellect  that  may 
be  in  them  and  the  state  will  not  have  so  many  insane  to  care  for.  Let  us 
gather  the  incipient  criminal  who  is  not  able  to  fully  understand  what  he 
should,  and  what  he  should  not  do,  into  a  home  where  he  might  be  educated 
to  do  what  is  right,  and  the  expenses  of  your  criminal  courts  will  decrease 
and  your  prison  houses  will  not  have  to  be  enlarged.  Let  private  charity 
turn  its  benevolent  eyes  to  other  fields  of  usefulness.  Let  us  free  our  public 
schools  from  imbeciles  who  are  a  stumbling  block  to  both  teachers  and 
scholars,  and  most  of  all  relieve  poor  struggling  families,  by  giving  to  their 
feeble-minded  children,  a  happy  home  prepared  by  the  intelligent  taxpay- 
ers, who  will  willingly  contribute  the  cost. 

Leaving  more  to  the  imagination  than  dwelling  upon  all  the  evils  to 
which  every  community  is  liable,  I  reluctantly  call  your  attention  to  the 
tendency,  especially  of  feeble-minded  females  to  lead  dissolute  lives, 
nearly  all  their  offspring  are  illegitimate.  It  is  intolerable  to  permit  such 
creatures  to  become   parents  and  perpetuate  pauperism,  idiocy,    and   crime. 

It  is  impossible  to  calculate  what  even  one  feeble-minded  woman  may 
cost  the  public,  when  her  vast  possibilities  for  evil  as  a  producer  of  paupers 
and  criminals,  through  an  endless  line  of  descendants,  are  considered.  If 
the  state  can  seclude  such  a  woman  and  thus  at  one  stroke  cut  off  the  possibil- 
ity of  a  never-ending  and  ever- widening  record  of  evil  and  expense,  should  it 
not  do  so  at  once?  Can  it  afford  not  to  do  it?  The  people  cannot  choose 
whether  or  not  they  will  support  the  feeble-minded  :  that  problem  solves 
itself,  always  the  same  way.  The  feeble-minded  must  be  supported  by  the 
public.  The  state  itself  is  the  only  agency  by  which  the  feeble-minded  may 
be  humanely  and  mercifully,  but  firmly,  taken  in  hand  and  placed  where 
they  can  be  utterly  prevented  from  producing  the  evils  touched  upon. 
Does  not  every  sentiment  of  humanity  and  pity  and  business  demand  that 
the  state  shall  take  this  step  ?  It  would  mean  the  expenditure  of  some  money, 
it  is  true,  but  it  would  save  in  time  to  come  so  great  a  sum  of  money  that 
the  expenditures  now  needed  to  provide  for  these  people  would  seem  beside 
it,  comparatively  small. 

Endowed  with  an  affectionate  disposition  and  cheerful  nature,  these 
children  are  easily  made  happy  and  contented,  unmindful  of  the  restraint 
placed  upon  them.  No  corporal  punishment  ia  necessary  or  allowed.  The 
rapid  progress  made  by  those  who  have  sufficient  understanding  to  be  edu- 
cated in  elementary  principles  is  astonishing,  and  compares  mosi  favorably 
with  children  in  the  public  schools.  They  are  taught  basket-making,  lace 
weaving,  sewing,  laundry  work,  servants'  duties,  farm  labor,  road  making, 
excavations,  and  other  pursuits,  and  naturally  diminish  the  expenses  of  the 
Institution. 

All  inmates  admitted  into  •this  Institution  and  supported  by  the  Btate, 
become  wards  of  the  state,  subject  to  the  custody  and  under  the  control  of 
the  Board  of  Visitors,  and  shall  no1  be  discharged  therefrom  until  they 
shall  cease  to  be  a  menace  to  society,  and  become  mentally  and  physically 
capable  of  earning  a  livelihood. 

If  I  may  speak  for  the  Board  of  Visitors  and  for  Dr.  Frank  W.  Keating, 
its  able  Superintendent,  "and  for  the  Woman's  Aid  Society.   T  will   <ay  that 


20  REPORT  UPON  THE  No.  62 


they  take  the  greatest  pride  in  this,  one  of  the  state's  noblest  and  greatest 
Institutions,  more  useful,  more  philanthropic,  more  reforming,  and  more  bene- 
ficial to  the  people  of  the  state  than  any  of  its  other  public  charities,  and 
they  invite  the  most  critical  inspection  of  the  work  they  are  doing." 

Another  great  Institution  for  the  feeble-minded  is  that  at  Elwyn,  Dela- 
ware County,  Pennsylvania.  The  Superintendent,  Dr.  Martin  W.  Barr  is 
the  author  of  well  known  text-books  on  the  Feeble-Minded  and  is  a  great 
authority  on  the  subject.  The  number  of  inmates  is  over  1,000.  There  are 
similar  Institutions  in  many  of  the  other  States  of  the  Union,  and  new  ones 
are  established  from  time  to  time.  In  1907,  Rhode  Island  passed  an  Act 
which  received  the  unanimous  support  of  the  Senate,  establishing  a  State 
School  for  the  Feeble-Minded.  The  Bill  includes  also  custodial  provision 
for  the  care  of  girls  and  women  who  may  be  eligible  for  the  school.  The 
plan  is  to  purchase  a  small  farm,  and  there  begin  in  a  quiet  way  to  build  up 
a  farm  Home  for  the  feeble-minded  on  the  Cottage  System. 

Progress. 

The  years  1907  and  1908  will  probably  be  remembered  in  future  as  years 
of  great  progress  in  the  study  and  care  of  the  feeble-minded.  In  the  year 
1907  the  Second  International  Congress  of  School  Hygiene  met  in  London, 
and  one  of  its  departments  was  wholly  devoted  to  Feeble-Minded  and 
Defective  Children.  In  the  year  1908,  the  Royal  Commission  on  the  Feeble- 
Minded  is  expected  to  report,  and  it  is  thought  that  this  will  mark  a  distinct 
epoch  in  the  care  of  the  feeble-minded. 


CARE  OF  FEEBLE-MINDED  IN  ENGLAND. 

I  have  the  honor  to  report  further  that  in  accordance  with  the  per- 
mission and  instructions  of  the  Honorable  the  Provincial  Secretary,  I  have 
obtained  the  following  information  in  England,  as  to  the  care  of  the  feeble- 
minded, the  most  approved  modern  methods  for  studying  and  classifying 
them,  and  the  consensus  of  expert  practical  opinion  as  to  how  they  may  be 
trained,  educated  and  provided  for  with  a  view  to  making  the  most  of  their 
powers  of  mind  and  body,  so  that  they  may  maintain  themselves,  whollv  or 
in  part,  instead  of  being  a  burden  on  the  community  during  theKr  lives,  and 
being  the  means  of  perpetuating  and  increasing  that  burden  in  the  next 
generation. 

The  Royal  Commission  on  the  Care  and  Control  of  the  Feeble  Minded 
appointed  by  His  Majesty  in  August,  1904,  finished  the  taking  of  evidence 
some  time  since,  and  are  now  laboring  at  their  recommendations  and  con- 
clusions which  they  hope  to  present  to  His  Majesty  and  the  Houses  of  Par- 
liament early  in  1908.  Much  is  expected  from  the  results  of  the  labors  of 
this  Royal  Commission,  and  it  is  said  that  legislation  will  probably  be  intro- 
duced shortly  after  the  report  is  presented,  giving  effect  to  the  conclusions 
and  recommendations. 

The  Royal  Commission  was  in  session  when  I  reached  England  on  July 
19th,  and  continued  in  session  till  August  2nd.  These  meetings  take  place 
at  the  Royal  Commissions'  House,  Old  Palace  Yard,  Westminster,  opposite 
the  Houses  of  Parliament,  where,  by  invitation  of  the  chairman,  Lord 
Radnor,  I  had  an  opportunity  of  meeting  the  members  of  the  Commission 
and  receiving  from  them*  advice  and  direction  how  to  proceed  in  the  further 


.1907  FEEBLE-MINDED   IN   ONTARIO.  21 


study  of  this  matter.  We  are  again  indebted  to  Mr.  W.  P.  Byrne,  C.B.,  of 
the  Home  Office,  Mrs.  Hume  Pinsent  of  B.irmingham,  Dr.  Dunlop,  Dr.  Don- 
kin,  and  other  members  of  the  Royal  Commission,  not  only  for  personal 
assistance  and  information,  but  for  the  interest  they  take  in  the  matter  as 
affecting  Canada,  and  especially  the  Province  of  Ontario.  From  these 
authorities  on  the  subject,  and  others,  I  learned  that  the  two  most  important 
institutions  for  me  to  visit  were  The  Starcross  Institution  (Western  Counties' 
Asylum)  and  the  Sandlebridge  Schools  (Lancaster  and  Cheshire  Society  for 
the  Permanent  Care  of  the  Feeble-Minded).  I  visited  the  first  of  these  on 
August  2nd. 

Starcross. 

Starcross  is  in  Devonshire  on  the  River  Exe,  and  about  eight  miles 
from  Exeter  by  the  Great  Western  Railway.  The  institution  is  about  five 
minutes'  walk  from  the  railway  station,  and  presents  an  attractive  appear- 
ance, reminding  one  somewhat  of  the  appearance  of  our  own  institution  at 
Orillia.  The  building  is  situated  in  extensive  and  beautiful  grounds,  at 
the  summit  of  a  slight  eminence  from  which  the  grounds  slope  down  to  the 
water  in  front. 

Establishment  and  Management. 

This  institution  is  a  voluntary  one,  and  is  under  exactly  the  same  Gov- 
ernment supervision  and  inspection  as  the  Government  institutions,  being 
inspected  by  the  Commissioners  in  Lunacy.  It  was  established  in  1864  for 
the  Western  Counties  of  England,  to  meet  the  need  for  a  school  in  which 
feeble-minded  children  could  be  taught  and  trained.  It  was  founded  by  the 
late  Mr.  Locke,  who  made  it  his  life  work  and  a  labor  of  love.  It  is  now 
carried  on  by  his  son  and  daughter  Mr.  E.  W.  Locke  and  Mrs.  Mayer,  the 
Superintendent  and  Matron  respectively,  who  possess  the  genuine  interest, 
patience,  kindness  of  heart  and  capacity  for  hard  work  which  can  alone 
make  such  an  institution  as  happy  and  successful  as  Starcross  is.  The 
management  is  progressive.  Several  of  the  industries  (e.g.  weaving  and 
Honiton  lace-making)  which  I  am  about  to  describe  have  been  introduced 
quite  recently  as  experiments  and  carried  on  in  some  corner  or  perhaps  an 
outhouse.  Then  when  it  is  shown  that  the  children  can  do  the  work,  the 
Commiittee  is  persuaded  to  make  room  for  the  class  in  lace-making,  weaving 
or  whatever  it  may  be. 

Finances. 

This  is  one  of  the  strong  points  of  the  institution.  It  is  well  managed. 
The  average  cost  per  inmate  per  week  is  about  10s.  LOd.  Some  years  it  i^ 
as  low  as  10s.  3d.  per  week.  But  when  we  remember  that  this  sum  includes 
repairs,  salaries,  cost  of  administration,  etc.,  etc.,  that  everything  is  kept  up 
well,  and  that  the  children  are  well  dressed  and  not  stinted  in  food  or  in 
other  directions  the  figure  is  gratifyingly  low.  All  Boards  of  Guardians 
and  County  authorities  sending  children,  pay  for  tlieir  maintenance  at  the 
rate  of  10s.  6d.  for  west  of  England  Counties,  and  14s.  for  other  Counties. 
The  profit  last  year  was  about  £1,223  16s.  4d. 

The  Inmates. 

Children   are   admitted  from   6   years  of  age  and    upwards.     Girls    and 
boys  are  of  course  kept  separate.     They  look  well,  and   from  tlieir  appear- 
ance  are  evidently  well  fed.      They  are  suitably  and  neatly  dressed,  the  b 
with  an  Eton  collar  and  blue  sweater,  and  the  girls  with  plain  dresses  and 


22  REPORT  UPON  THE  No.  62 


neat  white  aprons.  The  care  of  their  hair,  and  all  the  little  details  of  per- 
sonal appearance  of  the  children  show  good  and  systematic  training  and  super- 
vision. Nor  did  I  see  any  child  with  the  hopeless,  dull,  unoccupied,  unhappy 
look  so  common  in  other  institutions.  Everybody  I  saw  was  doing  some- 
thing, but  as  far  as  I  could  ascertain,  not  under  pressure.  When  spoken 
to  about  their  work,  the  response  was  of  course  never  normal,  but  there  was 
always  some  response.  Indeed  sometimes  there  was  a  great  contrast  between 
the  expression  of  the  child's  face,  and  the  expression  of  the  child's  fingers, 
i.e.,  his  or  her  work.  This  was  especially  noticeable  in  the  wood-carving 
class  and  the  Honiton  lace  class.  The  dormitories  were  airy  and  pleasant. 
The  beds  were  made  neatly  and  well  by  the  children.  In  the  little  girls' 
room  every  child's  doll  was  to  be  seen,  neatly  dressed,  on  the  bed,  and  at  a 
certain  time  in  the  afternoon  the  "dolls'  hour"  for  play  was  given.  The 
number  of  inmates  on  January  1st,  1906,  was  269;  185  boys  and  84  girls. 

Training  and  Industries. 

No  inmate  spends  more  than  two  hours  a  day  in  the  school  room,  and 
of  the  274  inmates, 

248  can  speak  well, 

111     can  read  books  for  their  own  amusement, 

153  can  write  in  copy-books, 

115  can  work  the  first  four  rules  of  arithmetic. 

Drill  and  gymnastic  exercises  are  also  regularly  taught. 

The  best  authorities  agree  that  attempting  to  teach  "book-learning" 
to  the  feeble-minded  is  time,  energy  and  money  wasted.  On  the  contrary, 
there  are  manjT  things  that  the  feeble-minded  can  learn.  Some  of  them  do 
almost  anything  under  supervision,  and  all  who  belong  to  the  higher  grades 
of  feeble-minded  can  do  something.  It  is  in  this  that  Starcross  is  such  a 
great  object  lesson,  and  so  valuable  to  the  studer.t  of  the  feeble-minded.  No 
one  who  has  had  the  privilege  of  spending  even  a  few  hours  in  the  work- 
rooms and  seeing  jxov?  the  small  and  undeveloped  powers  of  the  feeble-minded 
are  trained  and  developed  would  easily  forget  the  lesson. 

These  children  do  useful  and  profitable  work.  They  do  gardening, 
general  housework,  kitchenwork,  baking,  cooking,  cleaning,  laundry-work, 
sewing,  knitting,  tailoring,  plumbing,  painting,  decorating,  carpentering, 
building,  wood-carving.  They  cane  chairs  and  do  repairs  of  all  kinds. 
They  make  straw  hats,  ropes,  mats,  shoes,  baskets,  brooms,  brushes,  tweed, 
flannel,  serge,  Honiton  lace,  and  they  will  soon  be  able  to  make  blankets. 
In  the  girls'  department  last  year  the  girls  made  4,817  new  articles,  rang- 
ing from  a  necktie  to  a  sheet,  and  repaired  18,404  articles. 

Machines  for  knitting,  weaving,  shoemakiing,  etc.,  are  all  worked  by 
the  inmates  under  supervision.  In  introducing  any  industry,  Mr.  Locke's 
plan  is  to  get  a  man  to  come  from  some  good  factory  for  a  certain  time,  as 
long  as  may  be  necessary,  and  teach  this  particular  trade,  and  the  use  of 
the  machines  to  two  of  the  regular  staff,  two  of  his  own  attendants  or  teachers. 
Then  if  one  of  these  is  ill  or  absent  the  other  can  take  his  duty.  When  the 
two  members  of  the  staff  are  fully  competent,  then  they  teach  the  trade, 
whatever  it  may  be,  to  a  certain  number  of  boys.  The  inmates  are  not 
always  kept  at  one  trade.  They  learn  more  than  one,  and  besides,  they 
advance  from  one  to  another.  A  little  boy  comes  in  and  perhaps  can  hardly 
learn  rope-making.  In  a  year  or  two  he  may  be  able  to  do  wood-carving. 
The  latest  industry  is  Honiton  lace-making,  introduced  by  the  personal 
efforts  of  Mrs.  Mayer.  It  is  to  be  remembered  that  all  the  things  made 
at   Starcross  are  useful.      Thus  the  tweed   and  serge,    and   sweaters  worn   by 


1907  FEEBLE-MINDED   IN    ONTARIO.  23 


the  boys  are  made  in  the  house  by  themselves  or  by  the  girls,  and  this  adds 
to  the  economy  of  the  management  of  the  institution.  Indeed,  it  reminds 
me  of  an  institution  which  has  electric  power  developed  on  its  own  premises. 
The  powers  of  the  feeble-minded,  properly  utilized,  directed  by  competent, 
but  not  expensive  attendents,  take  the  place  of  the  electric  power. 

Admission  and  Dischakge. 

In  the  year  1906,  5  died,  50  were  admitted,  and  40  discharged.  The 
unimprovable  are  of  course  not  admitted,  but  it  sometimes  happens  that  there 
is  little  improvement  for  the  first  three  or  four  years,  and  then  the  child 
begins  to  do  better.  There  is  not  much  improvement  after  16  years  of  acre. 
Inmates  are  sent  by  Boards  of  Guardians  and  their  own  friends,  and  are 
admitted  from  six  years  of  age.  They  are  kept  as  long  as  they  can  be 
improved.  This  means  that,  with  the  exception  of  a  number  of  attendants 
and  helpers  who  are  retained  to  do  the  work  of  the  institution,  all  these 
feeble-minded  persons  are  discharged  at  the  very  age  when  they  are  for  cer- 
tain reasons  most  dangerous  to  the  commnuity.  Happy,  industrious  and 
successful  as  long  as  they  are  under  care  and  supervision,  no  training  will 
make  them  normal,  or  give  them  power  to  manage  their  own  affairs  or  judg- 
ment to  direct  their  lives.  In  discussing  this  point,  both  when  being 
advised  by  members  of  the  Eoyal  Commission  and  other  experts  privately, 
and  when  the  point  was  discussed  publicly  at  the  meetings  of  the  section  of 
the  study  of  the  feeble-minded  at  the  International  Congress,  great  stress 
was  laid  on  this  fact,  that  it  is  worse  than  useless  to  protect  the  feeble-minded 
for  a  part  of  their  lives,  propping  them  for  a  while,  only  that  their  fall  may 
ultimately  be  more  disastrous  for  themselves  and  for  others 

The  point  of  view  of  the  school-master  is  not  the  right  point  of  view 
for  the  worker  among  the  feeble-minded.  The  school-master  thinks,  and 
rightly  thinks,  that  his  work  ends  when  his  scholars  are  prepared  by  his 
care  and  training  for  entrance  on  the  duties  of  independent  and  adult  life. 
But  this  time  never  arrives  for  the  feeble-minded.  Their  bodies  grow  up, 
but  their  minds  never  do.  They  always  remain  children  and,  therein!.'. 
they  must  have  the  care  and  supervision  that  we  give  to  children,  not  till 
they  are  14,  or  16,  or  18  years  old,  but  all  their  lives.  The  true  "Help- 
School"  for  the  feeble-minded  is  a  home  for  life.  A  few  feeble-minded 
children  with  exceptionally  good  care  at  home  (and  how  often'  is  thai  home 
broken  up  before  many  years),  may  get  along  for  a  while  and  earn  a  little 
money  in  the  world,  but  being  away  from  skilled  care,  and  in  an  environ- 
ment not  adjusted  to  his  needs,  the  poor  feeble-minded  man  (or  woman)  even 
if  he  has  learned  something  about  a  trade,  degenerates  and  forgets  what  he 
once  knew.  People  lose  patience  with  him,  he  gets  into  one  trouble  after 
another,  and  the  last  state  of  that  man  is  worse  limn  the  first.  This  is  one 
fo  the  important  things  proved  by  the  work  of  the  A.fter  Care  Committees  in 
Birmingham  and  elsewhere.  The  care  of  the  feeble-minded  must  be  a  per- 
manent  care. 


SECOND  INTERNATIONAL  CONGRESS  OF  SCHOOL  HYGIENE 

Section  on  tut-  Cum-  of  mi:  Feeble-Minded. 

On  Saturday.  August  third,  the  day  after  visiting  Starcross,   I  returned 
to  London  to  attend  the  Se<ond  Internationa]  Congress  on  Sol 1   Hygiene, 


24  REPORT  UPON  THE  No.  62 


section  7.     This  section  was  for   "Special    Schools   for    Feeble-Minded    and 
Exceptional  Children."     There  were  ten  other  sections  as  follows: 

"Medical  and  Hygienic  Inspection  in  Schools."  President,  Dr.  Wil- 
liam Osier. 

"The  Physiology  and  Psychology  of  Educational  Methods  and  Work.  ' 
President,  Sir  James  Chrichton  Browne. 

"The  Hygiene  of  the  Teaching  Profession."  President,  Dr.  Mac- 
Namara,  M.P. 

"Instruction  in  Hygiene  for  Teachers  and  Scholars."  President,  Sir 
William  J.  Collins,  M.P. 

"Special  Schools  for  Blind,  Deaf  and  Dumb  Children."  President, 
Sir  John  W.  Byers. 

"Out  of  School  Hygiene.  Holiday  Camps,  and  Schools."  "The  Rela- 
tion of  Home  and  School."     President,  The  Right  Hon.  Lord  Kinnaird. 

"Contagious  Diseases,  111  Health  and  other  Conditions  Affecting  Attend- 
dance."     President,  Sir  Shirley  Murphy. 

"Special  Schools  for  Blind,  Deaf  and  Dumb  Children."  President, 
The  Right  Hon.  Earl  of  Crewe. 

"Hygiene  of  Residential   Schools."     President,    Dr.    Clement   Dukes." 

"The  School  Building  and  its  Equipment."     President,  T.  E.  Collcut. 

By  special  command  of  His  Majesty  King  Edward,  the  Congress  was 
formally  opened  on  August  fifth  by  the  Earl  of  Crewe,  Lord  President  of  the 
Council,  and  it  would  be  a  difficult,  if  not  an  impossible  task,  to  convey  in 
words  an  adequate  idea  of  its  magnitude,  importance  and  success — a  success 
that  was  only  achieved  by  three  years  of  self  denying  labor  on  the  part  of 
the  President,  Sir  Lauder  Brunton,  and  his  assistants.  This  band  of  workers 
gave  not  only  labor,  but  brains,  enthusiasm,  and  personal  devotion  to  the 
work  of  the  Congress  and  everybody  was  willing  to  do  anything  to  help. 

The  programme,  a  book  of  fifty  pages,  contains  the  names  of  almost 
all  the  authorities  on  the  different  branches  of  School  Hygiene  and  covers 
a  wonderfully  wide  range  of  subjects. 

The  eleven  sections  which  met  daily  during  congress  week  in  the  Uni- 
versity of  London,  the  Imperial  Institute  and  the  adjoining  buildings, 
accomplished  a  vast  amount  of  hard  practical  thinking,  and  thorough  dis- 
cussion. Seven  official  hand-books  were  prepared  for  the  members  of  the 
Congress,  including  the  official  programme,  the  official  list  of  members  (a 
book  of  fifty-nine  pages),  a  volume  of  abstracts  of  papers  and  communica- 
tions, a  hand-book  to  London,  a  hand-book  of  entertainments  and  excursions, 
etc.,  etc. 

Many  of  the  different  countries  who  sent  official  delegates,  presented 
also  hand-books  descriptive  of  the  country,  its  schools  and  its  status  in 
School  Hygiene.  For  instance,  the  Grand  Duchy  of  Finland  issued  a  hand- 
some volume  of  one  hundred  and  seventeen  pages,  printed  in  English  at 
Helsingfors,  which  was  distributed  to  the  members  of  the  Congress.  In 
Finland  there  is  one  state  school  for  sixtv  to  seventy  feeble-minded  children, 
where  pupils  are  "specially  trained  to  luisbandry  on  the  vast  farm  of  the 
establishment."  In  the  towns  there  are  "help-schools"  belonging  to  the 
people's  schools  for  intellectually  undeveloped  children.  "Help-Schools" 
is  a  good  name. 

The  weight  of  opinion,  experience  and  thought  represented  bv  the  two 
hundred  and  sixty-one  papers  delivered  before  the  Congress  and  its  eleven 
sections  was  impressive .  but  to  the  two  or  three  thousand  persons  who  had 
the  privilege  of  attending,  there  was  one  thing  more  impressive,  and  that 
was  thp  character  of  the  audiences  gathered  to  hear  and  discuss  them.  Not 
only  did  we  see  Turks,  Russians,  Greeks,  Portuguese.  Italians,  Swiss,  French, 


<1<*07  FEEBLE-MINDED   IN    ONTARIO.  25 


Germans,  Swedes,  Australians,  Egyptians,  Persians,  Hindus,  Mohammedans, 
Hungarians,  Norwegians,  Japanese,  Dutch,  Finns,  Danes,  Bohemians, 
Americans,  English,  Welsh,  Irish,  Scotch,  Afrikanders,  New  Zealanders, 
Canadians,  sitting  and  working  side  by  side,  but  we  saw  here  an  earl  and 
there  a  small  tradesman,  here  an  Archdeacon  and  there  a  Poor  Law  Guardian, 
here  a  Lord  Mayor,  and  there  a  Common  Councillor,  here  a  typical 
John  Bull,  and  there  a  stately  British  matron  or  an  author,  or  a  society  lady, 
or  a  nurse.  Teachers,  physicians,  government  officials,  university  profes- 
sors, clergymen,  ambassadors,  head  masters,  business  men,  and  a  very  large 
representation  of  the  middle  classes,  and  the  leisure  class,  as  well  as  people 
whose  lives  were  evidently  full  of  work  and  responsibility,  gave  a  serious, 
dignified,  business-like  aspect  to  the  Congress  which  no  one  could  fail  to 
observe.  The  distances  these  people  had  come,  the  duties  they  had  left, 
the  communities  they  represented,  and  more  than  all,  the  ideas  they  took 
away  with  them,  are  an  evidence  of  the  working  of  the  health  conscience  of 
the  world,  and  the  growing  conviction  that  in  the  school  we  must  set  about 
solving  the  problems  of  national  health,   mental  and  physical. 

Three  definite  results  of  the  Congress  as  a  whole  may  be  mentioned. 
It  was  unanimously  affirmed  that  the  principles  and  practice  of  Hygiene 
should  form  part  of  the  education  of  every  citizen.  It  was  also  unanimously 
resolved  that  all  teachers  should  have,  as  part  of  their  training,  practical 
and  theoretical  instruction  in  personal  and  school  hygiene.  The  third 
result  was  the  stand  taken  on  the  Medical  Inspection  of  Schools.  This  action 
of  the  Congress  was  awaited  with  interest.  The  British  Government  had 
announced  this  year  that  the  Bill  providing  for  the  medical  inspection  of 
school  children  would  be  held  in  abeyance  until  the  result  of  the  delibera- 
tions of  the  Congress  was  made  known. 

Shortly  after  the  passing  of  the  following  resolution  by  the  Congress, 
the  Bill  for  the  Medical  Inspection  of  School  Children  became  law,  and  the 
government  have  now  taken  a  farther  step,  and  created  a  medical  depart- 
ment in  connection  with  the  Board  of  Education,  Dr.  Newman  and  Dr. 
Alfred  Eichholtz  being  appointed  medical  advisers. 

The  text  of  the  resolution  is  as  follows  : 

Whereas  the  maintenance  and  development  of  the  health  and  viijor  of 
school  children  is  a  matter  of  paramount  importance,  and  whereas  experi- 
ence in  all  large  cities  has  shown  the  importance  of  health  inspection,  be  it 

Resolved,  that  in  every  city  and  town  adequate  provision  Bhould  be 
made,  both  for  sanitary  inspection  of  schools  and  for  medical  inspection  of 
school  children,  the  latter  to  include  not  only  inspection  for  contagious 
diseases,  but  also  of  eyes,  ears,  nose,  throat,  and  teeth  and  of  general  physical 
condition. 

These  results  have  a  direct  bearing  on  the  problem  of  the  feeble-minded, 
especially  the  last.  As  soon  as  medical  inspection  is  introduced,  we  shall 
know  definitely  the  number  of  children  in  tmr  schools  who  are  feeble-minded, 
and  this  will  be  the  first  step  toward  providing  the  special  care  and  training 
which  they  need. 

The  organization  of  this  great  Congress  was  remarkable.  Nothing 
seemed  to  have  been  forgotten,  and  the  comfort  and  convenience  whicb  the 
delegates  enjoyed  could  have  been  secured  "iilv  bv  mu«h  hard  work  on  the  T»:,rt 
of  the  officers  and  their  assistants.  Tt  seemed  thai  one  had  only  to  wear  thai 
beautiful  bronze  badare  specially  designed  for  the  Congress,  in  order  to  find 
all  doors  open  and  all  difficulties  vanishing. 

In  the  section   devoted   to  the  care  of  the   feeble-minded   sessions 
held  every  day,  and  the  proceedings  were  conducted  in  French.  German  and 
Ensrlish  according  to  the  nationality  of  the   Bpeaker.     The  attendance 


26  REPORT  UPON  THE  No.  62 


large  and  satisfactory.  With  few  exceptions  all  who  are  experts  in  this 
subject  were  present  and  took  part  in  the  discussions.  I  was  there  able  to 
meet  a  number  of  persons  whom  I  have  known  by  correspondence  for  years, 
and  whose  advice  and  experience  were  invaluable.  After  the  sessions  were 
over  for  the  day,  I  visited  by  invitation  several  Government  Offices,  and 
saw  the  chief  official  under  whose  supervision  the  feeble-minded  are  cared 
for,  in  connection  with  the  Board  of  Education,  and  the  Local  Government 
Board.  Among  these  officials  I  am  specially  indebted  for  advice  and  assist- 
ance to  H.  C.  Munro,  Assistant  Secretary,  Local  Government  Board,  White- 
hall; Dr.  Alfred  Eichholtz,  H.  M.  Inspector  of  Special  Schools;  Mr.  Horace 
E.  Mann,  Board  of  Education,  Whitehall;  Dr.  Heath,  Director  of  Special 
Enquiries,  Board  of  Education,  Whitehall;  Dr.  James  Kerr,  Chief  Medical 
Officer  of  the  London  County  Council,  Education  Committee;  Mrs.  Burgwin, 
Inspector  of  Special  Classes  under  the  London  County  Council,  Education 
Committee. 

The  benefit  derived  from  the  papers  and  discussions  at  the  meetings  of 
the  section  on  the  feeble-minded  was  very  great,  and  perhaps  even  more 
valuable  were  the  many  opportunities  I  had  of  personal  discussion  and  con- 
versation with  the  officials  mentioned,  and  with  those  who  read  papers  or 
led  in  the  discussions. 

The  Sandlebridge  Schools. 

The  International  Congress  closed  on  Saturday,  August  tenth,  and  on 
Monday,  August  twelfth,  I  went  to  Manchester  to  see  the  schools  at  Sandle- 
bridge, with  great  expectations  as  to  what  I  should  learn  and  see  there. 
These  expectations  had  been  aroused  by  the  fact  that  all  of  my  advisers  upon 
the  Royal  Commission,  and  others,  in  mentioning  the  places  and  people 
that  would  be  most  important  to  see,  haxl  invariably  mentioned,  first.  Miss 
Mary  Dendy  and  the  Sandlebridge  Schools.  In  the  words  of  one  of  the 
members  of  the  Royal  Commission,  "When  you  have  seen  the  Sandlebridge 
Schools  you  may  feel,  not  only  that  you  have  seen  the  best  institution  for  the 
care  of  the  feeble-minded  in  Great  Britain,  but  that  you  have  seen  an  Insti- 
tution which  will  compare  favorably  with  the  best  institutions  in  any  coun- 
try in  the  world."  These  expectations  were  not  'disappointed,  indeed  they 
had  hardly  prepared  me  for  what  I  saw.  It  was  not  that  the  buildings  and 
grounds  were  expensive,  or  showy,  or  impressive.  Everything  was  plain, 
simple,  inexpensive  (except  the  ground  itself).  But  it  was  the  real  thing. 
Here  I  saw  the  seriously,  even  terribly,  defective  children  mentally,  the 
waste  product  of  humanity,  such  as  I  have  seen  among  ourselves  in  a  helpless 
and  hopeless  condition,  lost,  fallen,  outcast,  criminal,  unhappy,  evil.  But 
I  saw  them  here  clean,  comfortable,  happy,  and  at  home.  It  is  noteworthy 
that  no  one  wishes  to  leave  Sandlebridge,  that  they  feel  it  belongs  to  them 
and  do  not  wish  to  run  away  from  their  home  any  more  than  we  do  from  ours. 

As  usual,  we  find  here  that  some  one  good,  kind,  sensible  person  has 
been  the  real  founder  of  the  Institution,  and  has  applied  the  motive  power 
to  start  it  running.  At  Starcross,  that  person  was  Mr.  Locke;  at  Sandle- 
bridge it  was  Miss  Mary  Dendy. 

Sandlebridge  is  abount  sixteen  miles  from  Manchester,  and  is  reached 
from  a  station  on  the  London  and  North  Western  Railway  called  Alderlev 
Edge.  When  I  reached  Alderley  Edge,  I  took  a  fly,  and  asked  the  driver 
to  take  me  to  the  Sandlebridge  Schools.  '"Miss  Dendy's  Schools  you  mean? 
Yes,"  replied  the  driver,  and  Miss  Dendy's  Schools  they  are.  A  drive  of 
two  and  a  half  miles  along  a  beautiful  English  country  road  in  fine  harvest 


1907  FEEBLE-MINDED   IN    ONTARIO.  27 


weather  brought  me  to  a  group  of  four  brick  buildings.  One  of  these  is  a 
school,  the  other  three  are  the  homes  and  residences  where  the  children  live. 
Two  were  erected  in  1901,  and  accommodate  sixty  children,  the  third  has 
just  been  erected  and  is  designed  for  sixty-five  children.  It  cost  four  thou- 
sand eight  hundred  and  five  pounds,  an  expenditure  of  seventy-four  pounds 
per  bed,  and  is  paid  for.  What  strikes  one  is  that  the  buildings  are  just 
right  for  the  purpose.  They  are  not  expensive,  but  they  are  substantial, 
well-built  and  comfortable,  and  exceedingly  well  planned,  giving  evidence 
everywhere  that  the  special  needs  of  the  children  are  kept  in  mind. 

After  going  over  all  these  buildings  carefully,  I  saw  the  farm  attached, 
Norbury  House  Farm.  It  was  a  pleasure  to  see  how  thrifty  and  thriving 
and  tidy  the  whole  place  was.  There  were  about  thirty-five  head  of  cattle, 
seventeen  sheep,  thirty-five  pigs,  two  horses  and  much  poultry.  The  farm 
is  in  charge  of  a  man  and  his  wife,  and  the  big  boys  (over  sixteen)  sleep  here 
and  work  under  the  farmer's  supervision. 

Finally,  I  saw  Warford  Hall  Estate.*  This  was  purchased  last  year. 
It  was  in  the  market,  it  was  near  the  original  property,  it  was  very  suitable 
for  the  work  of  the  school,  and  it  consisted  of  seventy-seven  acres,  upon 
which  were  fine  buildings  including  a  large  conservatory.  Tt  was  bought 
by  the  governing  body  for  nine  thousand  three  hundred  and  fifty  pounds, 
and  a  good  part  of  the  price  has  already  been  paid,  one  friend  giving  a  thou- 
sand pounds  and  another  five  hundred  pounds,  so  as  to  secure  the  property. 
It  was  taken  possession  of  just  in  time  to  get  the  crops  in,  which  I  saw  being 
harvested.  Four  "hundred  tomato  plants  were  put  in  the  greenhouse,  which 
have  brought  in  a  lot  of  money,  the  flowers  have  also  done  well,  thou- 
sands of  small  potted  plants  being  supplied  to  the  Manchester  School  Board, 
another  good  source  of  income.  All  this  work  is  done  by  the  children  under 
supervision,  for  instance,  boys  who  have  just  come  and  cannot  do  anything 
else,  are  set  to  carry  the  empty  pots  to  those  who  are  potting,  and  to  carry 
them  back  again  when  the  plants  are  put  in  them.  This  large  property, 
with  its  valuable  buildings  and  equipment  belongs  to  the  Lancashire  and 
Cheshire  Society  for  the  Permanent  Care  of  the  Feeble-Minded.  which  was 
founded  eight  years  ago.  About  ten  years  ago  Miss  Dendy,  who  had  done 
years  of  work  among  the  poor,  was  co-opted  a  member  of  the  Blanch* 
School  Board,  that  is,  the  elected  members  of  the  Board  who  have  power  to 
elect  some  woman  to  work  with  them  as  a  member  of  the  Board,  chose  or 
co-opted,  Miss  Dendy.  Visiting  the  schools  in  connection  with  her  new- 
responsibilities,  Miss  Dendy  saw  in  the  class-rooms  a  number  of  children 
whom  she  considered  mentally  defective.  By  the  authority  of  the  Board, 
she  made  an  inspection  of  the  Manchester  schools,  and  found  between  one 
and  two  percent,  mentally  defective.  Her  results  were  confirmed  by  Dr. 
Ashby  (a  great  authority)  who,  upon  examination  did  not  find  one  norma] 
child  among  those  whom  Miss  Dendy  reported  a-  feeble-minded.  Public 
meetings  were  held,  which  Miss  Dendy  addressed.  The  interest  of  tin-  com- 
munity was  aroused,  the  Archbishop  of  York  and  Mrs.  Maclagan,  some  mem- 
bers of  the  aristocracy  and  a  large  number  of  citizens  of  all  denominati 
united  in  forming  the  Society. 

It  was  incorporated,  and  soon  received  several  valuable  gifts  from  the 
executors  of  estates  and  others,  which  enabled  the  governing  body  <<>  secure 
the  original  property  and  put  up  the  first  building.  Miss  Dendy  i-  the 
Honorarv  Secretary  of  the  Society,  and  lives  at    Manchester,  coming  ov 


"Since  my  return   it  has  been  necessary  to  take  Warford   Hal]  at  ••••  for  the 

older  girls.     There  was  no  money   for   it.  >US   friends    gave    1:1.000  each   Mr 

this  purpose ! 


28  REPORT  UPON  THE  No.  62 


Sandlebridge  twice  a  week  or  oftener.  and  taking  the  general  direction  of 
affairs,  with  the  assistance  of  other  members  of  the  governing  body.  She 
herself  met  me  at  Sandlebridge  by  appointment,  and  accompanied  me  over 
the  whole  place,  explaining  everything  to  me.  During  our  inspection  the 
time  for  the  evening  meal  arrived  and  the  boys  and  girls  whom  we  had  seen 
and  spoken  to  here  and  there  made  their  way  home  to  tea.  On  entering  the 
house  they  all  put  on  their  slippers,  and  their  shoes  were  placed  in  a  row 
to  be  cleaned  by  those  to  whom  the  duty  is  assigned  after  tea.  We  went 
first  to  the  boys'  dining  room.  Here  there  were  three  tables,  one  for  the 
eight  to  ten  big  boys  who  work  on  the  farm  and  sleep  there,  but  have  their 
meals  here.  The  other  two  tables  held  the  other  thirty-five  boys.  They  all 
sat  there  quietly  waiting  for  the  late-comers,  who  came  in  one  by  one. 
There  were  three  or  four  of  the  Staff  present,  who  helped  a  few  of  the  boys 
to  take  their  seats  and  arrange  their  napkins,  etc.  But  nobody  made  the 
least  disturbance.  Miss  Dendy  spoke  to  several  by  name,  each  one  being 
individually  known  to  her,  and  when  after  singing  the  usual  children's 
grace,  they  began  to  eat,  their  table  manners  were  somewhat  wonderful. 
Each  had  a  mug  of  milk,  the  big  boys  had  cocoa,  and  in  front  of  every  third 
or  fourth  boy  was  a  large  plate  heaped  with  bread  and  butter  or  bread  and 
jam,  the  bread  being  about  1^  inches  thick.  The  boy  before  whom  the 
plate  was  set  always  lifted  the  plate  carefully,  and  helped  both  of  his  neigh- 
bors before  helping  himself.  I  never  saw  a  more  touching  sight  than  the 
efforts  of  some  of  the  weakest  mentally,  to  fold  their  hands  together  to  say 
grace.  Those  familiar  with  the  powers  of  the  feeble-minded  will  not  need 
to  be  told  that  this  is  a  task  for  them.  Slowly,  and  with  difficulty,  but  fin- 
ally with  success,  they  brought  their  fingers  together,  the  attendants 
encouraging  them,  and  not  till  all  were  ready  was  the  grace  said. 

Great  attention  is  paid  to  the  diet,  which  is  specially  supervised  by  the 
medical  officer.  It  is  plain,  simple,  and  nutritious,  little  or  no  meat  being 
used,  and  no  tea  or  coffee,  but  plenty  of  milk  and  cocoa.  The  big  boys  were 
put  through  a  catechism  by  Miss  Dendy  as  to  matters  on  the  farm.  This 
was  her  first  visit  after  a  holiday  in  Switzerland.  "How  many  horses  have 
you,  boys?"  Chorus,  "Don't  know,  Miss  Dendy."  "Why,  how  is  this? 
Surely  you  know  how  many  horses  you  have?"  "Yes,  Miss  Dendy,  but 
then  there's  the  education  horses."  We  found  out  afterwards  that  upwards 
of  sixty  horses  had  been  "boarded  out"  at  the  farm  by  the  Manchester  Board 
of  Education,  and  hence  were  known  as  the  "Education  Horses."  Appar- 
ently none  of  the  boys  had  sufficient  enterprise  to  count  them  up — -a  rather 
significant  fact. 

Talking  over  different  individuals  afterwards,  Miss  Dendy  remarked  to 
me,  "These  boys  of  eighteen  and  nineteen  would  all  have  been  fathers  by 
this  time  if  they  had  been  living  out  in  the  world." 

Others  were  pointed  out  to  me  who  had  already  become  known  to  the 
police,  and  were  certainly  fast  becoming  criminals.  They  would  have  been 
in  gaol  if  there  had  been  no  Sandlebridge. 

A  visit  to  the  girls'  dining-room  and  cloak-room  was  equally  interesting 
and  instructive.  The  most  important  and  promising  thing  about  the  Sandle- 
bridge Schools  is  that  thev  are  intended  to  be  the  permanent  home  of  all 
who  come  there.  The  confidence  felt  in  the  schools  may  be  seen  by  the  fact  that 
ninety  different  education  authorities  have  made  application  to  enter  chil- 
dren there.  The  children  are,  of  course,  paid  for  by  the  education  authority 
who  sends  them. 

The  total  number  of  inmates  is  eighty-six;  boys  forty-five,  girls  forty- 
one.  The  grant  earned  by  the  day  school  is  one  hundred  and  ninety-seven 
pounds  eighteen  shillings  and  nine  pence.     The  institution  is  under  govern- 


«]907  FEEBLE-MINDED   IN    ONTARIO.  29 


ment  inspection,  and  has  received  high  commendation  from  the  government 
officials.      The  maintenance  charges  are  as  follows  : 

Cost  per  head  for  £     s.  d. 

Food  (inclusive  of  officers)   10     0  0 

Clothing    1     15  3 

Day  School  Instruction  2  10  0 

I  beg  to  acknowledge  with  sincere  thanks,  the  great  kindness  and  assist- 
ance and  hospitality,  that  I  received  from  the  Royal  Commission,  the  Presi- 
dent, Officers  and  Committees  of  the  Second  International  Congress  of  School 
Hygiene,  and  the  authorities  and  officials  at  Starcross  and  Sandlebridge. 
Whenever  I  mentioned  the  object  of  my  visit,  and  said  that  I  came  from 
Canada,  I  received  every  possible  kindness  and  help. 

Summary. 

I.  The  only  satisfactory  and  thorough  method  of  dealing  with  the  pro- 
blem of  the  feeble-minded  is  to  recognize  mental  defect  in  children,  train 
them  in  so  far  as  they  can  be  taught  and  trained  and  give  them  all  through 
life  the  care  and  supervision  that  will  enable  them  to  earn  at  least  a  part 
of  their  living,  and  protect  them  from  the  crimes  and  evils  that  threaten 
them  in  the  outside  world.  Special  classes  in  the  public  schools  and  special 
Institutions  for  those  needing  permanent  care  are  required  for  this.  This 
matter  is  being  considered  by  leading  educationists  in  Ontario  and  the  Board 
of  Education  in  Toronto,  on  motion  by  Dr.  John  Hunter,  has  ordered  a 
return  to  be  prepared  giving  the  number  of  backward  children  in  the  Toronto 
Public  Schools,  and  showing  what  means  could  be  adopted  to  ascertain  and 
remove  if  possible  the  cause  of  such  backwardness. 

II.  In  cities  and  centres  of  population,  where  there  are  enough  feeble- 
minded children  to  form  a  special  class,  (and  about  twelve  or  fifteen  of  such 
children  are  as  many  as  can  be  managed  to  advantage  by  one  teacher),  these 
classes,  as  an  integral  part  of  the  school  system,  have  been  found  a  great 
benefit.  From  these  special  classes  the  children  are  transferred  to  a  special 
Institution  such  as  a  Parental  School  or  Home  with  a  colony  attached  when 
they  have  been  sympathetically  and  thoroughly  studied  by  the  teacher  and 
an  expert  (the  school  physician),  if  they  are  found  to  belong  to  the  mentally 
defective  and  therefore  dependent  class.  This  is  one  of  the  great  advantages 
of  the  special  class  for  mentally  defective  children.  The  special  class  is  a 
clearing  house.  Children  will  be  put  into  it  sometimes  who  are  laboring 
under  such  serious  physical  defects  of  sight,  hearing,  speech,  etc.,  as  to 
appear  defective  mentally  when  they  are  normal.  The  expert  knowledge 
of  the  physician  enables  him  or  her  to  understand  the  real  state  of  affairs, 
and  point  out  the  remedy.  The  teacher  of  the  special  class  gives  the 
children  individual  attention,  and  the  child  goes  bark  before  long  to  his 
rightful  place  with  other  normal  children.  Other  children  find  their  way 
to  the  special  class  whose  mental  defect  is  so  slight  thai  they  will  not  neces- 
sarily be  dependents  but  may,  especially  if  they  have  a  good  home,  fill  a 
place  in  the  world,  though  a  small  and  sheltered  one,  successfully. 

III.  Where  special  classes  have  been  tried,  and  they  have  been  estab- 
lished now  for  manv  years  in  Great  Britain,  on  the  Continent  of  Europe  and 
in  the  United  States,  it  is  found  that  more  than  two-thirds  of  the  children 
who  are  in  them  are  seriously  defective  mentally  and  will  always  be  depend- 
ents.    From  the  special  schools,  then,  as  a  rule,  they  should  go  very  soon  to 


30  REPORT  UPON  THE  No.   62 


a  special  Institution  as  their  permanent  home — a  place  where  they  can  be 
taught  to  be  useful  and  happy,  and  where  their  powers  and  capacities  may 
be  made  the  most  of  for  their  own  good  and  the  good  of  the  community. 

IV.  These  children  should  be  taken  charge  of  about  the  age  of  six  or 
seven  (which  is  the  age  of  admission  at  most  of  the  successful  Institutions  for 
the  feeble-minded).  Those  who  can  be  taught  to  read,  write,  and  do  arith- 
metic, should  have  about  one  or  two  hours'  teaching  in  these  subjects  every 
day,  and  many  of  them  can  learn  music.  The  rest  of  their  time,  except  when 
they  are  playing,  drilling,  or  otherwise  taking  fresh  air  and  recreation  should 
be  spent  in  learning  various  useful  trades  and  occupations  including  house- 
work, laundry  work,  farm  work  and  every  profitable  and  useful  employment 
that  they  can  learn.  As  they  grow  older,  they  should  be  treated  somewhat 
differently  and  any  of  them  who  can  act  as  helpers,  attendants  and  members 
of  the  staff  of  the  Institution  should  by  all  means  be  placed  in  these  posi- 
tions, but  the  really  feeble-minded  should  never,  under  any  circumstances 
be  allowed  to  go  out  into  the  world,  and  it  is  quite  possible  to  make  them  so 
happy  and  contented  and  interested  in  their  home  that  they  will  never  think 
of  leaving  it.  No  training,  no  education,  no  care,  no  supervision,  will  ever 
change  a  defective  mind  into  a  normal  mind. 

Boys  and  girls  should  be  in  separate  buildings,  or  in  entirely  separate 
parts  of  the  same  building,  and  little  children  should  not  be  with  older  ones. 
Careful  classification  is  important. 

V.  The  consequence  of  not  providing  for  feeble-minded  children  in  our 
sch.ools  so  as  to  enable  them  to  do  something  to  earn  their  living  imder  the 
permanent  supervision  of  the  government,  is  that  we  are  compelled  to  care 
for  them  later  on,  when  it  is  not  only  too  late  to  train  them  in  industrial 
pursuits,  but  when  they  are  in  some  cases,  criminal,  in  some  cases  vicious, 
in  many  cases  fallen  and  the  parents  of  feeble-minded  children,  and  in 
nearly  all  cases  unhappy  and  useless,  a  burden,  a  danger,  and  a  great  expense 
to'.the  Province. 

VI.  Custodial  care  is  urgently  required  for  the  class  so  often  brought 
to  the  attention  of  the  Government  by  the  National  Council  of  Women  and 
others,  namely,  those  feeble-minded  girls  and  women  who  are  so  frequently 
found  in  Homes,  Refuges,  County  Poor  Houses,  Maternity  Hospitals,  etc. 
Dr.  Lamont,  one  of  the  medical  officers  for  the  City  of  London  of  the  Local 
Government  Board,  informs  me  that  such  women  and  girls  frequently  come 
under  his  notice  and  that  they  are  committed  by  him  to  the  asylums,  under 
section  24  of  the  Lunacy  Act  of  1890.  In  giving  evidence  before  the  Royal 
Commission  this  mode  of  proceedure  was  favorably  commented  on,  amd 
there  can  be  no  doubt  of  the  wisdom  of  making  the  best  use  we  can  of  all 
existing  Institutions  until  we  have  a  separate  Institution  where  the  custodial 
care  of  such  feeble-minded  persons  may  be  secured  in  such  a  way  as  to  utilize 
their  undoubted  capacity  for  doing  good  work  of  many  different  kinds,  thus 
partly  or  wholly  maintaining  themselves.  Laundry  work,  dairy  work,  work 
in  gardens  and  conservatories,  the  work  of  the  Institution  itself,  sewing  in 
all  its  branches,  lace  making,  weaving,  basket-making,  and  many  other 
occupations  are  suited  to  them  and  are  carried  on  in  such  Institutions  all  over 
the  world. 

VII.  But,  for  two  reasons,  to  provide  for  such  feeble-minded  girls  and 
women  alone  is  not  a  satisfactory  solution  of  the  problem.  First,  no  pro- 
vision is  made  for  feeble-minded  men  and  boys.  It  appears  to  be  generally 
agreed  that  the  number  of  feeble-minded  boys  born  is  larger  than  the  num- 
ber of  feeble-minded  girls  born.  Second,  by  the  policy  of  doing  nothing  till 
these  girls  and  women  become  inmates  of  some  Institution,  (and  that  means 


1907  FEEBLE-MINDED   IN    ONTARIO.  31 


in  most  cases  till  they  are  mothers),  we  have  lost  the  chance  of  training 
them  to  lead  happy,  useful  and  honest  lives,  paying  all  or  part  of  the  cost  of 
their  maintenance.  Besides,  we  have  then  to  deal  with  their  children,  who 
should  never  have  been  born,  and  we  thus  instead  of  solving  the  problem, 
pass  it  on,  in  a  still  worse  and  more  insoluble  form,  to  the  next  generation. 
This  is  a  waste  of  money'  and  of  more  than  money. 

VIII.  It  is  always  to  be  remembered,  in  discussing  this  problem,  that 
in  providing  for  the  care  of  the  feeble-minded  the  government  and  the  people 
are  not  taking  up  a  new  burden.  We  pay  the  cost  of  the  maintenance  of  the 
feeble-minded  now,  and  we  pay  it  all,  instead  of  the  feeble-minded  them- 
selves, (who  are  in  many  cases  good  workers  if  they  are  taken  hold  of  and 
trained  in  early  youth),  paying  their  own  way,  partly  or  wholly,  by  working 
under  supervision. 

The  jails,  the  Mercer  Reformatory,  the'  hospitals,  the  rescue  homes,  the 
refuges,  the  county  poor  houses,  all  of  which  Institutions  are  supported 
now  by  the  government  or  get  large  government  grants,  have  a  number  of 
feeble-minded  persons  as  inmates.  At  least  two-thirds  of  the  inmates  of 
the  Industrial  Refuge  at  Toronto  are  feeble-minded,  and  about  the  same  pro- 
portion is  to  be  found  in  the  Mercer  Reformatory,  and  there  are  none  of  the 
county  houses  of  refuge  that  have  not  a  considerable  number  of  feeble- 
minded persons   among  their  inmates. 

APPROXIMATE  ESTIMATE  OF  THE  ANNUAL  COST  OF  CARING 
FOR  THE  FEEBLE-MINDED  IN  ONTARIO. 

Total  Annual  Cost  $50,000  00 

I.  The  People  of  the  Province  of  Ontario  pay  every  Year  : 

For  the  206  feeble-minded  persons  cared  for  in  charitable 

Institutions    $23,308  90 

For  the  feeble-minded  persons  cared  for  in  countv  houses 

of  refuge    20.000  00 

II.  The  People  of  the  Province  of  Ontario  have  Paid  : 

For  37  feeble-minded  persons  confined  in  jails.  $203.50, 
(either  in  1906-7  or  immediately  previous  thereto)  or 
per  annum  approximately    101    , -rt 

For  123  feeble-minded  women  in  the  Andrew  Mercer  Re- 
fuge, $32,711.86,  Muring  the  last  6  years  and  including 
previous  sentences  in  a  few  cases)  or  per  annum  ap- 
proximately      5,000  00 

ITT.  The  People  of  Ontario  wtll  pay  : 

For  20  feeble-minded  children  sent  to  Orillia  A.svlum, 
$13,713.60.  (Calculated  on  a  basis  of  eiffht  years'  resi- 
dence for  each  inmate). 

Tor  annum  approximately   1,714    ,0 

T  have  the  linn  or  <<>  he, 

Sir. 
Your  obedient  servant. 
January  31st,  1908. 

HFr.KT  M  v  M'  ri  my 


Feeble-minded  woman  ;  inmate  of  a  maternity  hospital. 


Neglected  feeble-mimlcl  girl  and  offspring. 


/ 


Third  Report 


>i  the 


Feeble  Minded  in  Ontario 


1 908. 


BY 

Dr.  HELEN  MacMURCHY 

TORONTO 


PRINTED  BY  ORDER  OF 

THE  LEGISLATIVE  ASSEMBLY  OF  ONTARIO 


TORONTO : 
Priced  and  Published  by  L.  K.  CAMERON,  Printer  to  the  King'.  Most  Excellent  Maje*ty 

1909. 


WARWICK  BROS'  &  RUTTER,  Limited,  Printers. 
TORONTO. 


ia  f.m. 


THIRD  REPORT 

OF  THE 


Feeble  Minded  in  Ontario 

1 908. 


To  the  Honourable,  W.  J.  Hanna, 
Provincial  Secretary. 

Sir,  —I  have  the  honour  to  present  a  third  report,  dealing  with  the 
present  condition  of  the  feeble-minded  in  this  country,  and  also  giving 
some  information  as  to  methods  adopted  for  the  care  and  control  of  the 
feeble-minded  in  other  countries,  especially  in  the  United  States  of  America 
and  in  Great  Britain,  including  some  reference  to  the  recently  published 
report   of  the  Royal   Commission  in   Great   Britain. 

There  is  an  increase  of  public  interest  in  the  matter  in  this  province, 
as  is  evidenced  by  frequent  reference  to  it  in  the  Press,  in  public  meetings 
and  in  private  conversation.  I  have  had  a  greater  number  of  applications 
this  year  for  investigation,  advice  and  assistance  in  dealing  with  the  feeble- 
minded and  have  been  obliged  to  devote  a  good  deal  more  time  to  this  work. 

The  Inspectors'  section  of  the  Ontario  Educational  Association  had 
an  earnest  discussion  on  the  problem  of  the  feeble-minded  at  their  annual 
meeting  in  1908,  and  I  have  repeatedly  been  asked  to  visit  schools  and  homes 
for  the  purpose  of  confidentially  advising  and  assisting  teachers  and  parents, 
who  had   mentallv  defective   children   in  their  classes  or  families. 


NOVA  SCOTIA. 

The  Nova  Scotia  League  for  the  Protection  of  the  Feeble-Minded. 

A  good  deal  of  interest  in  the  welfare  of  the  feeble-minded  was  aroused 
in  the  other  provinces  of  Canada  in  the  year  1908,  especially  in  British 
Columbia  and  Nova  Scotia.  On  June  3rd,  1908,  a  meeting  was  held  in 
Halifax,  Nova  Scotia,  for  the  purpose  of  taking  action  in  the  matter.  The 
meeting  was  largely  attended  and  it  was  determined  to  form  at  once  The 
Nova  Scotia  League  for  the  Protection  of  the  Feeble-minded,  with  the  ulti- 
mate object  of  establishing  an  institution  expressly  and  solely  for  the  recep- 
tion, the  training  and  the  protection  of  what  is  the  most  pitiable  class  in 
the  world.  In  the  absence  of  His  Honour,  Lieutenant-Governor  Fraser,  who 
was  obliged  to  be  out  of  town,  but  sent  a  letter  expressing  his  hearty  sym- 
pathy with  the  movement  and  pledging  his  support,  the  chair  was  taken  by 
His  Grace  Archbishop  McCarthy.  A  large  and  interested  audience  attended 
the  meeting,  among  whom  were  a  number  of  clergymen,  physicians,  lawyers, 
and  other  representative  citizens.  Several  officials  were  also  present,  includ- 
ing Dr.    Sinclair,   Inspector    of  Humane    and    Penal     Institutions    for   the 

[8] 


REPORT  OF  THE  No.    58 


Province,  and  Dr.  Fraser,  Superintendent  of  the  School  for  the  Blind. 
The  Halifax  Local  Council  of  Women,  who  have  greatly  aided  the  move- 
ment, were  also  well  represented. 

His  Grace  gave  earnest,  convincing  expression  to  his  own  sense  of  the 
crying  need  for  an  institution  purely  for  the  feeble-minded.  He  proposed, 
he  said,  to  speak  plainly — it  was  a  matter  in  which  the  hideous  facts  within 
his  own  knowledge  required  the  plainest  possible  speech,  if  the  public  of 
Halifax  and  of  the  province  at  large  are  to  be  placed  in  a  position  to  under- 
stand just  what  is  going  on  and  why  public  interest  should  be  aroused. 

His  Grace  characterized  work  in  behalf  of  the  feeble-minded  as  the 
most  charitable  work  in  the  world  in  his  opinion.  Xone,  said  he,  could  be 
more  blessed  of  God. 

He  was  in  a  position  to  state  that  at  the  present  time  a  state  of  affair- 
prevails  calculated  to  shock  any  mind  in  which  there  remains  a  recognition 
of  the  dignity  of  our  humanity.  There  were,  he  said,  not  a  score,  nor  a 
hundred,  but  over  a  thousand  feeble-minded  persons  in  the  province.  Not 
only  so,  but  feeble-minded  children  were  enrolled  in  every  public  school 
in  Halifax. 

The  fact  that  feeble-minded  girls  are,  invariably,  an  easy  prey  for 
bad  men,  supplied  a  problem  of  enormous  seriousness.  He  would  cite  one 
case.  A  woman  living  in  one  of  the  Xova  Scotia  towns  had  come  in  grief 
and  horror  to  him  to  say  that  her  daughter,  feeble-minded  and  27  years  old, 
was  about  to  become  a  mother  and  that  the  father  of  this  girl  was  the  father 
of  her  child. 

Proceeding  he  sought  to  show  how  the  ranks  of  criminals  are  largely, 
as  shown  by  statistics,  recruited  from  feeble-minded  youth,  and  concluded 
with  a  re-iteration  of  the  statement  with  which  he  opened  his  address,  that 
his  deepest  interest  was  in  this  movement,  for  which  he  wished  truly  "God 
speed." 

It  was  then  moved  by  Br.  Fraser,  and  seconded  by  Dr.  Frank  "Wood- 
bury;— 

Whereas,  in  the  public  interest  it  is  necessary  and  expedient  that  active 
measures  be  taken  for  the  training  and  care  of  feeble-minded  persons  in  the 
Province  of  Xova  Scotia ; 

Therefore  resolved,  that  we  hereby  form  ourselves  into  an  association 
to  be  known  as  the  Xova  Scotia  League  for  the  Protection  of  the  Feeble- 
minded."— Carried   unanimously. 

Dr.  Fraser,  in  its  support,  gave  a  truly  masterly  presentment  of  the 
present  condition  of  affairs  in  the  Province — a  condition  which,  said  he, 
"furnishes  a  real  menace  alike  to  the  physical  and  moral  status  of  our 
people."  There  are  now,  said  he,  to  point  his  assertion  that  the  state  is 
paying  the  penalty  in  heavy  burdens,  in  the  poor  house  in  Colchester,  as  the 
result  of  the  unprotected  state  of  one  feeble-minded  woman  alone,  five  little 
children,  the  oldest  not  yet  eight,  and  all  feeble-minded. 

In  seconding  the  resolution,  Dr.  Frank  Woodbury  cited  facts  which  had 
come  to  his  knowledge  as  one  of  the  medical  inspectors  for  the  Public 
Schools,  to  show  the  need  for  protection  of  the  feeble-minded  and  their 
care  and  training  in  some  institution  exclusively  for  them.  He  was  heard 
attentively  as  he  set  forth  the  aspect  of  the  problem  from  the  standpoint  of  a 
medical  man. 

The  resolution  was  enthusiastically  passed,  as  was  also  a  second  one  to 
the  following  effect :  — 

"Piesolved,  that  an  executive  committee,  composed  of  twelve  members, 
be  appointed  to  further  the  objects  of  this  league,   and  to  take  such  steps 


1909  FEEBLE   MINDED   IN   ONTARIO. 


as  they  may  think  best  to  bring  before  the  Provincial  Government,  the  Legis- 
lature, the  Municipal  Councils,  and  the  public  in  general,  the  need  for  the 
training  and  care  of  feeble-minded  persons." 

This  was  moved  by  the  very  Rev.  the  Dean,  who,  in  referring  to  the 
need,  expressed  the  opinion  with  genuine  earnestness  that  not  "usefulness 
to  the  state,"  but  the  higher  ground  of  our  duty  to  those  who  are  at  our 
mercy — the  charitable  motive  should  be  ours.  The  present  age,  said  he, 
was,  he  feared,  actuated  by  too  commercial  a  spirit.  There  could  be  no 
nobler,  more  essentially  Christian  work  than  protection  of  the  weak. 
(Applause.) 

The  resolution  was  seconded  by  the  Rev.  J.  W.  Aikens  and  carried 
unanimously. 

The  following  executive  committee  was  then  appointed,  every  member 
having  intimated  a  willingness  to  serve: — Charles  Archibald,  Joseph  A. 
Chisholm,  Mrs.  William  Dennis,  C.  F.  Fraser,  F.  B.  McCurdy,  Dr.  E.  Mc- 
Kay, Mrs.  Geoffrey  Morrow,  Mrs.  O'Mullin,  Dr.  Rankin,  Dr.  Eliza  Ritchie, 
F.  Woodbury,  M.D.,  Mrs.  F.  Wood. 

All  those  present  registered  as  charter  members  of  the  league. 

ONTARIO. 

Institutions  Caring  for  the  Feeble-Minded. 

Two  institutions  in  Toronto  have  distinguished  themselves,  not  only 
by  receiving  feeble-minded  inmates  (no  charitable  institution  and  no  correc- 
tive institution  in  the  province  can  well  refrain  from  doing  that)  but  by 
the  success  with  which  they  have  dealt  with  them,  and  the  skill  and  kindness 
which  the  superintendent  and  staff  have  shown  in  placing  them,  teaching 
them,  and  making  them  happy  and  contented,  and  developing  their  small 
powers.  The  first  of  these  is  the  Industrial  Refuge,  on  Belmont  St.,  which, 
in  consideration  of  this  work,  received  a  special  grant  from  the  Govern- 
ment. Additional  accommodation  has  been  provided  to  enable  feeble- 
minded inmates  to  be  received,  and  the  grounds  have  been  rendered  private 
and  safe  for  the  use  of  the  inmates  by  a  brick  wall.  There  are  in  the  Indus- 
trial Refuge  between  50  and  60  feeble-minded  women  among  the  <)7  inmates 
(and  only  six  more  can  possibly  be  received,  though  far  more  than  that  are 
awaiting  admission),  including  a  lnrge  number  of  special  cases  which  have 
been  gradually  transferred  here.  Most  of  these  are  of  such  a  character  that 
not  more  than  one  or  two  of  them  could  be  placed  in  the  institution  in  any 
one  week.  Time  has  to  be  allowed  to  enable  such  material  to  be  assimilated 
as  it  were.  The  improvement  made  by  a  few  months,  or  even  weeks,  in  such 
an  institution  as  this  is  marvelous.  One  woman,  who  had  been  a  most  diffi- 
i-ult  case  and  who  had  been  cared  for  during  a  series  of  years  by  the  House 
of  Industry,  the  Children's  Aid  Society,  and  other  benevolent  agencie 
well  as  by  many  citizens  from  whom  she  begged,  was  at  last  induced  to 
enter  the  Refuge.  She  never  had  worked,  as  far  as  I  know.  Her  children 
were  the  picture  of  neglect.  Her  person  was  untidy  and  dirty  beyond 
description.  Her  mentality  (if  it  can  be  so  called)  was  of  such  a  low  grade 
that  she  could  not  understand  any  attempl  at  reasoning  or  remonstrance, 
however  simple.  She  had  no  idea  of  industry,  and  on  entering  loudly  pro- 
claimed her  intention  of  leaving  shortly  and  abused  everyone  who  had  had 
anything  to  do  with  bringing  her  there.  She  was  taken  to  the  laundry 
after  being  made  more  fit  to  be  seen  than  she  had  been  in  years.  Everyone 
in  the  place  was  at  work.     One  of  the  girls  made  room  for  her.     She  set  to 


REPORT  OF  THE  No.   58 


work  and  has  quietly  continued  to  attend  to  her  laundry  work  and  takes 
her  place  among  the  others,   apparently  quite  contented. 

On  Christmas  Eve,  I  went  to  visit  the  inmates  recently  placed  here. 
The  improvement  in  appearance  and  manner  was  remarkable,  but  most  of  all 
I  was  impressed  by  the  look  of  contentment  and  happiness  which  now  char- 
acterized them  in  contrast  to  their  former  apearance.  That  was  the  greatest 
change.     The  first  to  come  into  the  room  with  an  eager  and  interested  look 

on  her  face  was  a  girl  who  had  been  the  despair  of  the  Home. 

Placed  in  half  a  dozen  situations  she  had  been  promptly  sent  back  as  useless 

every  time.     Her  bad  habits  rendered  her  presence  in  the Home 

intolerable  and  she  herself  had  a  sullen,  moody  face  and  forbidding  manner 
when  I  saw  her  first.  Now,  with  her  black  hair  prettily  done  and  her  black 
eyes  shining,  neatly  dressed,  with  a  clean  apron  on,  she  did  not  look  like 
the  same  girl. 

E.P.  followed  her  closely  and  put  her  arm  around  my  waist  on  sight. 
A  year  ago  poor  E.P.  was  on  the  downward  path — no  use  to  herself 
got  her  into  the  house.    Now  she  is  one  of  the  best  girls. 

A. A.  followed  third,  a  red-haired  Scotch  girl,  who  got  good  wages  at  a 
factory  down  town  and  earned  enough  money  to  keep  herself  well.  There  was 
no  trouble  about  earning  the  money,  but  she  had  no  sense  about  spending 
it  or  about  anything  else,  and  was  found  by  the  police  at  2  a.m.  wander- 
ing through  the  streets.  She  told  a  long  romance  in  which  there  was 
not  one  word  of  truth,  was  taken  in  charge  by  her  friends,  ran  away, 
was  again  found  by  the  police  in  bad  company  and  finally  placed  here. 
A. A.  has  been  a  really  good  girl  for  the  past  six  months  and  showed  me  with 
pride  some  beautiful  drawn  work  which  she  does  after  hours  and  is  allowed 
to  sell  and  keep  the  money  for  herself.  All  these  cases  are  markedly  feeble- 
minded and  there  are  many  others  in  the  Refuge,  but  I  will  mention  only  one 
more. 

Mrs.  A. P.  This  woman  has  been  married  about  four  years  and  she 
has  one  child,  L.P.,  about  3  years  old.  She  is  very  feeble-minded  as  almost 
any  one  could  tell  by  looking  at  her.  Her  husband,  A. P.  is  also  very 
feeble-minded.  Everything  was  done  to  prevent  the  marriage,  both  by  his 
family  and  by  hers.  But  they  persisted,  and  went  to  three  different  clergy- 
men. The  first  refused  to  marry  them  on  sight,  so  did  the  second.  Finally 
the  third  married  them.  Their  means  of  support  consisted  of  one  dollar 
per  week,  which  the  man  earned  by  washing  dishes  most  of  the  day  in  a 
restaurant.  He  soon  lost  this  position  and  went  back  home  to  reside  with 
his  family,  leaving  his  wife  and  child  to  go  to  the  Haven,  at  which  place 
they  arrived  in  extreme  destitution  and  dirt.  Taken  in,  cleaned,  cared  for, 
they  stayed  there  a  few  weeks,  then  the  husband  turned  up  again,  announced 
that  he  had  got  a  room,  and  they  all  went  off  together.  History,  as  usual, 
repeated  itself.  The  wife  and  child  again  appeared  at  the  Haven  as  before, 
but  at  this  point  in  the  cycle  I  was  notified  by  the  authorities  and  informed 
that  the  woman  was  again  likely  to  be  a  patient  at  some  maternity  hospital. 
The  year  old  child  was  ill  and  was  removed  to  the  Children's  Hospital. 
The  mother  was  told  by  me  that  she  could  not  remain  at  the  Haven,  but  that 
I  would  try  to  get  her  in  somewhere  else.  She  agreed  to  go  to  the  Refuge, 
where  she  has  worked  very  fairly,  and  on  Christmas  Eve  she  looked  clean, 
respectable  and  fairly  contented.  She  asked  about  her  child,  for  whom 
I  had  with  great  difficulty  secured  admission  to  the  Girl's  Home,  and  taking 
a  little  string  of  beads  from  round  her  own  neck  she  bade  me  give  it  to  her 
child.  The  child  has  improved  a  good  deal  in  the  Children's  Hospital  and 
Girl's  Home.     She  can  both  walk  and  talk,  but  already  shows  signs  of  being 


1909  FEEBLE   MINDED   IN   ONTARIO. 


mentally  defective,  and  for  that  reason  the  authorities  at  the  Girls'  Home 
have  refused  to  keep  her.  Where  can  I  put  her?  There  is  nowhere  for  her 
to  go. 

These  are  only  four  ca^es — I  might  go  on  and  describe  forty  in  the  same 
institution. 

Another  institution  which  is  doing  a  great  and  good  work  for  the  feeble- 
minded is  the  Haven  on  Seaton  street.  It  only  goes  to  show  what  we  could 
do  if  we  had  an  institution  specially  devoted  to  the  care  of  such  cases,  when 
the  interest  and  help  of  a  superintendent  and  staff,  (already  overburdened 
with  work),  cheerfully  given  in  their  spare  time,  has  achieved  such  good 
results  so  soon.  Besides,  the  superintendent  and  staff  had  to  deal  with 
defective  material  spoiled  further  by  wrong  treatment,  most  of  them 
either  criminal  or  prostitute  or  both,  at  the  age  of  20,  30,  40  or  more.  What 
could  we  do  if  we  had  them  when  they  were  children,  somewhere  between  3 
and  13?  These  remarks  may  be  best  illustrated  by  a  few  notes  on  some  of 
the  cases  at  present  in  the  Haven,  for  which  I  am  indebted  to  the  superin- 
tendent. 

E.H.,  34  years.  Came  as  maternity  case.  Child  adopted.  Feeble- 
minded and  fierce  tempered.  Will  try  to  injure  anyone  vexing  her.  Is 
improving — violent  fits  much  less  frequent.  Works  well  in  house  work. 
Passionately  fond  of  flowers. 

A.S.,  31  years.  Came  from  North  Ontario  to  be  cared  for.  Very  weak 
minded.  Is  gentle.  Improving  in  mechanical  work — irons  well.  Learning 
to  sew  well — but  could  never  put  the  simplest  garment  together  without 
repeated  guidance.  Is  generally  amenable  and  gentle.  Occasional  fits  of 
temper. 

A.L.,  37  years.  Feeble-minded  and  vastly  immoral  before  being 
restrained.  Bestial.  Seems  to  have  forgotten  such  tendencies.  Works  well 
but  at  simplest  tasks.  Find  it  necessary  to  keep  her  constantly  employed. 
Has  no  mentality,  but  is  improving  mechanically. 

I.E.,  21  years.  Half  witted.  Homeless  and  being  dragged  into  immoral 
life.  When  admitted  five  years  ago  nursed  her  doll,  sucked  her  thumb  and 
wept  all  her  time.  Now,  can  do  housework  well,  also  mangling  and  iron- 
ing. Tends  fire.  Has  learned  to  sew  very  neatly  and  is  learning  to  read 
and  write.  Putting  forth  great  efforts.  Is  committing  passages  of  Scripture 
to  memory  and  learned  many  hymns.  Is  bright  and  happy.  No  time  for 
tempers.  Takes  immense  pleasure  in  her  own  progress.  Needs  continual 
direction. 

A.L.,  20  years.  Weak  minded.  In  talking  repeats  herself  over  and 
over  again  indefinitely.  Good  mechanical  worker.  Has  learned  to  sew 
neatly.  Is  learning  to  write,  but  doubt  if  she  will  ever  read,  (initio  and 
willing.     Cannot  work  alone. 

R.G.,  21  years.  Weak-minded  and  unable  to  care  for  herself.  Works 
well  after  much  training.  Is  willing  and  anxious  to  do  well.  Has  learned 
to  sew  well.  Could  read  and  write  a  little  when  admitted  is  improving 
rapidly  and  most  anxious  to  learn.     Slow  at  arithmetic   but  making  greal 

mental  effort,  and  taking  pleasure  in  it.     N 1-  continual  direction   in   all 

work. 

M.C.,  50  years.  Weak-minded.  In  talking  runs  on  with  continual 
repetition  after  fashion  of  "House  that  Jack  built."  Draws  largely  on 
imagination.  Has  improved  greatly.  Answers  door  in  fairly  decent  manner. 
Sews  well  and  neatly.  Takes  the  most  devoted  rare  of  an  old  woman  who 
is  her  charge.  Has  wonderful  "bump  of  locality"— and  will  find  any  b 
in  any  direction.     Is  now  learning  to  read  and   write     expending  imm< 


REPORT  OF  THE  No.   58 


effort.     Will  take  her  book  (First  Reader)  off  alone  and  «on  over  spelling, 
etc.,  by  the  hour. 

Mrs.  C.  C,  28  years.  Feeble-minded  and  epileptic.  Husband  in 
asylum  and  two  children  adopted.  Sweet-natured  and  pure-minded — no 
memory.  Send  her  to  close  door,  etc.,  and  she  would  go  to  place  and  forget 
what  she  was  sent  for.  Often  eats  a  meal  and  forgets  and  would  commence 
over  again  if  not  watched.  Has  improved  greatly  in  2h  years.  Irons  fairly. 
Does  dish-washing  and  cleaning  well,  if  directed  every  five  minutes  or 
oftener.  Sews  beautifully  and  is  learning  to  read  and  write  nicely.  Has 
not  had  a  fit  for  over  a  year — though  they  were  formerly  very  frequent. 
Fragile   health. 

A.B.,  30  years.  Weak-minded  and  immoral.  Very  nervous— fierce 
irritable  temper.  Manageable  by  kindness  and  appealing  to  reason  while 
under  control.  Very  neat  worker.  Improving,  although  very  nervous 
about  working  before  others  and  abnormally  sensitive  about  being  under 
observation. 

L.D.,  21  years.  Weak-minded  and  unable  to  take  care  of  herself. 
Believes  herself  to  have  every  ailment  she  hears  of.  Posed  as  a  maternity 
case,  and  was  found  to  be  wearing  a  blanket  tied  under  her  clothing. 
Quarreled  with  everyone  when  she  first  came  2  years  ago.  Has  improved 
lately  greatly.  Says  she  is  determined  to  be  a  credit  to  Superintendent. 
Does  cleaning  beautifully.  Sews  beautifully  and  has  also  learned  to  read 
and  write  fairly. 

E.H.,  25  years.  Subject  to  lapses.  Does  beautifully  and  works  with 
good  understanding  and  mental  grasp  for  sometimes  months — then  slips 
back  in  every  way  for  a  time.  Is  influenced  by  every  breeze.  Is  improving 
greatly  and  making  strong  mental  effort,  especially  in  studies.  Does  well 
whatever  she  undertakes.  Is  also  making  moral  effort.  Has  violent  uncon- 
trollable temper — which  has  only  shown  itself  once  for  a  few  minutes  during 
the  past  year.     Intensely  fond  of  children. 

M.B.,  26  years.  (Looks  much  older).  Extremely  feeble-minded.  Was 
cared  for,  washed  and  dressed,  etc.,  all  her  life,  although  liking  outdoor 
work.  Childish  in  likes  and  dislikes.  "Would  follow  one  round  like  a  dog 
and  without  so  much  apparent  intelligence  as  one  a  year  ago.  Has  bright- 
ened wonderfully.  Hangs  out  clothes  and  helps  in  wash  room.  Dresses 
herself  neatly  daily,  although  still  having  to  be  bathed  and  changed.  Is 
learning  to  read  and  write  quite  nicely  and  intelligently.  Is  gentle  and 
happy. 

C.G.,  42  years.  English.  Eight  years  in  Canada  and  city.  Father 
a  respectable  and  fairly  well-to-do  biisiness  man — left  each  child  some  little 
sum  of  money.  G.  married  and  had  one  child — came  to  this  country.  In 
about  three  months  husband  went  to  United  States  to  better  himself, 
incidentally  taking  her  money.  Only  heard  from  him  once.  Managed  to 
get  along  with  civic  help  for  about  year,  when  her  child,  a  lovely  little 
boy,  died.  Since  then  she  has  drifted  and  gone  downward.  Had  several 
situations  found  for  her  but  has  been  incapable  of  sustained  effort.  Has 
done  more  at  rag  picking  than  any  other  form  of  employment.  Has  a  great 
fondness  for  bright  colours — used  to  deck  herself — hair  and  neck  and  waist — 
with  bits  of  ribbon,  or  indeed  of  any  bright  coloured  rag  she  could  find — 
pinning  them  on  to  hang  like  streamers,  so  that  she  is  better  known  in  "The 
Ward"  by  the  name  of  "Ribbons"  than  by  her  own  title.  Has  rather  a 
wandering  nature  anl  has  drifted  into  immorality  more  from  the  necessities 
of  the  case  than  from  depravity.  Is  gentle  and  affectionate  and  in  a 
sheltered  home  might  have  passed  muster — but  was  simply  incapable  of 
facing  and  dealing  with  the  tragedies  of  her  life. 


1909  FEEBLE   MINDED   IN   ONTARIO. 


W.P.,  27  years.  Respectable  family.  Is  of  a  quiet,  gentle  disposition, 
amenable  to  authority  and  kindly — but  seemingly  incapable  of  taking  care  of 
herself.  Has  had  two  children  within  three  years.  The  first  died — seems 
very  fond  of  the  second.  Gets  into  trouble  when  she  is  away  from  her 
relatives  in  situation.  Seems  to  have  seasons  of  wilfulness.  Is  easily  trained 
industrially. 

H.T.,  25  years.  Weak-minded  and  of  decidedly  immoral  tendencies. 
Has  had  three  children,  two  of  whom  disappeared  mysteriously.  Is  very, 
fond  of  the  third.  Is  always  trying  to  be  observed — jumping  and  scream- 
ing upon  the  street,  etc.  Is  rather  untidy  in  her  ways.  Has  learned  to 
do  general  housework  fairly,  when  she  likes.  Has  learned  to  sew  beautifully 
Is  somewhat  careless  in  her  studies.  Often  makes  rather  bright  remarks. 
Certain  tendencies  and  tricks  of  manner,  noticeable  in  both  mother  and 
grandmother,  are  strongly  marked  in  her.  Absolutely  unable  to  protect 
herself. 

S.M.,  says  she  is  26,  looks  46.  Feeble-minded.  Cannot  find  out  any- 
thing of  her  family  or  past  life.  Wandered  in  here  to  look  for  a  home. 
Laughs  aloud  at  her  own  thoughts  often.  Is  gentle  and  inoffensive.  Untidy 
in  her  work  and  has  to  be  told  the  same  thing  over  every  five  minutes.  Makes 
no  friends  and  goes  off  by  herself  at  every  chance. 

M.W.,  21.  Feeble-minded.  Is  a  great  sufferer.  Has  been  here  a  year. 
Is  improved  greatly,  although  it  is  impossible  to  give  her  much  training, 
on  account  of  physical  sufferings.  Loves  to  care  for  babies  and  always  Las 
one  or  two  on  her  bed.  Very  sensitive  to  kindness,  but  also  needs  bracing. 
Is  wonderfully  patient  and  grateful. 

P.K.,  27.  Maternity  case,  second  child.  Has  been  washed  and  dressed  by 
her  mother  all  her  life.  Feeble-minded.  Physically  strong.  Very  kind- 
hearted  and  seems  willing.  Cannot  tell  her  own  name.  Think  she  is  rap- 
able  of  training  with  time. 

M.H.,  24.  Morally  weak.  Has  had  4  illegitimate  children.  Somewhat 
stupid  and  very  deaf,  which  retards  improvement .  Good  worker  at  general 
housework.  Bright  enough  in  some  ways.  Draws  upon  imagination.  Is 
easily  guided  by  kindness  when  under  control.  Think  she  is  capable  of 
great  improvement   under  restraint. 

All  these  cases,  without  exception,  are  very  fond  of  music,  and  many 
of  them  sing  well.  They  are,  also,  all  fond  of,  and  mostly  very  kind  to 
children.  They  take  great  delight  in  learning  new  tilings  in  bright  colours 
and  in  flowers.  These  are  all  taking  great  interest  in  committing  to  memory 
passages  of  .Scripture.  Most  of  them  are  rather  quarrelsome,  though  capable 
of  conquering  this  and  controlling  themselves  to  a  certain  extent.  Most  ol 
them  have  no  regard  for  truth  and  draw  upon  the  imagination  at  every 
point  without  seeming  to  know  that  they  arc  doing  so. 

The  value  of  the  custodial  care  given  to  these  cases  by  the  Haven  is 
very  great.  These  poor  women  live  here  fairly  industrious,  decent  and 
happy  lives,  instead  of  being  a  menace  to  society,  and  by  this  means  the 
continued  increase  of  the  weak-minded  and  imbecile  is  restricted.  Not 
only  are  they  given  home  and  food  and  shelter  from  the  horrible  pitfalls 
set  for  these  poor  maimed  ones,  but  they  are  also  being  trained  tq  take  their 
share  in  the  world's  work,  and  a  greater  degree  of  intelligence  is  being 
developed  in  them  by  means  of  the  training  given  in  industrial  departments, 
and  also  in  the  various  classes  established  for  their  mental  and  moral  devel- 
opment. This  year  a  sewing  class  was  begun  tor  them,  which  is  largely 
attended  and  very  popular,  being  looked  forward  to  as  to  a  weekly  treat. 
In  this  class  the  girls  are  taught  to  mend  their  own  clothing,  and  that  done, 


10  REPORT  OF  THE  No.  58 


to  make  garments,  and  as  a  sugar  coating  to  the  pill,  are  then  given  a  little 
simple  fancy  work. 

On  Saturday  evenings  they  have  a  choral  class,  also  greatly  enjoyed. 

Another  effort  along  educational  lines  is  the  commencement  of  evening 
classes,  where  these  poor  untrained  minds  are  taught  Reading,  Writing 
and  Arithmetic. 

Education  of  Feeble-Minded  Children. 

The  modern  State  has  undertaken  in  some  sense  the  education  of  the 
child;  not  of  the  whole  child,  for  we  still  recognize  that  much  of  the  best 
education  can  only  be  given  in  the  home.  The  evolution  of  State  systems 
of  education  has  proceeded  on  several  convenient  and  partially  proved 
theories,  such  as,  for  example,  the  existence  of  the  average  child.  The 
teacher  knows  that  there  is  no  such  thing  as  an  average  child.  The  average 
child  this  week  may  be  above  the  average,  next  week.  Moreover^  the  child 
far  below  the  average  in  history  may  be  far  above  the  average  in  algebra. 
Great  actual  and  potential  differences  will  be  found,  whether  you  consider 
home  conditions  and  training,  industry,  health,  staying  power,  ambition, 
personality,  mental  accuracy,  grasp,  acuteness,  or  promise  or  power  of 
improvement.  Mentally  defective  children  learn  more  and  learn  it  better 
with  the  hand  than  with  the  mind.  The  three  R's  do  not  possess  the  same 
value  and  significance  in  their  education  that  they  do  in  the  education  of 
normal  persons.  Reading,  writing  and  arithmetic  are  chiefly  important  as 
a  means  of  imparting  and  receiving  ideas  and  of  training  the  reasoning 
faculties.  But  the  feeble-minded  cannot  often  impart  ideas  in  writing  and 
few  of  them  can  receive  ideas  from  reading,  nor  can  we  train  reasoning 
faculties  when  there  are  no  reasoning  faculties  to  train.  Besides,  we 
remember  what  a  recent  acquisition  the  three  R's  are  in  the  history  of  the 
human  race.  The  picture  writing  of  the  Egyptians  in  its  earliest  form 
dates  back  not  more  than  6,000  years,  the  Phoenician  alphabet  took  500 
years,  from  the  10th  century  to  the  5th  century  B.C.,  to  be  developed,  and 
the  small  letters  of  our  own  alphabet  did  not  arrive  in  the  land  of  our  fathers 
until  100  A.D.  In  regard  to  arithmetic,  the  case  is  still  more  striking. 
Many  of  the  ancient  European  nations  knew  no  more  arithmetic  than  the 
Polynesians  do  to-day,  and  Strabo  records  that  the  people  of  Albania  in  his 
day  did  not  know  how  to  count  beyond  a  hundred.  It  seems  very  probable 
that  in  this,  as  in  other  matters,  the  mentally  defective  child  represents  a 
reversion  to  an  ancestral  type  of  humanity  when  on  its  way  up  to  civilization. 
Stranded  on  the  shore  of  the  sea  of  modern  life,  the  feeble-minded  show 
not  only  reversion  to  an  ancient  and  lower  type  but  also  an  inborn  incapacity 
for  making  normal  mental  gains,  whereas,  the  most  backward  and  neglected 
of  normal  children,  however  poorly  furnished  or  empty  his  mind  may  be, 
has,  as  Dr.  Donkin  says,  an  inborn  capacity  for  making  normal  mental 
gains.  A  defect  and  disproportion,  similar  to  that  found  on  the  intellectual 
side,  is  to  be  found  on  the  moral  side.  In  the  normal  individual  the  higher 
faculties,  at  least  as  a  rule,  control  the  lower  appetites  and  passions.  There 
is  some  sort  of  balance,  judgment,  moderation  and  government.  In  the 
sub-normal  individual  the  lower  animal  faculties  often  rule,  because  the 
higher  powers  are  scarcely  present. 

Theoretically,  all  pupils  of  a  given  grade  are  supposed  to  be  of  the  same 
age,  strength,  knowledge,  and  power  of  acquirement.  But  it  is  not  so. 
Out  of  1,000  Ontario  children,  you  will  find  infinite  variations  in  all  the 
respects  enumerated  above,  and  you  will  probably  find  at  least  one  who  is 


1909  FEEBLE  MINDED  IN   ONTARIO.  11 


not  able,  and  never  will  be  able,  at  any  age,  with  any  advantages  or  any 
training  or  any  other  means,  whether  supplied  by  the  state  or  by  his  own 
family,  to  compete  on  equal  terms  with  his  normal  fellows  or  to  take  care  of 
himself  and  manage  himself  and  his  affairs  with  ordinary  prudence.  Studies 
undertaken  in  certain  of  the  schools  of  Ontario  and  information  received 
from  many  parents,  inspectors,  and  teachers  interested,  as  well  as  my  own 
investigations,  have  placed  this  fact  beyond  a  peradventure.  These  children 
are  there.  I  have  seen  them.  And  they  are  feeble-minded — a  fact  that  has 
always  been  evident  to  the  teacher  and  often  to  the  parent,  before  I  saw  the 
child  at  all. 

What,  then,  are  we  to  do  with  them? 

First  of  all,  what  have  older  countries,  to  which  this  is  an  older  problem, 
done  with  them?  The  preliminary  observation  may  here  be  made  that  an 
opportunity  is  now  passing  our  door,  which  the  statesmen  and  educators  of 
older  countries  would  give  much  to  recall.  Even  in  the  neighboring  Re- 
public, a  country  but  little  older  than  our  own,  though  with  a  more  crowded 
and  more  foreign  population,  the  special  reports  of  the  census  office  show 
that  there  are  nearly  200,000  defectives  and  that  of  these  over  100,000  are 
feeble-minded,  i.e.,  in  contra  distinction  to  those  who  are  idiotic,  imbecile  or 
insane.  In  Great  Britain,  a  much  older  country  but  with  only  about  half 
the  population  of  the  United  States,  the  labors  of  the  Royal  Commission  have 
enabled  them  to  present  an  estimate  of  the  number  of  feeble-minded  as 
150,000.  So  far  as  statistics  are  available  we  have  in  Ontario  a  far  smaller 
number  and  smaller  proportion,  and  it  may  be  unhesitatingly  affirmed  that 
if  provision  were  now  made  for  feeble-minded  children,  and  for  the  care  and 
protection  of  feeble-minded  women  and  girls,  that  number  would  never 
increase  and  might  even  decrease.  Nothing  could  be  more  economical,  more 
sensible,  more  patriotic,  or  more  kind,  humane  and  Christian  than  to  do 
this.  We  pay  the  bill  now,  not  only  for  the  maintenance  of  the  feeble- 
minded and  their  children,  but  for  the  crimes  they  perpetrate  and  the  idle- 
ness and  worse  in  which  they  live.  We  put  them  into  institutions  now,  but 
at  the  wrong  time  and  in  the  wrong  place.  There  is  no  use  locking  the 
stable  door  after  the  steed  is  stolen. 

G.  P.,  aged  69,  and  Mrs.  W.,  aged  70  (see  last  report),  are  still  being 
brought  up  every  few  months  in  the  police  court  and  go  to  the  gaol  or  the 
Mercer.  They  have  spent  all  their  lives,  with  a  few  days'  interval  on  the 
street,  in  one  or  other  of  these  institutions.  They  should  have  been  placed 
in  a  home  for  the  feeble-minded  at  the  beginning  of  their  career,  and  if 
they,  and  such  as  they,  were  taken  care  of,  we  Mould  not  need  to  enlarge  our 
penal  and  charitable  institutions,  but  might  .close  .some  of  them  up.  a  con- 
summation devoutly  to  be  wished.  And  G.  P.  and  Mrs.  W.  arc  only  speci- 
mens of  a  few  hundred  others  in  Ontario.  So  that  when  we  recognize  tlm 
present  opportunity  for  wisely  dealing  with  this  problem,  one  of  the  most 
important  considerations  is  that  the  opportunity  is  a  passing  one  ami  will 
never  return.  From  the  information  now  in  the  possession  of  the  Govern* 
ment  of  Ontario,  I  am  of  opinion  that  the  feeble-minded  population  of  this 
province  increases  by  at  least  100  every  year.  It  is  some  little  comfort  to 
reflect  that  the  increase  would  have  been  appreciably  larger,  but  for  the 
efforts  the  Government  has  already  made  through  this  investigation,  through 
the  special  accommodation  provided  at  the  request  of  the  Government  in 
certain  charitable  institutions,  and  through  the  efforts  of  many  private 
individuals,  both  specially  connected  and  not  specially  connected  with  charit- 
able and  penal  work,  who  have  given  every  assistance  in  their  power  to  ihc 
efforts  made  bv  the  Provincial  Secretary  in  this  direction. 


12  REPORT  OF  THE  No.   5K 


As  the  Christian  Guardian  observes  in  commenting  on  the  second  report 
on  the  feeble-ininded  in  Ontario,  "The  Government  is  the  only  agency  by 
which  the  feeble-minded  of  Ontario  may  be  kindly  but  firmly  taken  in  hand 
and  placed  where  they  can  be  prevented  from  perpetuating  pauperism, 
idiocy  and  crime.  Does  not  every  sentiment  of  humanity  demand  that  this 
step  shall  be  taken  ? 

It  is  quite  certain  that  a  large  proportion  of  defectives  have  recently, 
or  when  they  were  children,  been  sent  out  to  this  country  from  older  lands. 
Many  of  these  cases  have  been  definitely  traced,  and  in  a  good  many  cases 
investigated.  I  find  that  the  feeble-minded  are  not  all  native-born.  But 
on  the  other  hand,  many  of  them  are  native-born. 

"The  social  misery  the  feeble-minded  cause  is  appalling,  greater  than 
that  attributable  to  any  other  class:  yet  they  remain  not  only  uncounted, 
but  largely  uncared  for." — Charities  and  the  Commons. 

And  they  are  often  unnoticed  when  they  emigrate. 

We  may  now  consider  what  has  been  done  by  other  countries  towards 
the  solution  of  the  problem  of  the  feeble-minded  child. 

It  is  accepted  as  a  principle  in  countries  where  state  education  has 
advanced  and  flourished  that  all  children  capable  of  profiting  by  instruction 
should  receive  that  instruction.  Therefore,  special  small  classes  in  large 
schools,  and  special  schools  in  great  cities  for  the  education  of  feeble- 
minded and  other  atypical  children  were  established  after  the  advent  of 
state  or  public  school  education  in  the  nineteenth  century.  The  first  coun- 
try to  establish  these  was  Germany,  where  they  are  known  as  Auxiliary 
Schools,  and  where  in  1859  the  first  Auxiliary  School  was  approved  and 
began  its  work.  The  honor  of  the  beginning  is  due  to  Herr  Haupt,  a  School 
Principal,  who,  after  a  long  and  useful  career  as  School  Superintendent  and 
Privy  Councillor,  died  in  1904.  This  was  in  Halle  in  Prussian  Saxony, 
where  there  may  still  be  seen  in  the  minutes  of  the  meeting  of  the  School 
Board,  held  on' September  28th  and  29th,  1859,  that  they  determined  "to 
form  a  special  class  for  defective  children,  now  numbering  17,  with  possibly 
two  hours  for  instruction."  One  hundred  and  eighty  cities  in  Germany  now 
follow  the  good  example  of  Halle,  and  there  are  now  under  instruction  in 
these  schools  583  classes  for  pupils  of  "weak  endowment"  with  an  enrol- 
ment of  6,623  defective  boys  and  5,300  defective  girls.  Austria,  Hungry, 
Switzerland,  Italy,  Sweden,  Norway,  Denmark,  Great  Britain,  Australia,  and 
the  United  States  of  America,  all  have  special  classes  for  mentally  defective 
children.  It  will  thus  be  seen  that  if  we  are  to  make  good  our  claim  to  being 
in  the  van  of  educational  progress,  and  of  wise  and  progressive  administra- 
tion of  Charitable  and  Penal  Institutions,  the  Province  of  Ontario  can  no 
longer  afford  to  neglect  the  problem  of  the  feeble-minded. 

It  is  against  the  advice  of  our  best  educators  that  it  has  been  neglected 
so  long.  As  with  the  nation,  so  with  the  individual  pupil,  the  opportunity 
passes  swiftly,  and  when  it  goes,  it  goes  to  return  no  more.  The  most  hope- 
ful years  of  training  with  the  feeble-minded  are  from  3  to  13.  Think  of 
the  fate  of  the  boys  and  girls,  many  of  whom  I  have  seen  and  carefully 
examined,  who  have  been  in  Ontario  schools  between  the  ages  of  6  to  14 
years.  Eight  lost,  wasted  years.  Ei^ht  years  of  dissatisfaction,  discom- 
fort, disappointment  for  some  teacher  who  had  a  feeble-minded  child  to 
handle  in  a  class  along  with  40  or  50  normal  children.  Eight  vears  of 
retardation,  handicap,  and  annoyance  for  the  39  or  49  other  pupils  in  that 
class.  Eight  years  of  misery  and  deepening  defeneration  for  the  poor  feeble- 
minded child  himself,  who  is  losing  his  last  little  chance  of  some  develop- 
ment of  his  powers,  which,  though  small  and  feeble,  are  powers  worth  men- 


1909  FEEBLE  MINDED   IN   ONTARIO.  13 


tioning  because  they  can  be  developed  and  they  can  help  to  maintain  him 
and  keep  him  safe,  contented  and  happy  in  a  suitable  environment,  (viz.,  an 
institution).  Consider  the  school  history  of  the  feeble-minded  child.  The 
conscientious  teacher  tries  to  teach  him  what  he  teaches  the  others.  Xo 
use — the  child  fails  entirely  to  comprehend  the  work,  the  teacher  fails 
entirely  to  get  the  child  to  co-operate  with  him  or  with  the  class.  Indul- 
gence, patience,  sternness,  perhaps,  alas,  harshness,  alike  fail,  but  the  poor 
child  cannot  understand  why  the  teacher  is  so  strict  with  him  and  feels 
that  his  companions  not  only  do  not  have  the  same  troubles,  but  that  they 
are  only  amused  by  his  difficulties.  The  teacher  still,  very  likely,  spends 
more  time  than  he  should  on  the  feeble-minded  child,  but  he  is  graduallv 
losing  interest  in  him,  and  there  the  poor  feeble-minded  child  sits,  as  much 
out  of  place  as  a  cinder  in  the  eye,  a  passive  and  unhappy  listener,  moping 
and  brooding  and  longing  to  stay  away  from  school.  The  time  for  promo- 
tion comes — he  cannot  go  on  with  his  class,  he  remains  for  years  in  the 
infant  class,  or  the  entry  may  be  read  in  the  school  register— "Promoted 
only  on  account  of  his  age  and  size."  The  unpromoted  pupil  is  finally 
released  from  school  but  only  to  meet  worse  troubles.  We  see  these  pupils 
in  every  Police  Court.  Here  is  a  typical  example  from  a  daily  newspaper 
in  London,  England. 

Judge  (to  a  15  year  old  bov  who  is  phvsicallv  extraordinarilv  well 
developed):  "Why  don't  you  work?"  Boy,  "I  can't."  Mother:  "He  will 
be  15  this  year  and  can  leave  school."  Judge  to  boy:  "Tn  which  class 
were  you?"  Boy:  "In  the  first."  Judge  to  boy:  "But  that  is  the  infant 
class.  Say,  my  boy,  how  many  weeks  are  there  in  a  year?"  Boy:  "I 
don't  know."  Judge:  "Did  no  one  ever  tell  you?"  Boy:  "No."  Judge: 
"How  many  days  are  there  in  a  week?"  Boy:  "I  don't  know."  Mother: 
"In  certain  lines  he  is  not  verv  talented,  but  in  others  he  is  jus!  that  much 
cleverer.  Yesterday  morning  he  took  a  shilling  out  of  his  brother's  pocket 
and  spent  two  hours  eating  and  drinking  in  the  public  house.  He  won't 
work;  he  only  wants  to  eat  and  drink." 

How  different  the  result  when  these  dregs  of  the  school,  whose  other- 
wise inevitable  doom  is  to  become  the  dregs  of  society  are  recognize!  for 
what  they  really  are  and  rescued  by  the  scientifically  trained  teacher,  and 
the  school  physician,  working  under  the  kindly  auspices  of  educational 
authorities  who  are  too  wise  and  progressive  to  neglect  and  despise  the 
feeble-minded  child.  There  is  only  one  thing  to  say  about  such  educa- 
tional authorities,  such  teachers  and  such  school  physicians — 0  si  sic 
omnes.  And  we  have  them  all  in  Canada  awaiting  the  time  when  the 
Government   and   the-  people  of  the   Province   set    then',   to   work. 

The  chemical    laboratory  and    the    scientific   chemist    have  made,    from 
by-products   of  coal  and   petroleum  once    thrown    away,    illuminating 
natural  oil,   coke   asphaltum,   aniline  dyes  of  all   the  hues  of  the   rainbow, 
benzine,    gasolene,    and    all   the    paraffins    and    coal-tar   medicinal    pro. lint- 
indispensable  to  the  modern  physician.     There  is  great  profit  in  such  appli- 
cations of  modern  chemistry  to  their  business  by  the  p  ive   caanu 
turer  and  merchant.     !t  is  good  for  business  an.!  good  for  the  country.     Tt 
would  be  still  better   toe   the  country  to  make   owl    of  life's  dregs    ind  by- 
products, out  of  the  lives  now  wasted  and  worse  than  wasted,-  -unemployed, 
unemployable,    ignorant,   untaught,   useless  and   criminal     to    make    out    oi 
these  persons  something  better,    to  develop  them   into  persons  who,   though 
not  up  to  the  normal  standard  of  humanity,  are  still  useful,  self  respe< 
well-employed,  partly   self-sustaining    and    happy,    and    this    can    only    be 
•lone  to   the  best   advantage  when    they   are    rec aized  early,    before  they 


14  REPORT  OF  THE  No.  58 


have  passed  beyond  school  age.  Three  to  thirteen  are  the  most  hopeful 
years.  It  is  really  only  justice — justice  to  feeble-minded  children  and  jus- 
tice to  the  community,  that  they  should  be  so  dealt  with.  Contrast  the 
helpless,  hopeless,  unpromoted  and  unpromotable  child  left  to  sit  uncared 
for,  with  a  child  of  no  better  mental  endowment  who  has  had  the  good 
fortune  to  be  placed  in  a  special  class.  He  and  his  companions  can  now 
notice  that  he  actually  makes  some  progress.  He  feels  that  the  teacher  is 
teaching  him.  No  one  is  angry  with  him,  no  one  scorns  him.  The  teach- 
ing is  suited  to  him,  and  into  the  hitherto  impenetrable  darkness  of  his 
mind  rays  of  light  occasionally  shine.  Time  is  needed.  Often  the  teachers 
of  special  classes  tell  us  that  after  three  months,  after  six  months,  even  after 
a  year,  a  pupil  who  seemed  quite  incapable  of  improvement  at  first  will  at 
last  wake  up  and  show  signs  of  some  possible  improvement.  One  very 
important  thing  is  to  classify  such  children  with  those  nearest  their  own 
mental  condition.  Nor  is  this  the  onlv  advantage  of  the  special  class.  The 
mental  action  of  the  normal  individual  may  be  compared  for  swiftness 
with  the  lightning  flash.  The  mental  action  of  the  sub-normal  child  may 
be  compared  for  slowness  to  a  foot's  pace.  If  a  man  passes  us  at  the  speed 
of  lightning  we  can  scarcely  distinguish  that  he  is  a  man.  If  he  passes 
us  at  a  foot's  pace  we  can  see  every  feature,  change  of  expression,  detail 
of  dress  and  appearance  and  mode  of  motion.  So  we  can  learn  more  of 
mental  action  by  studying  the  feeble-minded  child  than  by  studying  the 
normal  child.  This  is  well  brought  out  in  the  report  of  the  Board  of 
Education  (London),  pp.  35,  36',  (Hon.  Augustine  Birrell,  President  of  the 
'  Board  of  Education,   Sir  Robert  L.   Morant,   Permanent   Secretary). 

"During  the  year,  numbers  of  teachers  in  training  have  visited  special 
schools  of  various  types  throughout  the  country  for  purposes  of  study. 
There  can  be  no  doubt  of  the  service  which  the  special  school  is  able  to 
afford  to  the  student  of  education.  Just  as  the  physiologist  gains  his  closest 
insight  into  the  functions  of  the  normal  organ  from  observation  of  the 
phenomena  of  the  disordered  organ,  so  the  educationist  may  obtain  an 
intimate  knowledge  of  the  phenomena  of  the  faculties  of  speech,  memory, 
the  various  phases  of  volition,  attention,  response  and  temperament  by 
observing  the  behaviour  of  a  blind,  deaf  or  feeble-minded  child  at  school. 
In  fact  every  child  under  special  school  training  is  now  subjected  to 
psychological  investigation  every  half  year  during  his  school  career,  the 
records  for  each  pupil  being  filed  together.  In  this  way  it  is  hoped  in  the 
course  of  a  few  years  to  amass  an  amount  of  material  for  psychological 
investigation  of  real  value.  As  a  result  of  these  visits  of  research  it  is  satis- 
factory to  note  that  several  teachers  have  been  sufficiently  attracted  by  the 
work  to  take  it  up  in  lieu  of  ordinary  school  teaching  and  have  thereby 
helped  to  maintain  the  supply  of  teachers  in  the  special  schools  at  a  high 
level." 

And  further,  there  is  another  consideration  which  demands  our  atten- 
tion. It  is  a  serious  interference  with  the  educational  rights  of  normal 
children  to  class  the  abnormal  with  them.  This  is  well  expressed  by  Mr. 
James  H.  Van  Sickle,  Superintendent  of  the  Baltimore  public  schools,  in 
an  article  in  the  Psychological  Clinic,  Philadelphia,  June  15th,  1908, 
entitled   "Provision   for   Exceptional  Children   in  the    Public   Schools." 

"School  attendance  laws  which  are  the  expression,  after  all,  of  humani- 
tarian sentiments,  have  forced  upon  our  attention  more  than  ever  three 
classes  of  children — the  backward,  the  defective,  and  the  refractory.  Many 
of  these,  with  proper  training,  will  become  self-supporting,  useful  citizens 
and  are  where  they  belong  when  in  attendance   at  a  public  school.    Others 


1909  FEEBLE  MINDED  IN  ONTARIO.  15 


should  spend  their  lives  in  a  state  institution  which  would  protect  them 
from  the  crushing  competition  of  the  capable,  meanwhile  using  the  pro- 
ducts of  their  directed  labor  for  their  entire  or  partial  support.  Thus  the 
state  would  at  the  same  time  protect  itself  by  keeping  the  manifestly  sub- 
normal from  propagating  their  kind.  Until  the  state  makes  adequate  pro- 
vision for  a  task,  the  magnitude  of  which  has  not  been  realized  bv  legislators, 
the  town  and  the  city  must  provide  for  defectives  in  special  classes ;  for  the 
rights  of  normal  children  cannot  be  safeguarded  when  50  per  cent,  of  the 
energy  of  the  teacher  is  expended  on  5  per  cent,  of  the  pupils  in  the  class." 

In  dealing  with  exceptional  children  the  co-operation  of  teachers  and 
physicians  is  absolutely  essential.  The  teacher  of  the  special  class  needs 
to  develop  to  some  extent  the  insight  characteristic  of  the  skilful  diagnos- 
tician, and  the  school  physician  needs  to  be  a  good  deal  of  a  psychologist." 

In  New  South  Wales,  under  State  Children's  Relief  Act,  which  is 
administered  under  the  direction  of  the  Hon.  C.  K.  Mackellar,  M.B.,  Presi- 
dent of  the  State  Children's  Relief  Board,  a  home  is  now  being  constructed 
for  the  scientific  education  of  children  of  feeble-mind.  This  has  recently 
received  a  magnificent  grant  of  land  from  a  private  citizen,  affording  fine 
grounds  for  recreation  and  for  expansion  of  the  building  when  required. 

Education  of  Mentally  Defective  Children  in  England. 

The  elementary  education  of  defective  and  epileptic  children  in  Eng- 
land and  Wales  is  provided  for  by  the  Elementary  Education  (Defective  and 
Epileptic  Children)  Act,  1899.  This  Act  in  its  main  features  is  similar  to 
the  Elementary  Education  (Blind  and  Deaf  Children)  Act,  1893,  the  princi- 
pal difference  being  that  the  Blind  and  Deaf  Children  Act  is  compulsory  on 
all  local  education  authorities  while  the  Defective  and  Epileptic  Children 
Act  is  permissive  only.  It  provides  for  mental  defectives,  physical  defec- 
tives and  epileptics.  It  also  provides  that  a  local  education  authority  may 
with  the  approval  of  the  Board  of  Education  make  arrangements  for  ascer- 
taining what  children  in  its  area  are  defective  and  epileptic  and  may  make 
provision  for  the  education  of  such  children  by  all  or  any  of  the  following 
means  :  — 

(a)  By  classes  in  public  elementary  schools  certified  by  the  Board  of 
Education  as  special  classes,  or 

(b)  By  boarding  out,  subject  to  the  regulations  of  the  Board  of  Edu- 
cation, any  such  children  in  a  House  conveniently  near  to  a  certified  spe- 
cial class  or  school,  or 

(c)  By  establishing  schools  certified  by  the  Board  of  Education  for  defec- 
tive children. 

Schools  may  also  be  established  by  private  associations  other  than  Local 
educational  authorities  and  may  receive  the  certificate  and  grant  of  the 
Board  of  Education,  and  capital  and  maintenance  contributions  from  local 
education  authorities,  e.g.,  Sandlebridge  Homes  for  Defective  Children  in 
Cheshire,  established  by  the  Lancashire  and  Cheshire  Society  for  promoting 
the  welfare  of  the  feeble-minded,  are  receiving  maintenance  grants  from 
the  Manchester  and  Cheshire  Education  Committees,  and  a  capita]  contri- 
bution from  the  Cheshire  Education  Commit  foe. 

There  are  other  private  schools  under  Government  certificate  : 

Much  Haddam  Epileptic  School  (R.C.) 

Hillingdon  Defective  School  (R.C.) 

Lingfield  Epileptic   School. 

vStainthwaite  Epileptic  School. 

Littleton  (Guildford)  Defective   School. 

West  Kirbv  Convalescent  Home  School  (Cripples). 


16  REPORT  OF  THE  No.   58 


In  accordance  with  the  terms  of  the  Act  the  duty  of  a  parent  to  pro- 
vide elementary  instruction  for  his  child,  in  the  case  of  a  defective  or  epilep- 
tic child,  over  seven  years  of  age  in  any  place  where  a  special  certified 
class  or  school  is  within  reach  of  the  child's  residence,  includes  the  duty 
to  cause  the  child  to  attend  such  a  class  or  school.  Thus  the  elementary 
education  of  a  defective  or  epileptic  child  is  obligatory  in  cases  where  pro- 
vision for  the  education  of  such  children  exists,  hut  it  lies  with  the  local 
education  authority  to  decide  whether  the  provision  for  such  children  is 
necessary. 

Schools  or  classes  for  defectives  may  he  established  by  local  education 
authorities  and  the  expense  incurred  in  so  doing  and  the  maintenance  of 
the  school  or  class  is  borne  by  the  local  education  authority.  The  state, 
however,  makes  an  annual  grant  to  schools  conducted  in  accordance  with 
the  terms  of  the  Act  and  the  Board's  regulations  at  the  rate  of  80/-  for 
younger  children,  90/-  for  older  children  per  annum  for  day  schools,  and 
7/-  per  month  per  child  in  residential  schools.  The  cost  of  educating  a 
defective  child  is  about  £10  a  year  in  a  day  school  and  about  £30  a  year 
in  a  residential  school.  Such  institutions  may,  in  consequence,  be  said  to 
be  public  and  not  private  inasmuch  as  they  are  established  by  public  bodies 
and  maintained  by  public  funds  and  public  interest  and  ore  conducted  in 
accordance  with  the  regulations  of  the  Board  and  inspected  by  the  Board's 
inspectors.  According  to  the  latest  returns  of  public  elementary  schools 
under  the  administration  of  the  Board  only  four  schools  for  defectives  main- 
tained by  local  education  authorities  are  not  in  receipt  of  a  Treasury  grant. 

Private  provision  for  the  education  of  defective  children  is  supplied 
in  the  main  by  the  following  institutions:  — 

Kingston  on  Thames,  Conifers  and  Trematon,  Hampton  Wick.,  (I)r. 
L.  Down.) 

Kingston  on  Thames,  Winchester  House,  Kingston  Hill,  (Dr.  F. 
Beach. 

Richmond   (Surrey),  Ancaster  House,   (Dr.   Shuttleworth). 

Southgate   (Middlesex),    Brook   House,    (Dr.    Corner). 

New    Milton   (Hants.).    Fern    Manor,    (Miss   Anderson). 

Cheltenham,   Southend  House  School,   (Miss  King  Turner). 

Streatham  (Surrey),   Woodfield,    (Miss   Wright). 

There  are  also  two  "Little  Schools"  for  such  children  recently  opened 
at  5  Grange  Road,  Ealing,  and  St.  Christopher's  Amhurst  Road  Ealing. 
(The  Misses  Macdowell.) 

They  are  not  in  receipt  of  grant,  are  not  established  or  maintained  by 
local  education  authorities,  and  are  intended  for  children  of  rather  higher 
social  standing  than  the  "public"   schools  referred  to  above. 

After-care  Committees  of  a  voluntary  nature  exist  in  connection  with 
most  local  education  authorities  who  have  established  schools  (London,, 
Bristol,  Birmingham,  Nottingham.  Leicester).  These  committees  publish 
useful  reports  which  may  be  obtained  on  application  to  the  Secretary  of 
the  education  committee  of  the  respective  local  education  authorities.  It 
should  be  noted  that  the  Education  Acts  of  1902  and  1903  have  altered, 
but  not  in  an  essential  manner,  the  statutory  requirements  as  to  the  edu- 
cation of  defective  children. 

The  following  publications,  which  have  been  largely  used  in  prepar- 
inff  this  report,  give  useful  information  on  the  subject  of  the  education  of 
defectives : — 

Interdepartmental   committees    report   on   defective  children,    1898. 

Regulations  of  the  Board  of  Education  of  July  11th,  1904,  with  regard 
lo  defective  and  epileptic  schools. 


J 


_ 


1909  FEEBLE  MINDED   IN  ONTARIO.  17 


Circulars  of  1904  in  connection  with  the  defectives  and  epileptic 
children  Act  and  the  latest  returns  of  schools. 

Board  of  Education  forms  of  half-yearly  report  of  progress  for  blind, 
deaf,  mentally   defective   and   epileptic   children. 

Minute  of  the  committee  of  council  on  education  of  26th  February, 
1900,  providing  for  grants  for  education  of  defective  and  epileptic  children 
and  prescribing  conditions  to  be  fulfilled  by  certified  schools  for  such 
children. 

Education  Department  regulations  as  to  boarding  out  defective 
children.     Statutory   rules   and   orders,    1900,   No.    138. 

The  London  County  Council  and  London  School  Board's  reports  on 
special  schools  contain  valuable  information. 

In  addition  to  the  publications  of  the  Board  and  the  local  education 
authority  for  London  many  reports  of  associations  contain  interesting 
material.     Some  of  the  most  important  of  these  are  here  cited :  — 

The  National  Special  Schools  Union,  which  is  especially  active  in 
promoting  the  welfare  of  defective  children  of  all  kinds  has  published 
reports  of  the  1st  and  2nd  conferences  on  the  subject  held  in  1903  and  1904. 
Further  particulars  of  the  work  of  this  Association  can  be  obtained,  if 
required,  from  the  Secretary,  Miss  James,  Chatham  Place  Special  School, 
Liverpool. 

Information  can  also  be  obtained  from  the  report  issued  by  the  Charity 
Organization  Society  in  1892  on  the  feeble-minded,  epileptic,  deformed 
and  crippled  children  in   certain   elementary  schools,    chiefly  in  London. 

The  National  Association  for  promoting  the  welfare  of  the  feeble- 
minded, whose  offices  are  at  53  Victoria  St.  S.W.,  and  the  Childhood 
Society,  whose  offices  are  at  the  Parkes  Museum,  Margaret  St.  W.,  both 
publish  reports  dealing  with  this  subject. 

Two  other  books  which  may  be  of  use  in  connection  with  this  subject 
are,  Dr.  Shuttleworth's  Book,  "Mentally  Defective  Children  :  their  treat- 
ment and  training,"  (London:  H.  K.  Lewis,  136  Gower  St.),  this  contains 
a  bibliography  of  the  subject  and  other  particulars  which  would  be  diffi- 
cult to  discover  elsewhere;  and  Dr.  Francis  Warner's  "Results  of  an  enquiry 
as  to  the  Physical  and  Mental  Conditions  of  fifty  thousand  children  seen  in 
one  hundred  and  six  schools,"  which  was  published  by  the  Statistical 
Society  in  1893.  Another  very  important  work  on  the  subject,  consulted 
in  preparing  this  report,  is  Dr.  Tredgold's  "Mental  Deficiency."  Loudon: 
Bailliere,   Tindall  &  Cox,   1908. 

The  legal  aspect  of  the  question  is  treated  in  "The  Law  of  Public  Edu- 
cation," by  Edwardes,  Jones  and  Sykes.   (Loudon,  Rivingtons). 

The  rights  of  mentally  defective  children  have  thus  been  recognized 
for  years  in  England,  ever  since  the  Act  (62  and  63  Victoria.  Chapter  32> 
was  passed  in  1899,  which  gave  the  local  education  authorities  the  right  to 
establish  special  classes  and  special  schools  for  mentally  defective  children. 
Further,  where  such  schools  or  classes  are  established,  it  is  part  of  the  lepral 
duty  of  the  parent  or  guardian  of  such  children  to  cause  them  to  attend 
such  classes,  and  such  attendance  is  compulsory  up  to  the  age  of  16  years. 
instead  of  14  years,  as  in  the  ordinary  schools.  Certain  Poor  Law  Schools 
have  received  permission  from  the  Government  to  extend  this  acre  limit 
to  21  years,  and  it  is  thought  they  may  probabl-v  asl<  for  a  farther  limit,  so 
as  practically  to  enable  them  to  crive  the  feeble-minded  the  care  for  life 
which  is  the  only  adequate  and  proper  way  of  caring  for  them.  Though  the 
Act  of  1899  is  permissive  and  not  obligatorv.  still  it  has  been  adopted  bv 
the  whole  of  London  and  bv  over  twentv  of  the  largest  towns  of  England. 


18  REPORT  OF  THE  No.   58 


It  may,  therefore,  be  said  that  the  education  of  feeble-minded  children  in 
England  is  firmly  established,  and  is  an  important  and,  indeed,  essential 
part  of  the  National  Educational  System. 

The  Act  of  1899  defines  feeble-minded  children  as  those  who  "Not 
being  imbecile  and  not  being  merely  dull  and  backward,  are  defective — 
that  is  to  say,  by  reason  of  mental  defect,  are  incapable  of  receiving  proper 
benefit  from  the  instruction  in  the  ordinary  public  elementary  schools,  but 
are  not  incapable  by  reason  of  such  defect  of  receiving  benefit  from  instruc- 
tion in  such  special  classes  and  schools  as  are  in  this  Act  mentioned." 
Every  child,  whether  normal,  or  defective  mentally,  has  the  right  to  be 
educated,  under  a  state  system  of  education,  according  to  his  need  and 
capacity,  but  it  must  be  remembered  that  feeble-minded  is  synonymous 
with  mentally  defective.  Xo  mental  defect  can  be  "cured."  The  hope 
expressed  in  the  enthusiasm  of  pioneer  effort  for  the  feeble-minded  that 
skilled  and  devoted  training  would  so  improve  the  higher  grades  of  the 
feeble-minded  as  to  make  them  able  to  support  themselves  and  be  useful 
members  of  the  ordinary  community  never  has  been  and  never  will  be 
realized.  It  cannot  be.  The  defect  is  a  structural  deficiency  or  inferiority 
or  abnormality  of  brain  substance,  and  that  condition  is  a  permanent  one. 
We  can  only  make  the  best  of  it.  We  cannot  change  it  to  normal.  But  we 
can  do  much.  We  can  develop  the  defective  mind  and  any  powers  it  has, 
though  within  narrow  limits,  far  beyond  its  present  misery  in  all  the 
neglected  cases  in  Ontario.  We  can  believe  in  these  mentally  defectives 
and  make  them  believe  in  themselves  and  desire  to  improve.  We  can  dis- 
cover possibilities  in  them.  That  has  been  done  in  the  tentative  efforts  we 
have  made  in  a  crowded  corner  of  two  charitable  institutions  in  Ontario. 
The  school  doctor  and  the  school  nurse  are  indispensable  in  a  thoroughly 
modern  city  school  system.  Certainly  we  cannot  discover  or  properly  care 
for  the  feeble-minded  child  without  their  aid.  In  London,  New  York  and 
elsewhere,  this  has  been   proved  by  experience. 

By  the  kind  permission  of  the  Honourable  the  Provincial  Secretary,  I 
have  been  able  to  spend  a  few  days  visiting  the  Special  Classes  and  Schools 
for  mentally  defective  children  in  New  York,  Boston  and  Cleveland.  In 
Cleveland,  my  visit  was  in  consequence  of  a  request  that  I  should  read  a  paper 
on  "The  Visiting  Nurse  and  the  Children  Eequiring  Special  Education,"  at 
the  annual  meeting  of  the  National  Education  Association  of  the  United 
States  (Department  of  Child  Study).  June  24th- July  3rd,  1908.  As  the 
schools  were  not  then  in  regular  session,  I  was  able  only  to  visit  one  or  two 
classess  in  connection  with  settlement  work  and  one  school  garden  for  ment- 
ally defective  children. 

Copies  of  the  above  mentioned  paper  accompany  this  report  and  I  should 
like  to  express  my  sincere  thanks  for  many  kindnesses  received  from  officers  of 
the  National  Education  Association  and  many  others  at  Cleveland.  A  wave 
seemed  to  be  sweeping  over  the  Association  in  favour  of  technical  education. 
It  was  the  leading  topic  of  the  chief  speakers  at  the  meeting.  However,  the 
interest  in  every  department,  and  that  of  special  education  was  no  exception, 
was  well  sustained.  At  the  previous  annual  meeting  in  Los  Angeles,  in  1907, 
the  following  committee  was  appointed  to  investigate  the  provision  made  for 
exceptional  children  in  the  public  schools  of  the  United  States. 

Jas.  H.  Yan  Sickle,  Superintendent  of  City  Schools,  Baltimore,  Md., 
Chairman. 

Andrew  W.  Ellson,  Associate  Superintendent  of  City  Schools,  New  York. 

Frank  A.  Fitzpatrick,  Boston,  Mass. 

Carroll  J.   Pearse,   Superintendent  of  City  Schools,   Milwaukee,  Wis. 

Lloyd  E.  Wolfe,  Superintendent  of  Schools,  San  Antonia,  Texas. 

2a  f.m. 


1909  FEEBLE  MINDED  IN  ONTARIO.  19 


The  report  of  the  committee  states  that.  "Nearly  all  provision  now  in 
existence  for  exceptional  children  in  American  cities  has  been  made  in  very- 
recent  years.  The  problem  is,  therefore,  a  comparatively  new  one.  Before 
compulsory-attendance  laws  began  to  be  strictly  enforced,  public  school 
authorities  had  no  adequate  idea  of  its  magnitude.  Children  who  could  not 
get  along  fairly  well  in  the  ordinary  classes,  either  by  reason  of  their  low 
mentality  or  their  refractory  bearing,  or  both,  often  ceased  to  attend  and 
were  absent  or  truant  without  the  knowledge  of  the  authorities.  Doubtless, 
there  were  as  many  of  these  special  cases  in  any  community  then  as  there 
are  now,  few  of  them,  however,  remained  long  enough  in  school  to  allow  a 
correct  opinion  to  be  formed  as  to  the  cause  of  their  difficulty.  They  are  now 
in  our  schools,  however,  clogging  the  various  grades,  chiefly  the  lower,  and  we 
are  forced  to  recognize  the  existence  of  a  serious  problem  in  connection  with 
their  education. 

It  is  a  generally  accepted  principle  that  every  child — normal  or  sub- 
normal— is  entitled  to  all  the  education  which  he  is  capable  of  receiving. 
This  principle  implies  that  the  state  is  in  duty  bound  to  provide  an  educa- 
tion for  all  children  capable  of  intellectual  improvement.  As  a  question  of 
good  policy,  the  state  should  see  that  all  children  are  trained  as  far  as  possi- 
ble to  be  right-minded,  self-respecting,  and  self-supporting.  Many  cities  at 
home  and  abroad  are  now  providing  instruction  for  backward  children  in  the 
public  schools  in  special  classes  and  under  the  guidance  of  specially  trained 
teachers. 

In  1867,  Germany  began  the  education  and  training  of  mentally  deficient 
children  in  special  day  classes.  The  other  leading  countries  of  Europe  soon 
followed,  developing  the  work  in  various  ways.  The  first  school  of  this  kind 
in  America  was  established  in  Cleveland,  Ohio,  in  1875.  Tn  1896,  the  City 
of  Providence  entered  upon  the  work  of  grouping  into  special  classes  children 
who  were  backward  and  mentallv  deficient.  Other  American  cities  soon  fol- 
lowed, though  in  a  tentative  and  experimental  way." 

The  special  class,  or  as  it  is  called  in  New  York,  the  "ungraded  class," 
is  shown  by  this  report  to  be  fairly  well  established  in  the  large  cities.  It  is 
a  necessity.  The  report  also  gives  a  brief  description  as  follows,  of  a  suitable 
room  and  equipment,  and  of  the  "Special  Teacher." 

"The  room  selected  for  the  special  class  should  be  large,  sunny,  and  well 
equipped,  located  if  possible  on  the  ground  floor,  and  accessible  to  the  street, 
toilet-room,  gymnasium,  and  playgrounds.  The  following  equipment  is  pro- 
vided in  the  City  of  New  York:  Fifteen  movable  and  adjustable  seats  and 
desks;  a  number  table  three  feet  square;  six  work  benches  with  equipment; 
physical  training  equipment — wands,  dumb-bells,  Indian  clubs,  ladder;  dis- 
play cabinet:  a  piano;  running  water  and  a  porcelain  sink. 

In  the  selection  of  teachers  for  defective  children  special  care  is  needed. 
Among  the  chief  requisites  are  the  following:  an  even  sunny  temperament; 
infinite  patience;  unbounded  tact;  firmness  that  leads  one  to  hold  steadily  to 
a  course  in  spite  of  all  obstacles;  great  resourcefulness  in  providing  ways  and 
means  for  carrying  on  the  work  to  the  best  advantage,  even  when  ready 
resources  are  limited:  an  intense  human  sympathy  with  and  love  for  these 
children  so  much  in  need  of  a  helping  hand:  unbounded  faith  in  the  work; 
and  an  appreciation  of  effort  that  gives  to  the  children  constant  hone  and 
encouragement.  The  management  of  these  children  must  be  kind  and  sym- 
pathetic. In  most  cases  thev  are  unusually  affectionate  and  will  respond 
quickly  to  any  reasonable  demands  of  the  teacher.  Praise  and  encourage- 
ment at  everv  effort  are  the  indispensable  means  of  arousing  dormant  energies. 
These  teachers  should  have  the  spirit  of  a  student ;  they    should  be  familiar 


20  REPORT  OF  THE  No.   58 


with  the  best  literature  on  the  subject ;  they  should  visit  schools  and  institu- 
tions for  the  training  of  exceptional  children  in  order  to  become  familiar 
with  the  best  work  of  the  kind." 

The  number  of  American  cities  making  special  provision  for  mentally 
defective  children  is  rapidly  increasing.  It  does  not  take  long  to  establish 
a  few  special  classes.  The  report  gives  the  following  interesting  account  of 
the  work  in  St.  Louis. 

"In  November,  1907,  the  Superintendent  of  Instruction  reported  to  the 
Board  of  Education  of  St.  Louis,  that  there  were  at  that  time  in  the  various 
public  schools  of  the  citv,  one  hundred  and  eighty-one  children  so  mentally 
defective  as  to  be  incapable  of  doing  the  regular  school  work  provided  for 
normal  children.     These  were  not  merelv  slow  or  backward  children.     They 
were  unable  to   do   either  the   amount   or  kind  of  work  which   even  a   slow 
child  can  do ;   if  those  children  were  considered  capable  of  education  with 
educational  facilities  adjusted  to  their  needs  and  with  constant  supervision  of 
their  physical  condition.     Nine  children  cited  by  Superintendent   Soldan  as 
typical  of  the  entire  list  ranged  from  9   to   14i  years   of  age.     They  had 
attended  school  from  3  to  6  years.     Four  had  not  advanced  beyond  the  first 
grade;  and  only  two  advanced  beyond  the  second  grade.     "Nature,"  says  the 
report,  "puts  the  defective  child  in  a  class  by  himself  and  education  should 
take   Nature's   hint."      It   was  recommended  that   twelve    school    rooms   be 
selected  and  equipped,  not  as  make  shifts,  but  in  the  best  possible  manner 
with  a  view  to  meeting  a  permanent  demand.     As  to  location,  the  report  dis- 
cusses the  advantages  and  disadvantages  of  a  central  school :  of  vacant  rooms 
in  existing  schools ;  and  of  small  houses  to  be  rented  for  the  purpose ;   and 
recommends  that  ordinary  two-storey  six  room  houses  conveniently  located 
with  reference  to  the  homes  of  the  children  be  rented.     Each  house  is  to 
accommodate  two  classes  of  fifteen  children  each  and  leave  room  enough  for 
work  and  free  movement  and  some  yard  room  for  recreation.     Transporta- 
tion is  to  be  furnished  to  those  children  whose  homes  are  not  within  walking 
distance.     There  are  to  be  two  teachers  in  each  centre  and  a  woman  attend- 
ant who  will  live  in  the  building  and  take  care  of  the  heating  and  cleaning 
and  at  times  assist  in  taking  some  of  the  children  to  school.  _  The  instruction 
given  will  not  follow  any  fixed  course  but  will  be  adapted  to  individual  needs. 
The  teachers   must   be  exceptionally  capable   and   sympathetic    and   will  be 
amon?  the  best  paid  teachers  in  the  service.     Some  strong  teacher  is  to  give 
her  whole  time  to  the  supervision  of  these  classes  and  medical  attendance  is 
to  be  furnished.     Imbecile  or  demented  children  are  not  to  be  admitted  nor 
merely  slow  or  backward  children  to  be  taken  from  schools  near  their  homes 
and  put  into  these  classes.     Attendance  is  not  to  be  made  compulsory.     If 
the  new  institutions  are  made  so  excellent  that  it  is  a  clear  advantage  to  each 
defective  child  to  attend  it  is  argued  that  no  compulsion  will  be  necessary. 
Should  a  parent  prefer  to  send  his  child  to  one  of  the  regular  schools  no 
obiectlon  is  to  be  made,  provided,  the  child  does  not  disturb  the  rest  of  the 
school  bv  his  presence. 

To  meet  the  present  needs  of  the  City  of  St.  Louis  for  the  education  of 
defective  children,  the  Board  ordered  that  three  houses  be  provided  and  they 
appropriated  $12,000  to  cover  the  expense  of  the  special  schools  for  the 
remainder  of  the  present  school  year.  A  later  report  shows  that  three  special 
school  centres  of  two  classes  each,  organized  on  the  above  described  plan  are 
now  in  operation  and  that  each  centre  has  a  waiting  list  of  applicants  for 

In  Cleveland  itself  are  special  classes  for  mentallv  defective  children 
in    twelve  of  the  grade  schools,   each  being  limited,   as  is  absolutely  neces- 


1909  FEEBLE  MINDED  IN  ONTARIO.  21 


sary,  to  about  15  children.  Three  of  these  schools  have  special  school  gardens 
for  mentally  defective  children — The  Fowler  school,  the  Orchard  school,  and 
the  Outhwaite  school.  The  last,  the  largest  and  most  complete  of  the  three, 
I  examined  with  a  great  deal  of  interest  and  pleasure. 

It  will  be  remembered  that  Cleveland  (in  1875)  was  the  first  city  of  the 
United  States  to  establish  special  schools  for  mentally  defective  children. 
Superintendent  B-ickoff",  of  Cleveland,  learned  the  idea  from  Germany.  Cleve- 
land has  also  a  very  successful  Home  Gardening  Association,  who  were  hos- 
pitable and  kind  to  members  of  the  National  Educational  Association  and  kept 
"open  house"  for  them  at-  "Goodrich  House,''  the  oldest  settlement  house 
in  the  United  States.  This  Home  Gardening  Association  was  founded  in 
1900,  and  began  school  gardens  in  1904.  In  the  spring  of  1907,  it  was  thought 
that  perhaps  school  gardens  might  be  a  help  in  teaching  mentally  defective 
children.  Miss  Louise  Klein  Miller,  who  was  appointed  Curator  of  School 
Gardens  in  1905,  under  the  Board  of  Education,  thus  describes  the  beginning 
of  the  work  in  Charities  and  the  Commons. 

"The  first  day  a  rather  desolate  looking  back  yard,  loaned  by  an  inter- 
ested neighbour,  was  an  exceedingly  discouraging  proposition  to  a  band  of 
shy,  irresponsive  children.  Unfortunatelv  the  feeble  attempts  at  clearing 
a  waste  lot  of  cans,  bottles,  old  shoes,  and  rubbish  of  various  kinds,  began 
at  noon,  the  time  when  the  normal  children  were  dismissed.  The  fence  was 
immediatelv  lined  with  boys  from  6  to  16  who  wondered,  "What  are  the 
dummies  going  to  do  now?"  The  children  sulked  and  refused  to  do  anything. 
A  little  persuasion  induced  the  larger  boys  to  come  to  their  relief  and  in  an 
incredibly  short  time  coats  were  removed  and  a  furrow  soon  was  turned. 
This  display  of  power  and  skill  stimulated  the  ambition  of  the  children,  and 
each  in  turn  was  anxious  to  try  his  hand.  With  yard  stick  and  garden  line, 
the  flower  border  and  vegetable  garden  were  soon  laid  out  in  good  order  and 
ready  for  spading.  The  children  were  quite  delighted  and  really  did  good 
work.  They  were  dealing  with  large  things  and  producing  large  results. 
Naturally,  some  were  more  competent  than  others,  but  by  studying  the  capa- 
bilities of  each  child  the  work  was  so  distributed  that  each  felt  that  his  por- 
tion was  an  important  part  of  the  whole.  Those  who  were  not  able  to  plant 
the  small  seeds  were  allowed  to  rake  the  paths  and  put  in  the  larger  seeds, 
corn,  squashes,  beans,  and  morning  glories.  The  display  of  flowers  and 
vegetables  at  the  autumn  school  flower  show  was  quite  a  revel  at  ion.  What 
the  "dummies"  were  able  to  contribute  had  a  two-fold  influence;  it  gave  the 
children  more  confidence  in  themselves  and  inspired  greater  respect  and  appre- 
ciation in  the  minds  of  normal  children. 

What  seemed  eminently  successful  in  one  instance  commended  itself,  and 
spring  gardens  were  established  in  other  schools  for  mentally  and  physically 
defective  children. 

The  largest  and  most  successful  garden  was  at  Outhwaite  school  where 
there  is  one  class  of  younger  boys  and  girls  and  another  of  boys  from  12  to 
16  years  of  age.  The  children  did  extremely  good  work,  especially  some  of  the 
larger  boys.  Very  few  of  these  children  will  ever  be  able  to  care  for  them- 
selves. If  through  the  training  in  the  school  garden,  the  teachers  are  able 
to  make  them  realize  their  ability  to  produce  part  of  their  food  from  the 
soil,  and  to  teach  them  to  prepare  their  food  properly  and  to  put  it  on  the 
table  decentlv  and  in  order,  thev  have  accomplished  what  will  be  of  value 
to  them  through  life. 

The  children  take  their  lunches  to  school  and  a  penny  for  milk  or  soup. 
The  lettuce,  radishes  and  beans  in  the  spring  with  tomatoes,  carrots,  beets, 
and  corn  in  the  autumn  add  much  to  the  pleasure  and  comfort  of  the  lunches. 


22  REPORT  OF  THE  No.  58 


especially  as  the  pupils'  appetites  are  stimulated  by  a  realizing  sense  of  hav- 
ing accomplished  something  through  an  interested  and  sustained  effort. 

Instead  of  committing  juvenile  offenders  to  gaol,  they  are  sent  to  the 
detention  home.  The  boys  go  to  school  from  9  until  1  in  a  cottage  fitted  up 
for  the  purpose.  The  yard  affords  ample  space  for  a  garden.  It  was  put  in 
order  and  the  flower  and  vegetable  garden  was  laid  out.  As  there  have  been 
about  250  in  the  school  since  the  first  of  May.  no  one  boy  has  been  able  to 
do  much  work,  but  all  have  been  employed  in  succession.  Two  boys  who 
were  most  useful  were  arrested  for  writing  blackhand  letters.  One,  who 
seemed  to  enjoy  it  most,  has  been  in  every  reformatory  in  the  State  that 
would  take  him.  He  cannot  be  kept  in  school.  The  experiment  is  another 
proof  that  there  never  was  a  bad  boy.  but  that  some  are  victims  of  misdirected 
energy. 

Great  care  is  taken  to  make  the  gardens  attractive  in  arrangement,  colour 
scheme,  and  succession  of  blooming ;  and  to  encourage  and  stimulate  the 
children,  as  far  as  possible,  to  continue  the  work  at  their  own  homes.  Last 
autumn  the  Home  Gardening  Association  sent  from  twenty-five  to  one  hun- 
dred bulbs  to  each  of  these  schools  for  winter  window  gardening. 

Many  of  the  children  are  suffering  from  undeveloped  brain  centres,  and 
the  teachers  feel  that  the  interest  and  stimulating  influence  of  activity  in  the 
open  air  and  sunshine  will  cause  these  centres  to  become  aroused,  and  that  a 
more  normal  condition  of  mind  and  body  will  result.  The  very  contact  with 
the  soil  has  a  soothing,  quieting  influence  upon  men  and  women  of  normal 
mental  and  physical  development,  and  why  should  the  effect  be  less  potent 
upon  those  creatures  who  are  less  fortunate." 

In  this  regard  leading  American  educators  are  following  lines  of  work 
already  proved  successful  in  Great  Britain.  A  reference  to  the  report  of 
the  feeble-minded  published  by  this  department  last  year  will  make  it  evident 
how  important  gardening  and  farming  are  in  the  Sandlebridge  schools  at 
Alderly  Edge  and  other  successful  schools  for  the  feeble-minded  in  Great 
Britain. 

Great  progress  has  been  made  during  the  year  1908,  in  many  of  the 
States  of  the  Union.  In  Colorado,  the  State  Board  of  Charities  and  Cor- 
rections are  arranging  to  canvass  the  State  in  order  to  obtain  material  on  which 
to  base  a  petition  to  be  presented  to  the  next  Legislature  asking  for  a  State 
institution  for  the  care  of  feeble-minded  children. 

In  Detroit,  the  Board  of  Education  has  appointed  a  commission  to  study 
defective  children  in  the  public  schools.  The  members  of  this  Commission, 
which  was  appointed  by  Superintendent  Martindale,  are  as  follows :  Dr. 
Chas.  F.  Kuhn,  Chairman:  Miss  Metzner,  in  charge  of  room  for  defectives 
in  the  Clinton  School;  Mr.  G.  E.  Parker,  Superintendent  of  Night  and 
Ungraded  Schools  and  Play-grounds;  Miss  Heller,  Supervisor  of  Kinder- 
gartens ;  Miss  Vanaderstein,  Principal  of  Deaf  School ;  Miss  Clara  Beverley, 
Washington  Normal  School. 

"Unless  Detroit  has  a  miraculous  freedom  from  the  almost  uniform  per- 
centages of  other  American  cities,  there  are  now  scattered  through  her  public 
schools  over  five  hundred  mentallv  defective  children.  These  children  get 
little  good  from  the  usual  school-room  routine  and  are  a  terrible  drag  upon 
the  progress  of  the  normal  children.  The  well-being  of  all  demands  that  they 
should  be  olaced  in  special  rooms  under  teachers  acquainted  with  the  methods 
most  successful  with  that  class  of  children.  The  possibilities  of  the  work  are 
great.  The  good  of  the  public  schools  demands  that  it  be  done.  Almost 
every  other  large  citv  in  the  country  has  already  arranged  for  this  work. 
—  Detroit  Medical  Journal. 


1909  FEEBLE  MINDED  IN  ONTARIO.  23 


The  Governor  of  the  State  of  New  York  appointed  last  year,  a  commis- 
sion consisting  of  William  R.  Stewart,  Franklin  R.  McBride,  and  Alexander 
C.  Proudfit,  to  selct  a  site  for  the  Eastern  New  York  Custodial  Asylum  for 
the  Feeble-minded  and  Epileptic.  Their  report  is  a  State  paper  of  a  remark- 
able scope  and  standard.  It  is  thus  described  in  a  recent  number  of  Chari- 
ties and  the  Commons. 

"The  report  by  itself  is  a  very  notable  piece  of  work.  It  set  forth  so 
clearly  and  adequately  the  work  to  be  done,  its  needs  and  its  methods,  that 
if  it  had  no  purpose  beyond  its  own  making-,  it  would  have  a  sufficient  reason 
for  existence.  After  quoting  the  law  which  provided  for  the  commission, 
the  report  gives  a  careful  summary  of  the  present  provision  for  the  depend- 
ent epileptic  and  feeble-minded  of  the  State;  the  number  of  inmates  in  the 
four  existing  institutions ;  the  numbers  on  the  waiting  lists ;  and  the  numbers 
of  such  persons  in  county  and  municipal  institutions.  Then  follows  an  esti- 
mated census  of  those  needing  care,  based  on  the  proportion  to  the  population 
of  such  person  found  by  the  census  of  1890  and  the  present  population  of  the 
State  by  counties.  This  is  followed  by  results  of  certain  estimates  and  other 
figures,  and  the  conclusion  that  there  are  more  than  sixteen  thousand 
feeble-minded  and  epileptic  persons  in  New  York  state,  in  addition  to  those 
now  in  the  institution.  This  seems  an  enormous  number,  yet  the  figures  and 
estimates  upon  which  this  conclusion  is  based,  are  worthy  of  respect.  They 
are  enforced  by  reference  and  quotations  from  many  authorities. 

Following  this  estimate  of  the  problem,  comes  a  masterly  argument  in 
favour  of  State  care  for  all  the  class,  as  a  measure  of  good  public  policy,  sanc- 
tioned by  consideration  of  humanity,  or  morality,  and  of  real  economy. 
This  argument  fs  followed  in  turn  by  a  most  cogent  and  convincing:  setting 
forth  of  a  plea  for  an  enlarged  scope  for  the  new  institution  :  that  it  should 
provide  not  merely  for  the  lowest,  or  so-called  residual  grades,  but  that  the 
division  between  it  and  other  institutions  should  be  territorial,  and  that  it 
should  provide  for  all  classes  of  cases,  with  proper  departmental  segregation 
within  the  institution.  There  is  also  a  corollary  to  this  latter  plea,  that  the 
other  institutions  should  develop  in  a  similar  manner  and  should  provide  for 
all  classes  including  residuals  and  those  susceptible  of  training:,  each  doinc; 
the  whole  work  for  its  own  territory. 

The  commissioners  then  suggest  a  better  name,  "The  State  Colony," 
with  a  prefix  of  the  neighbouring-  town  to  the  site  suggested.  "Havei  straw 
State  Colony,"  will  be  a  simple  short,  yet  inclusive  denomination.  The 
territory  whence  the  inmates  arc  to  be  drawn  is  to  be  considered.  The  kind  of 
care  required,  the  classification  of  inmates  and  many  other  points  are  dis- 
cussed in  an  illuminative  way. 

Then  follows  a  consideration  of  the  necessary  plant  :  first  the  quantity  of 
land,  then  location,  climate,  scenery,  water  supply,  sewerage  facilities, 
accessibility;  railroad  accommodation;  all  treated  broadly  and  intelligently. 
A  list  of  the  buildings  required  for  the  administrative  departmeni  is  given 
in  minute  detail,  then,  a  scheme  for  the  buildings  for  the  patients,  and  finally 
a  plan  for  the  executive  organization  of  the  whole  institution.  When  all 
these  varied  considerations  have  been  had.  and  the  exhaustive  study  is  com- 
plete, the  commission  is  at  last  ready  to  select  the  site. 

The  account  of  the  selection  is  another  interesting  story.  Out  of  many 
sites  offered,  eighteen  were  found  to  be  of  sufficient  promise  to  warrant 
personal  inspection.  By  the  process  of  elimination,  after  personal  inspec- 
tion, these  were  finally  reduced  to  three,  each  of  which  was  sufficiently 
satisfactory  to  demand   very  careful   examination   to  decide   which   was  best. 

Expert  landscape  architects  and  consulting  engineers  were  employed 
to  visit  and   report  upon  the  final  three,  with  a   decision   in  favour  of  the 


24  REPORT  OF  THE  No.  58 


Tliiells  site  of  1,267  acres  near  Haverstraw,  with,  another  section  of  land 
among  the  hills,  which  may  be  acquired  as  a  source  of  water  supply, 

This  part  of  the  report  is  illustrated  by  a  topographical  map,  eight 
pictures  showing  landscapes  and  six  more  showing  houses  already  on  the 
ground,  of  which  there  are  fourteen,  most  of  them  available  for  use  by 
officers  and  employees,  and  temporarily  for  patients. 

The  tract  of  1,267  acres  includes  twenty-two  parcels,  of  which  750  acres 
are  under  cultivation.  There  are  fifteen  orchards,  fourteen  houses,  eight 
cottages,  twenty-four  wells,  a  large  deposit  of  brick  clay,  a  gravel  pit,  two 
ponds,  a  creek  large  enough  to  have  a  name,  and  tributary  small  streams. 

The  water  supply,  present  and  available,  has-been  analyzed  and  its 
quantity  estimated,  and  found  of  high  quality  and  ample  flow.  Options 
have  been  secured  on  all  but  forty-four  acres  of  the  larger  -tract,  and  on 
about  two-thirds  of  the  mountain  land  needed  for  water  supply,  at  fair 
prices,  and  the  proposition  is  in  such  shape  that  the  legislature  can  act 
intelligently  and  positively. 

An  appendix  to  the  report  contains  a  number  of  authoritative  opinions  on 
the  quantity  of  land  desirable ;  reports  of  the  consulting  landscape  archi- 
tects and 'engineers;  anaylsis  of  the  water  available,  comparing  it  with 
the  Croton  supply,  which  it  excels  in  quality,  while  it  is  sufficient  in  quan- 
tity; articles  by  distinguished  authorities  on  the  care  of  the  epileptic,  etc., 
and  a  detailed  description  of  the  twenty-two  properties  contained  in  the 
selected  site. 

The  personnel  of  the  commission  is  a  matter  of  interest  to  every  citizen 
of  New  York.  It  need  hardly  be  said  that  so  fine  a  piece  of  work  cannot  be 
paid  for.  It  must  be  done  from  motives  of  public  spirit  or  not  at  all. 
William  It.  Stewart,  Chairman,  Franklin  R.  Kirbride,  and  Alexander  C. 
Proudfit  surely  deserve  well  of  their  fellow  citizens. 

The  contrast  between  the  fine  and  noble  piece  of  work  here  reviewed 
and  some  selections  of  sites  for  state  institutions  that  have  been  made  by 
vastly  different  methods,  is  too  obvious  to  need  comment. 

Every  intelligent  citizen,  and  especially  every  one  who  cares  for  the 
feeble-minded  and  epileptic  with  that  personal  sympathy  and  affection  which 
they  inspire  in  those  who  have  worked  for  them  and  among  Them,  will  hope 
that  the  legislature  will  see  it  to  be  its  duty  to  act  favorably  on  this  report. 
Where  there  is  no  vision  the  people  perish.  It  would  be  a  matter  of  pro- 
found regret  should  the  splendid  vision  these  three  gentlemen  have  created, 
fail  to  materialize." 

Twice  in  the  last  year,  when  in  New  York,  I  have  availed  myself  of  the 
opportunity  of  spending  all  the  time  I  could  in  the  "Ungraded  Classes." 
The  system  of  providing  for  mentally  defective  children  in  New  York  is 
good.  It  is  well  organized  and  the  Inspector  of  Ungraded  Classes,  Miss 
Elizabeth  Farrell,  formerly  a  special  class  teacher,  knows  so  much  about  the 
work  and  is  so  interested  and  enthusiastic  in  it,  that  my  visits,  during  which 
she  kindly  allowed  me  to  accompany  her,  have  taught  me  a  great  deal.  The 
medical  examiner  is  Dr.  Isabel  Thompson  Smart,  who  is  also  specially 
qualified,  both  by  experience  and  post  graduate  study,  for  this  work.  It 
was  interesting  to  observe  that  Miss  Farrell  seemed  to  know  every  mentally 
defective  child  by  name,  recollecting  at  the  same  time  his  or  her  peculiar- 
ities, history,  progress,  etc.  The  children  also  knew  her  and  made  evident 
in  many  ways  that  they  considered  her  a  friend.  The  schools  that  I  saw 
most  of"  were  Public  School  No.  188,  P.S.  No.  137,  and  P.S.  No.  86.  In 
the  first  named,  which  is  very  near  East  River,  Houston  and  Lewis  Sts. 
and  3rd  Street,   and  is  under  the  charge  of  a  Canadian  young  lady  who 


1909  FEEBLE  MINDED  IN  ONTARIO.  2o 


formerly  taught  on  the  staff  of  the  Toronto  Public  Schools,  I  found  20  boys. 
Formerly  this  teacher  had  an  assistant.  This  is  really  necessary,  with  as 
many  as  twenty  boys.  I  was  told  that  the  teacher  of  this  class  was  one 
of  the  best  special  class  teachers  in  New  York.  I  saw  the  boys  take  their 
lunch  at  11.00  o'clock,  consisting  of  two  3oda  biscuits  and  a  mug  of  milk. 
One  of  the  boys  placed  the  cups — a  cup  on  each  desk,  and  paper  napkins 
also,  but  the  teacher  poured  the  milk.  The  room  was  well  equipped.  There 
were  many  ordinary  useful  things  in  it  such  as  wauld  serve  to  help  in  the 
relating  of  the  children  to  every  day  life,  and  things  they  could  understand. 
They  had  also  goldfish  in  a  bowl,  shells  in  a  basin,  and  earth  with  earthworms 
in  it,  placed  in  a  large  shallow  trough.  One  of  the  most  feeble-minded 
gently  picked  out  a  worm  and,  assisted  by  his  companions,  told  me  some- 
thing about  it. 

There  are  now  41  special  classes  in  New  York  with  between  TOO  and  800 
children  on  the  roll,  but  it  is  believed  there  are  in  New  York  about  7,000 
children  who  ought  really  to  be  in  "Special  Classes." 

Special  classes  in  connection  with  Public  Schools  are  a  necessity.  But 
they  are  only  a  preliminary  step.  If  these  special  classes  are  all  that  we 
are  going  to  do  for  the  feeble-minded,  we  shall  almost  entirely  lose  our  pains 
and  not  redeem  the  children  nor  relieve  the  State.  The  special  class  is  only 
a  clearing  house.  The  child  is  not  getting  on,  is  backward,  cannot  learn, 
outclassed,  unhappy.  In  the  special  class  we  find  out  why  and  do  the  best 
for  him.  But  we  cannot  make  him  able  to  stand  alone.  And  though  the 
special  classes  in  New  York  are  splendid  those  who  are  working  in  them 
are  more  and  more  impressed  with  the  fact  that  the  State,  for  its  own  sake 
and  for  the  sake  of  the  child,  must  grant  care  and  permanent  protection 
to  the  feeble-minded.  This  is  clearly  brought  out  in  Miss  Farrell's  latest 
official  report. 

"It  was  deemed  advisable  to  have  the  children  who  are  proposed  for 
removal  from  ungraded  classes  report  for  examination.  The  removal,  if  to 
be  made  at  all,  is  to  follow  the  completion  of  the  records  concerning  the 
proposed  child  and  upon  the  advice  of  the  inspector  of  ungraded  classes. 
This  matter  of  examining  the  child  for  removal  from  an  ungraded  class  has 
a  more  comprehensive  purpose  than  appears  on  the  surface.  Many  of  the 
children  who  are  members  of  ungraded  classes  seldom  can  be  self-supporting, 
never  can  be  self-directing,  and  never  should  be  forced  into  the  fierce  com- 
petition of  a  wage  earning  community.  At  present  we  have  no  public 
opinion  upon  the  subject  of  providing  for  this  large  class  of  unfit  persons, 
and  if  we  had  the  desired  public  opinion,  we  have  not  State  schools  enough 
to  take  care  of  all.  We  do  not  know  how  many  such  children  there  are. 
It  will  be  possible  within  a  comparatively  short  time,  with  the  aid  of  some 
method  of  after  care,  to  know  what  becomes  of  those  children  from  ungraded 
classes  who  should  not  be  allowed,  yet  are  forced  into  the  industrial  lite  of 
the  city.  The  report  of  the  last  New  York  State  Conference  of  charities 
states  that  a  large  number  of  the  inmates  of  the  State  Reform  Schools  are 
found  to  be  defective.  We  know  from  this  same  report  that  the  Large 
majority  of  those  reform  school  inmates  are  from  the  ranks  of  unskilled 
labour.  If  these  statements  are  true,  we  shall  find  the  children  who,  dur- 
ing school  life,  were  fit  subjects  for  ungraded  classes  ami  were  permitted  to 
leave  school,  in  the  lowest  rank  of  unskilled  labour,  leading  precarious 
existences,  fraught  with  all  sorts  of  temptations,  alluring  and  irresistible, 
gradually  going  from  petty  offences  to  grave  rrimes  against  person  and 
property,  until  the  State  for  its  own  preservation  grants  to  the  criminal 
what  it  now  denies  to  the  child  who  is  unequal  to  the  stress  and  strain  of 


26  REPORT  OF  THE  No.  58 


a  life  whose  race  is  to  the  strong.  There  is  no  argument  for  the  education 
of  the  normal  child  which  does  not  apply  to  the  defective  with  double  force. 
But  we  must  not  only  train  the  defective  children  in  childhood.  "We  must, 
after  training,  secure  them  an  existence  under  direction,  and  thereby  keep 
them  to  the  high  point  of  their  greatest  efficiency.  This  will  be  done  when 
the  public  generally  recognize  that  the  ungraded  class,  the  latest  differen- 
tiation in  our  public  education,  is  founded  upon  economic,  as  well  as  upon 
philanthropic  principles." 

Boston  was  one  of  the  first  cities  in  the  United  States  to  establish 
special  classes  for  mentally  defective  children.  There  are  now  eight 
such  classes  in  connection  with  the  Public  Schools  of  Boston,  placed  in 
large  schools  all  over  the  city,  and,  in  one  case,  in  a  separate  building,  one 
of  the  "Portable  School  Houses"  intended  to  be  moved  from  place  to  place, 
as  the  movement  of  the  school  population  may  demand.  I  visited  the  majority 
of  these  classes  and  had  the  great  advantage  of  doing  so  with  the  Medical 
Inspector,  Dr.  Arthur  C.  Jelly,  already  well-known  to  me  through  what  I 
had  been  told  by  members  of  the  Royal  Commission  in  regard  to  the  excel- 
lence of  his  work  in  examining  such  mentally  defective  children.  I  was 
present  at  several  examinations  conducted  by  Dr.  Jelly,  and  saw  a  good  deal 
of  the  work  of  the  classes,  in  some  of  which  I  was  specially  interested.  The 
work  in  Boston  has  progressed  favourably,  efforts  being  mainly  directed  to 
the  recognition  and  classification  of  the  highest  grades  of  the  feeble-minded, 
those  in  whom  the  defect  is  so  slight  that  they  may  be  permanently  benefited 
by  training  and  possibly  helped  to  do  the  ordinary  school  work  to  a  greater 
or  less  extent.  In  the  year  1905,  a  series  of  suggestions  to  Teachers  of 
Primary  Classes  was  prepared  by  Dr.  Jelly  and  presented  to  Superintendent 
George  H.  Conley,  by  whom  it  was  officially  issued  to  all  Principals  of  Pub- 
lic Schools  in  Boston.  Dr.  Jelly's  main  conclusion,  as  expressed  in  his  own 
words,  are  as  follows:  — 

1st.   That  certain  children  need  special  classes. 

2nd.  That  these  children  if  studied  with  skill  and  care,  usually  show 
many  more  signs  of  defect  of  one  sort  or  another  than  do  those  children  who 
attain  the  grade  standard. 

3rd.  That,  since  it  is  generally  admitted  that  it  is  sometimes  impossible 
for  anyone  to  decide  a  certain  kind  of  case,  it  is  therefore  obviously  unfair 
to  expect  the  grade  teachers  unaided  to  determine  exactly  a  child's  mental 
capacity  in  a  difficult  case. 

4th.  That  it  is  equally  true,  on  the  other  hand,  that  an  examination 
by  teacher  and  doctor  together  will  often  discover  evidence  that  will  enable 
a  decision  to  be  reached  in  a  puzzling  case. 

5th.  That  a  little  knowledge  is  often  a  dangerous  thing.  No  one  should 
ever  jump  at  a  conclusion  from  the  presence  of  any  one  sign.  On  the  other 
hand  a  conclusion  is  often  warranted  by  the  presence  of  many  signs  taken 
together,  especially  where  they  represent  both  imperfect  structure  and  dis- 
ordered function. 

6th.  That  while  it  is  natural  and  proper  that  parents  should  shield 
their  child  in  every  way,  it  is  undoubtedly  true  that  the  child  seldom  gains 
anything  by  having  his  difficulties  denied  and  ignored.  Friendly  tact  and 
forbearance  as  well  as  firmness  are  needed  in  dealing  with  these  children 
and  with  their  parents. 

7th.  That  many  children  who  show  only  moderate  lack  of  mental 
capacity  have  their  defects  corrected  in  whole  or  in  part  by  judicious  train- 
ing.   Therefore  proper  special  class  work  is  both  humane  and  helpful. 

The  City  of  Rochester  in  New  York  State  is  also  doing  good  work  for 
feeble-minded  children,  which  I  hope  to  study  in  the  near  future. 


1909  FEEBLE  MINDED  IN  ONTARIO.  27 

/One  of  my  chief  objects  in  visiting  Massachusetts,  was  to  see  as  much 
as  I  could  of  the  Massachusetts  School  for  Feeble-minded  at  Waltham, 
where  Dr.  Walter  E.  Fernald,  one  of  the  greatest  authorities  in  the  world  on 
the  care  of  the  feeble-minded,  does  his  work.  The  school  is  about  eight 
miles  from  Boston  and  is  easily  reached  by  taking  the  Boston  and  Maine 
R.R.  to  Waverley  Station,  and  walking  a  mile  or  more  along  a  good  road, 
by  woods  and  farms.  The  land  is  good,  but  very  stony.  It  was  a  cold 
mid-winter  day  when  I  found  myself  at  the  entrance  to  the  school  grounds, 
which  slope  up  a  hillside  and  extend  over  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  acres. 
As  I  followed  up  the  winding  road  I  could  see  on  every  hand  signs  of  the 
history  of  the  place  and  the  work  that  had  been  expended  upon  it.  In 
January,  1846,  Judge  Blyington,  a  member  of  the  State  House  of  Repre- 
sentatives, moved  for  the  appointment  of  a  committee  "to  consider  the  expedi- 
ency of  appointing  Commissioners  to  enquire  into  the  condition  of  idiots 
in  this  Commonwealth  to  ascertain  their  number  and  whether  anything  can 
be  done  for  their  relief."  The  Commission  was  appointed,  with  Dr.  S.  G. 
Howe  as  chairman,  and  in  May,  1848,  the  Legislature  appropriated  $2,500 
for  the  establishment  of  an  experimental  school,  with  the  condition  that 
ten  feeble-minded  persons  who  were  paupers  should  be  selected  from  differ- 
ent parts  of  Massachusetts  for  instruction.  This  was  the  beginning  of  the 
Waverley  School,  the  first  of  its  kind  in  America.  Dr.  S.  G.  Howe  was  the 
first  superintendent  and  he  established  the  work  which  has  for  the  last 
twenty  years  been  carried  on  by  Dr.  Fernald.  The  good  road  on  which  I 
was  walking  had  I  knew  been  made  by  Dr.  Fernald.  He  has  been  able  to 
utilize  in  a  manner  little  short  of  marvelous  the  waste  material  of  humanity. 
If  a  boy  can  only  carry  a  stone,  and  that  is  the  utmost  he  can  do  to  "make 
good,"  he  gets  his  chance  to  carry  the  stones  under  Dr.  Fernald,  who  has 
got  the  whole  place  cleared  of  stones  and  a  large  part  of  it  under  cultivation 
by  using  just  such  people,  to  their  own  advantage  and  happiness  and  yro  bono 
publico.  After  climbing  up  hill  some  distance  I  saw  the  first  of  the  twenty 
or  more  buildings  in  which  the  population  of  1,300  are  housed.  All  red 
brick  buildings — not  elaborate  but  substantial,  comfortable,  suitable  and 
simple.  The  land  slopes  southward  and  everywhere,  all  round  every  build- 
ing, floods  of  sunlight  and  waves  of  fresh  air  sweep.  As  I  walked  on  I  met 
groups  of  twenty  or  more  big  boys  working  at  various  outdoor  tasks,  under 
an  instructor.  They  were  comfortably  dressed  in  gray  tweed  (later  on  I 
saw  the  weaving  room  where  it  was  made)  and  wore  warm  mittens  (later  on 
I  saw  where  they  were  knitted).  All  the  clothing  is  made  on  the  premises. 
All  the  mending  is  done  on  the  premises.  A  great  part  of  the  food  is  grown 
either  there  or  at  Templeton  (the  farm  colony  where  the  boys  go  when  they 
are  old  enough),  which  is  part  of  the  same  institution,  situated  three  miles 
from  Baldwinville  and  seventy  miles  from  Boston. 

A  little  farther  up  the  road  I  came  in  sight  of  more  buildings,  not 
too  close  together,  and  saw  groups  of  twenty  or  more  women  and  girls  pas- 
sing from  one  building  to  another.  At  the  administration  building  I  was 
received  with  the  greatest  kindness  by  Dr.  Fernald  and  Dr.  Anna  Wallace, 
one  of  the  resident  physicians.  One  understands  the  work  at  Waverley, 
when  one  has  seen  Dr.  Fernald.  In  appearance  lie  strongly  resembles  the 
late  Marquis  of  DufVerin  and  Ava,  when  that  great  statesman  was  in  the 
early  prime  of  manhood,  and  in  spirit  ami  genius  he  i^  like  Dr.  J.  A. 
Leonard  of  Mansfield,  Ohio.  After  going  through  several  of  the  buildings 
and  minutely  examining  the  methods  and  material  used  in  teaching,  the 
question  of  custodial  care  for  girls  and  women  unable  to  protect  themselves 
came  up.      Dr.   Fernald  said, — "Three  of  that    very   class   have   arrived   and 


28  REPORT  OF  THE  No.  58 


been  admitted  since  you  came  to-day,"  and  went  on  to  speak  of  the  fact  so 
evident  to  us  all  in  this  province  and  indeed,  everywhere,  that  in  every 
penal  and  charitable  institution  these  poor  women  are  found,  and  because 
they  are  neither  recognized  for  what  they  are  nor  cared  for  as  they  should 
be  the  country  is  put  to  great  expense  and  the  next  generation  will  have  an 
increasing  burden  of  mentally  defective  criminals,  immoral  persons,  unem- 
ployables  and  convicts.  Massachusetts  spends  $227,030  per  year  on  the 
1,300  inmates  of  Waverley,  but  no  doubt  money  spent  thus  saves  ten  times 
the  sum  in  this  generation,  and  no  one  knows  how  much  in  the  next  gener- 
ation. Besides,  the  income  from  the  school  is  $123,000,  so  that  the  net 
expense  to  the  State  is  only  $114,000. 

I  learned  a  great  deal  from  the  methods  of  teaching  at  "Waverley, 
especially  of  the  very  beginning  of  the  work.  The  new  and  youngest  pupils 
are  taught  in  simple  yet  adequate  ways.  Here  are  three  gay  strips  of  strong 
braid, — red,  white  and  blue.  A  child  who  can  hardly  close  his  fingers  learns 
to  braid  them  and  takes  joy  in  the  accomplishment.  But  no  one  must  stay 
long  at  any  one  task.  The  feeble-minded  lacks  attention  and  concentration. 
By  and  by  another  kind  teacher  gives  him  a  bag  and  tells  him  to  put  in  his 
hand.  Does  he  know  what  he  has  hold  of?  A  ball?  Perhaps  he  knows — 
perhaps  not.  If  not,  the  object  is  taken  out  and  he  sees  it,  puts  it  in  again, 
pulls  it  out  again,  and  so  learns  it.  "Who  can  find  one  like  this?"  says  the 
teacher,  and  holds  up  an  oblong.     Another  lesson  to  be  slowly  learned. 

Another  great  lesson  is  the  lacing  of  shoes.  Do  you  remember  your 
own  struggles  with  that  at  the  age  of  four?  You  were  further  on  then 
than  this  boy  of  fourteen  is  now.  Yet  give  him  a  large  boot,  made  on  pur- 
pose to  teach  this  lesson,  with  larger  eyelets,  and  points  to  the  laces  that 
never  come  off,  and  he  will  learn  in  days,  perhaps  in  weeks,  how  to  do 
this  one  important  act  in  self-care  and  self-help.  It  would  be  hard  for  the 
man  in  the  street  to  understand  or  even  believe,  that  a  large,  strong-look- 
ing boy  of  twelve  cannot  button  or  unbutton  his  own  garments.  But  it  is 
so,  and  at  Waverley  this  is  made  an  important  lesson  for  new  comers  who 
do  not  know  it.  Two  strips  of  strong  cloth,  one  with  large  buttons  sewed 
on,  and  the  other  with  button  holes  to  correspond  are  given  to  the  pupil 
and  slowly  he  learns  to  co-ordinate  the  fingers  and  the  thumb,  and  accom- 
plish the  task.  Often  no  attempt  has  been  made  to  teach  these  things  at 
borne,  simply  because  the  child  was  so  slow  and  needed  direction,  encour- 
agement and  praise  to  enable  him  to  do  what  the  normal  child  cannot  be 
kept  from  doing  or  does  by  imitation,  if  not  by  instinct.  Once  acquired, 
however,  the  lesson  is  ready  for  daily  use,  and  is  learned  for  life.  Colors 
are  learned  in  the  same  simple  way,  and  the  skill  of  hand  and  eye  thus 
acquired  is  gradually  put  to  use  in  greater  things.  The  Household  Science 
and  Manual  Training  Departments  of  the  Institution  have  been  developed 
very  much  of  recent  years  and  are  a  delight  to  see.  And  the  laundry,  of 
course,  holds  an  important  place.  Some  of  the  feeble-minded  have  decided 
gifts  and  talents.  This  is  one  of  the  joys  of  such  work — discovering  such 
gifts  and  fostering  their  development.  "In  the  laundry  is  one  girl  who 
sorts  the  enormous  washing  of  the  school,  without  any  assistance  and  with 
perfect  accuracy,  always  placing  the  clothes  for  each  child  in  the  right  box 
for  the  right  building,  knowing  all  the  marks,  a  feat  of  memory  astonish- 
ing in  itself."  The  atmosphere  of  the  place  is  happy.  Every  child  old 
enough  has  his  own  sled,  and  sometimes  in  winter,  when  everything  is  just 
right  for  coasting,  all  work  is  dropped  for  a  day,  and  everybody  goes  coast- 
ing. 

Music  is  another  great  resource.  In  1906  systematic  vocal  and  instru- 
mental musical  training  was   introduced    and   one  teacher  gives  heT   entire 


1909  FEEBLE  MINDED   IN  ONTARIO.  29 


time  to  it.  Altogether  261  pupils  receive  instruction  and  the  work  of  com-  I 
bined  classes  in  part  songs  and  chorus  work  would  do  credit  to  any  school. 
There  are  over  a  dozen  girls  learning  to  play  the  violin  and  other  instru- 
ments. The  work  of  these  pupils  has  been  a  great  pleasure  to  the  whole 
school,  and  it  has  pleasantly  filled  the  thoughts  and  lives  of  the  musicians 
themselves  and  has  greatly  increased  their  self-respect. 

Dr.  Fernald  says  in  the  last  report,  "Perhaps  the  most  important  educa- 
tional department  of  our  school  to-day  is  the  handwork  room,  devoted  to 
the  manual  training  of  the  large  group  of  middle  grade  girls.  Many  of 
these  girls  have  not  been  able  to  learn  to  read  or  write,  or  to  sew,  or  to 
perform  any  of  the  finer  domestic  arts,  and  250  of  them  receive  daily  instruc- 
tion in  this  room.  They  come  in  groups  of  15  to  20,  with  their  attendant, 
and  have  one  or  two  hours'  training  each  day.  They  are  taught  to  knit,  to 
crochet,  to  cut  rags  for  weaving  rugs,  or  for  braiding  or  hooking  rugs. 
They  are  taught  to  braid  and  to  hook  the  rugs,  and  to  use  the  loom  which 
makes  the  attractive  rag  carpets.  We  have  made  many  beautiful  rugs  and 
strips  of  carpet,  which  are  at  once  put  to  use  in  our  buildings.  This  work 
— using  material  which  does  not  cost  money  and  produces  fabrics  of  very 
practical  use — has  been  a  very  satisfying  addition  to  our  industrial  work. 
On  the  knitting  machines  our  girls  have  made  all  the  mittens  and  winter 
caps  required  by  our  1,200  patients  for  the  winter.  We  expect  at  once  to 
begin  the  knitting  of  the  stockings  used  by  our  patients.  The  wristers, 
hoods  and  mittens  knitted  by  hand  would  do  credit  to  any  class. 

It  is  not  easy  to  describe  the  deep  interest  and  enthusiasm  shown  by 
the  children  in  this  work.  Weaving  seems  to  be  peculiarly  adapted  to 
develop  the  power  of  self-control,  of  patience  and  of  accurate  motor  res- 
ponse in  the  feeble-minded.  We  have  two  looms  in  the  boys'  department, 
on  which  the  boys  are  weaving  some  first-class  crash  for  towelling. 

During  the  year  we  have  greatly  developed  the  elementary  manual 
training  of  the  boys  who  are  not  ready  for  sloyd  work  or  who  are  not  capable 
of  doing  sloyd  work,  but  who  are  capable  of  learning  to  use  common  tools 
with  interest  and  a  certain  amount  of  intelligence.  We  have  over  190  pupils 
receiving  daily  this  practical  instruction  in  the  use  of  tools.  In  many 
cases  a  boy  for  the  first  time  shows  self-control  and  intelligent  interest  after 
being  given  these  simple  exercises.  It  is  gratifying  to  report  that  already 
20  boys  have  left  this  elementary  class  to  enter  the  regular  sloyd  work.  The 
instructors  devote  their  entire  time  to  the  training  of  the  boys  in  this 
department. 

We  now  have  a  large,  convenient  room,  with  metal-covered  tables,  for 
the  preparing  of  vegetables,  etc.,  where  -30  children  can  work  at  one  time. 
This  provision  was  made  necessary  to  handle  the  wholesale  supplies  of 
fruits  and  vegetables  received  from  the  colony.  Asphalt  floors  have  been 
laid  in  all  these  rooms.  Now  fireproof  floors  have  been  laid  in  the  bakery 
and  provision  store-room. 

At  the  west  building  the  kitchen  and  pantries  have  been  furnished 
with  new  steam  cooking  appliances,  and  asphalt  floors  have  been  laid  in 
these  rooms.  New  hot-water  tanks  have  been  added  in  the  west  building 
and  in  the  east  building. 

Twelve  hundred  and  ninety-four  square  yards  of  telford  road  have  l>een 
constructed. 

The  boys  in  the  painting  class,  under  the  direction  of  nn  attendant, 
are  kept  busy  painting  the  interiors  of  the  buildings.  Thev  also  do  all  the 
painting  of  the  woodwork  and  walls  of  all  the  new  buildings. 

The  farm  colon v  at  Templeton  has  shipped  to  Waverley  ten  full  car- 
loads   of  produce,    including   potatoes,    onions,    squash,    pumpkins,    turnips. 


30  REPORT  OF  THE  No.  58 


carrots,  cabbage,  beets  and  apples.  This  bountiful  supply  of  fruit  and 
\egetables  enables  us  to  give  our  children  and  employees  a  very  varied  and 
healthful  dietary,  notwithstanding  the  current  high  prices  of  all  food  sup- 
plies. Indeed,  the  products  of  the  colony  farms  have  already  become  an 
appreciable  factor  in  the  institution  finances.  For  a  large  part  of  each  year 
our  dietary  is  largely  made  up  of  home-grown  products. 

At  the  colony  we  have  under  cultivation  this  year  over  100  acres.  Dur- 
ing the  year  we  have  cleared  10  acres  of  wild  land. 

Xo  pupil  is  in  the  school  more  than  one-half  of  each  day.  The  rest 
of  the  day  is  devoted  to  manual  or  industrial  training,  physical  drill  and 
outdoor  recreation,   thus  securing  healthy  change   and   variety. 

In  deciding  upon  the  school  exercises,  we  bear  in  mind  the  natural 
limitations  of  our  pupils.  Lessing  well  says:  ''Education  can  only  develop 
and  form,  not  create.  It  cannot  undertake  to  form  a  being  into  anything 
other  than  it  was  destined  to  be  by  the  endowments  it  originally  received 
at  the  hand  of  nature."  We  do  not  expect  to  be  able  to  entirely  overcome 
the  mental  defect  of  any  one  of  our  pupils.  It  is  a  question  of  how  much 
development  is  possible  in  each  case. 

As  a  class,  the  feeble-minded  have  dull  perceptions,  feeble  power  of 
attention,  weak  will-power,  uncertain  memory  and  defective  judgment.  It 
is  useless  to  attempt  to  arouse  these  dormant  faculties  by  forcing  upon  them 
the  abstract  truths  of  ready-made  knowledge.  Our  teaching  must  be  direct, 
simple  and  practical.  The  child  must  be  made  to  do,  to  see,  to  touch,  to 
observe,  to  remember  and  to  think.  We  utilize  to  the  fullest  extent  the 
varied  and  attractive  occupations  and  busy  work  which  are  so  important 
a  part  of  the  modern  graphic  methods  of  instruction  for  normal  children. 
Object  teaching,  in  the  broadest  sense,  is  a  prominent  feature.  The  school 
now  has  a  good  collection  of  objects,  models,  charts  and  other  apparatus 
for  the  practical  illustration  and  application  of  the  subjects  taught  in  the 
schools.  We  have  for  the  use  of  the  teachers  a  school  library  containing 
nearly  five  hundred  recent  and  standard  works  on  kindergarten  and  primary 
work,  object  teaching,  physical  and  manual  training,  and  other  subjects 
directly  connected  with  our  school  work. 

The  manual  training  r,oom  is  equipped  with  a  first-class  outfit  of  tools 
and  benches.  The  boys  are  graded  into  small  classes,  and  these  classes 
receive  systematic,  progressive  training  throughout  the  year.  The  pupils 
have  maintained  their  interest  and  enthiisiasm,  and  the  results  have  more 
than  exceeded  our  anticipations.  The  boy  who  begins  to  construct  things  is 
at  once  compelled  to  think,  deliberate,  reason  and  conclude.  He  becomes 
familiar  with  the  properties  of  wood,  leather,  metals,  etc.  He  acquires 
definite,  accurate  control  of  his  muscles.  We  do  not  attempt  or  expect  to 
make  skilled  artisans  of  our  pupils.  The  value  of  the  finished  work  is  a 
secondary  consideration.  The  mental  discipline  secured  by  the  accurate 
doincr  is  the  result  desired. 

Nearly  all  of  our  pupils  receive  daily  systematic  physical  training. 
As  a  rule,  they  come  to  us  with  poorly  developed  bodies.  Their  muscular 
activity  is  especially  deficient,  as  shown  by  their  awkward  and  uncertain 
movements.  Mental  awakening  generally  follows  as  a  direct  result  of 
increased  physical  development.  The  military  drill  is  of  much  benefit  to 
the  boys.  In  nearly  all  of  our  classes  in  physical  training  we  have  adopted 
the  Ling  or  Swedish  plan  of  educational  gymnastics.  This  system,  as  modi- 
fied for  our  use,  means  the  prompt  execution  of  precise  and  carefully  planned 
movements  of  the  various  groups  of  muscles  at  the  command  of  the 
instructor.  The  pupil  must  be  closely  attentive,  he  must  auickly  hear  and 
understand,  and  he  must  promptly  execute  the  command.  It  is  a  mental  as 
well  as  physical  drill. 


1909  FEEBLE  MINDED  IN  ONTARIO.  31 


The  splendid  mental  drill  and  discipline  given  these  children  in  our 
formal  school  classes  would  really  be  of  little  value  if  the  knowledge  gained 
could  not  be  practically  applied  in  the  way  of  making  them  happier,  more 
self-reliant,  more  useful,  and  more  like  normal  boys  and  girls  in  every 
respect. 

It  has  long  been  recognized  that  in  institution  life  notwithstanding 
the  many  special  advantages  not  to  be  obtained  elsewhere,  there  is  more 
or  less  loss  of  the  opportunities  for  profiting  by  the  teaching  of  experience, 
and  the  far-reaching  deductions  that  even  a  feeble-minded  child  makes  as 
a  result  of  rubbing  against  the  very  frequent  and  sharp  corners  of  the  out- 
side world. 

In  a  well-regulated  institution  the  child's  whole  life  is  carefully  super- 
vised; he  is  told  when  to  get  up  in  the  morning,  what  garments  to  put  on, 
when  to  go  to  meals,  what  articles  of  food  he  shall  eat,  how  much  he  shall 
eat,  and  he  is  kept  from  danger  of  all  kinds;  his  daily  duties,  conduct  and 
even  his  pleasures  are  plainly  indicated  and  prescribed,  and  finally  he  is 
told  when  to  go  to  bed  at  night.  This  guardianship  is  absolutely  necessary, 
not  only  for  his  immediate  welfare,  but  that  he  may  acquire  proper  habits 
of  life.  But  we  try  to  accomplish  all  this  in  such  a  way  that  the  child's 
personality  shall  be  developed  and  brought  out,  and  not  lost  sight  of  and 
extinguished.  AVe  spare  no  effort  to  bring  into  each  child's  life  and  experi- 
ence that  knowledge  of  common  events  and  familiarity  with  the  manners 
and  customs  of  ordinary  life  that  are  just  as  essential  parts  of  the  real  edu- 
cation of  normal  children  as  the  usual  instruction  received  in  the  school- 
room. 

The  daily  life  of  our  institution  is  based  upon  and  closely  resembles  the 
ordinary  daily  routine  of  any  other  village  of  twelve  hundred  inhabitants. 
As  far  as  possible  we  try  to  illustrate  the  various  phases  of  life  in  any  other 
community,  with  its  cares,  duties,  privileges  and  responsibilities,  its  little 
joys  and  pleasures. 

We  try  to  impress  upon  each  one  the  reasonable  certainty  that  well- 
doing brings  its  reward,  and  that  wrong-doing  means  an  ultimate  curtail- 
ing of  some  cherished  pleasure  or  privilege.  The  love  of  approbation  so 
universally  shown  by  these  children  is  a  prime  factor  in  our  scheme  of  dis- 
cipline  and   management.      No  corporal   punishment    is   administered. 

To  keep  our  charges  healthy,  happy  and  out  of  mischief,  occupation 
and  recreation  in  proper  proportion,  must  be  provided  for  every  hour  in 
the  day.  A  busy  boy  is  generally  a  good  boy.  Every  boy  and  girl  in  good 
bodily  health  has  some  regular  daily  work  assigned  them,  according  to 
their  age,  size  and  capacity,  and  this  work  is  often  changed,  to  make  them 
familiar  with  different  kinds  of  work.  This  duty  may  l>e  very  simple,  and 
very  likely  could  be  much  better  performed  by  some  one  else,  or  it  may  be 
a  half  or  full  day's  work  in  the  garden,  workshop,  kitchen  or  elsewhere. 
Sunday,  the  one  day  of  leisure,  is  the  only  day  when  it  is  at  all  difficult  to 
keep  our  boys  and  girls  happy  and  out  of  mischief. 

Aside  from  the  immediale  disciplinary  and  educational  value  of  work, 
the  only  possible  way  that  a  feeble-minded  person  can  In-  fitted  to  lead  a 
harmless,  happy  and  contented  existence  after  he  has  <rrown  to  adult  life 
is  by  acquiring  in  youth   the  capacity  for  some  form  of  useful   work. 

The  boys  take  great  interest  in  the  farm  and  garden  work.  They  have 
picked  thousands  of  loads  of  stone  from  our  fields  and  carted  them  off  for  use 
in  roadmaking.  They  do  all  the  harrowing  and  cultivating.  One  of  them 
has,  day  after  day,  driven  a  pair  of  horses  and  held  the  plough  at  the  same 
time.  They  do  all  of  the  weeding  and  nearly  all  of  the  hoeing  in  our  large 
garden.     The  truck  team,   collecting   and    delivering   supplies  between   the 


32  REPORT  OF  THE  No.   58 


different  buildings,  takes  the  entire  time  of  two  boys.  Other  boys  assist  the 
baker,  carpenter  and  engineer.  One  class  of  boys  devote  all  their  time  to 
painting,  doing  as  g'ood  work  as  we  could  hire  done.  Two  boys,  proudly 
uniformed  with  red  caps,  serve  as  errand  boys.  The  shoes  of  our  six  hun- 
dred inmates  are  kept  in  repair  entirely  by  the  work  of  the  boys.  They  do 
all  of  the  printing  of  stationery,  blanks,  circulars,  etc.,  for  the  school. 
The  boys  also  do  much  of  the  housework  in  the  buildings  where  they  live. 
The  girls  are  kept  just  as  busy.  In  the  laundry  they  learn  to  wash,  iron 
and  fold  clothes.  They  do  much  of  the  sewing,  mending,  and  darning  for 
our  large  household.  Much  of  the  children's  clothing  is  made  in  our  sew- 
ing-rooms by  our  girls.  Relays  of  willing  helpers  keep  our  eight  sewing 
machines  busy  from  morning  until  night.  Every  girl  at  all  bright  is 
expected  to  keep  her  own  clothing  in  repair.  They  are  taught  to  wash 
dishes,  make  beds,  wash  windows,  polish  floors,  sweep,  dust,  etc.  The  older 
girls  and  women  are  of  great  assistance  in  the  care  of  the  feeble  and  help- 
less children.  The  instinctive  feminine  love  for  children  is  relatively  quite 
as  marked  with  them  as  with  normal  women.  A  newly  admitted  child  is 
at  once  eagerly  adopted  by  some  one.  The  affection  and  solicitude  shown 
for  the  comfort  and  welfare  of  "my  baby"  are  often  quite  touching.  This 
responsibility  helps  wonderfully  in  keeping  this  uneasy  class  happy  and 
contented.  Without  this  cheerfully  given  service  we  could  not  well  care  for 
the  large  number  of  helpless  and  feeble  children  in  our  asylum  department 
without  a  largely  increased  number  of  paid  attendants. 

Each  ward  or  family  of  about  20  children  has  its  separate  and  distinct 
play  ground  in  the  shady  grove.  All  of  these  play  grounds  are  equipped 
with  swings,  hammocks,  tilt  boards,  sand-gardens,  croquet  sets,  etc.  Each 
group  of  children  spends  part  of  each  day  in  their  play  ground,  accom- 
panied by  the  attendant,  who  directs  and  assists  in  their  games  and  sports. 

In  the  living  room  of  every  family  is  a  liberal  supply  of  bright- 
colored  building  blocks,  picture  books  and  play  things  of  every  sort.  Every 
little  girl  has  a  doll  of  her  own.  These  toys  are  always  accessible,  and  the 
children  are  encouraged  to  use  them  as  much  as  possible.  The  play  things 
are  provided,  not  as  luxuries,  but  as  necessities,  if  we  wish  to  approximate 
normal,  mental  development.  A  recent  writer  well  says:  "To  acquire  alert 
minds,  children  must  be  alert:  and  the  young  child  can  be  alert  only  as  his 
play  instinct  is  aroused.  Shut  out  the  play  instinct,  and  you  stunt  his 
growth:  neglect  to  draw  it  out,  and  you  lessen  his  possibilities  for  strength." 

Every  boy  or  girl  of  suitable  physical  health  is  supposed  to  own  a  sled. 
Our  fine  hills  afford  splendid  facilities  for  coasting,  which  are  fully  utilized. 

At  least  once  a  week  during  the  school  year  some  evening  entertain- 
ment is  provided  for  the  children,  consisting  of  concerts,  readings,  school 
exhibitions,  tableaux,  minstrel  shows,  a  masquerade  ball,  dramatic  per- 
formances, and  stereopticon  exhibitions.  These  entertainments  are  gotten 
up  by  the  officers  and  employees,  usually  assisted  by  some  of  the  children. 
The  school  now  owns  a  fine  stereopticon  apparatus,  and  nearly  a  thousand 
carefully  selected  lantern  slides.  These  magic  lantern  pictures  vividly  illus- 
trate the  principal  physical  features  of  the  world  and  the  many  phases  of 
human  life  and  its  varied  interests.  The  pictures  are  greatly  enjoyed  by 
the  children  and  give  them  much  real  knowledge  of  the  great  world  out- 
side. 

The  most  effectual  means  of  discipline  or  correction  for  misdemeanour 
or  waywardness  is  to  send  a  child  early  to  bed  while  his  fellows  are  enjoy- 
ing one  of  the  entertainments. 

Amonq1  our  resources  in  the  way  of  recreation  must  be  included  the 
"Zoo,"   our  collection  of  domestic   animals  and  other  pets.     The   "Zoo"   is 


1D09  FEEBLE  MINDED  IN  ONTARIO.  33 


located  on  the  play  ground,  between  the  sections  assigned  to  the  boys  and 
the  girls  respectively,  and  consists  of  a  large  yard  surrounded  by  a  fence 
of  wire  netting  and  subdivided  into  smaller  yards.  Within  the  various  sec- 
tions are  goats,  sheep,  calf,  a  pig,  a  fox,  a  raccoon,  rabbits,  guinea  pigs,  white 
mice,  squirrels,  hens,  chickens,  ducks,  geese,  turkeys,  pigeons,  turtles,  frogs, 
and  even  snakes,  and  bears.  This  collection  is  a  never-failing  source  of 
pleasure  and  instruction  for  the  children.  It  really  forms  a  very  important 
part  of  our  school  object  collection,  as  the  different  animals  are  actually 
taken  into  the  schoolrooms  as  living  texts  for  encouraging  attention  and 
observation,  the  exercise  of  the  special  senses,  and  developing  the  power  of 
speech. 

The  regular  holidays  are  observed  in  the  most  approved  and  thorough 
manner.  At  Christmas  the  hall  is  gaily  decorated  with  evergreens  and 
bunting,  and  every  child  receives  several  presents  from  the  Christmas  tree. 

Each  Sunday  services  are  held  in  the  assembly  hall  and  in  the  west 
building,  consisting  of  singing,  Bible  stories  and  simple  illustrations  and 
practical  applications  of  the  fundamental  principles  of  morality  and  reli- 
gion. Nearly  every  child  attends  these  services,  and,  in  addition  to  the 
moral  instruction,  receives  valuable  lessons  in  decorum  and  behaviour." 

The  administration  at  Waverley  is  progressive  and  farsighted.  No  new 
problem  comes  up  to  take  them  unawares.  It  has  been  foreseen.  An 
instance  of  this  may  be  given. 

"The  last  Legislature  appropriated  So, 000  for  the  protection  of  our 
trees  from  gypsy  and  brown-tail  moths.  Before  this  appropriation  was 
granted  it  was  necessary  to  expend  over  $1,000  for  labor  and  materials  for 
the  seasonable  carrying  on  of  this  work.  An  active  campaign  was  instituted 
and  was  carried  on  all  through  the  winter,  spring  and  early  summer,  a  period 
covering-  the  entire  annual  cycle  of  these  pests.  The  work  was  done  in  accord- 
ance with  the  detailed  advice  of  the  State  Superintendent  for  suppressing 
Brown-tail  and  Gypsy  Moths.  Although  the  estates  adjoining  the  school 
grounds  are  now  completely  infested  with  these  moths  it  is  a  satisfaction 
to  report  that  our  own  trees  and  grounds  are  so  free  from  them  that  it 
will  not  be  necessary  to  ask  for  a  special  appropriation  for  this  purpose  this 
year.  The  expense  of  the  work  necessary  this  year  can  be  paid  from  the 
maintenance  appropriation.  Some  work  in  this  direction  will  probably  be 
necessary  for  years  to  come.  This  strenuous  campaign  for  the  protection 
of  our  beautiful  trees  and  shrubs  has  preserved  the  beauty  of  our  estate, 
and  insured  the  future  of  the  priceless  recreation  grounds  of  our  children." 

There  is  no  doubt  that  this  is  one  of  the  greatest  places  in  the  world  to 
learn  what  can  be  done  for  and  with  the  feeble-minded.  All  that  can  be 
done  so  far  as  we  know  now  is  done  here. 

"We  do  not  propose  to  create  or  supply  faculties  absolutely  wanting,  nor 
to  bring  all  grades  of  idiocy  to  the  same  standard  of  development  or  discipline, 
nor  to  make  them  all  capable  of  sustaining  creditably  all  the  relatiois  of  a 
social  and  moral  life,  bnt  rather  to  give  to  dormant  faculties  the  greatest 
possible  development  and  to  apply  these  awakened  faculties  to  a  useful  pur- 
pose under  the  control  of  an  aroused  and  disciplined  will.  At  the  base  of 
all  our  efforts  lies  the  principle  that,  as  a  rule,  none  of  the  faculties  are 
absolutely   wanting,    but   dormant,    undeveloped    and    imperfect."     Wtlbiir. 

Great  Britain. 

In  Great  Britain,  work  for  the  feeble-minded  has  made  steady  advances 
during  the  year.  The  National  Association  for  the  Feeble-minded  and  the 
National  Special  Schools'  Union,  have  once  more  held  that  annual  conference 

3.    F.M. 


34  REPORT  OF  THE  No.   58 


which  has  been,  in  the  past,  such  a  means  of  stimulating  all  their  workers 
and  of  enlisting  and  interesting  new  helpers.  This  year  the  Conference  was 
at  Bristol,  and  the  Lord  Mayor  presided.  Members  of  Parliament  and  others 
addressed  the  Conference,  and  the  view  was  brought  prominently  forward, 
that  while  private  charitable  agencies  had  attempted  much,  there  was  urgent 
need  of  one  central  co-ordinating  authority,  with  the  power  that  only  the 
Government  could  delegate  to  them,  to  deal  with  the  feeble-minded. 

The  National  Association  for  the  Care  of  the  Feeble-minded  are  actually 
engaged  in  collecting  a  fund  for  an  Industrial  Farm  Colony  for  those  under 
their  charge.  £8,000  is  required,  and  about£3,000  is  already  secured.  Their 
plan  is  to  have  an  ordinary  farm  for  boys,  a  flower  farm  for  girls,  a  school 
for  the  little  ones,  etc.  H.R.H.  Princess  Christian  has  expressed  warm  inter- 
est and  admiration  for  the  work,  and  has  lent  the  support  of  her  name  to 
the  scheme,  which  is  now  known  as  H.R.H.  Princess  Christian's  Fund  for 
the  Industrial  Farm  Colony. 

This  Association,  under  the  presidency  of  Lady  Frederick  Brudenell- 
Bruce,  and  with  the  aid  of  such  workers  as  the  Earl  of  Stamford,  Mr.  W. 
Dickenson,  M.P.,  Mrs.  Hume  Pinsent.  The  Bishop  of  Stepney,  Lady  Galton, 
Miss  Kirby,  Dr.  Ireland,  Dr.  James  Kerr,  Dr.  Langdon-Down,  and  the  Hon. 
Maude  Lawrence,  has  during  the  year  considered  662  cases,  and  given  advice 
and  direction  to  workers  in  distant  parts  of  the  Empire,  including  New 
Zealand. 

The  new  Act  making  medical  inspection  of  the  schools  compulsory  in 
Great  Britain,  has,  of  course,  resulted  in  increased  attention  to  mentally 
defective  pupils,  who  are  now  frequently  mentioned  in  the  School  Physician's 
Report.  For  example;  Dr.  Williams,  Medical  Officer  of  Health  and  Chief 
Medical  School  Inspector  for  the  County  of  Glamorganshire,  has  recently 
presented  his  first  Annual  Report  to  the  Glamorgan  County  Council.  Med- 
ical school  inspection  had  been  in  operation  three  months.  Number  of  schools 
visited,  117;  number  of  children  inspected,  4,021;  number  found  to  be  men- 
tally dull  or  defective,  97,  or  2.4  per  cent.  An  interesting  experiment  was 
tried  by  the  Education  Authority  of  Norwich,  under  the  sanction  of  the 
Government,  whose  Inspector  of  Special  Schools,  Dr.  Eichholz,  visited  the 
school.  The  experiment  consisted  in  sending  the  children  attending  one  of 
the  Special  Classes  in  Norwich,  to  an  open  air  school  on  the  Eaton  Road 
Estate,  about  1£  miles  out  of  the  city.  The  children  came  by  tram,  half 
price  tickets  being  granted  to  them  by  the  tramway  company.  The  grounds 
were  six  acres  in  extent,  the  soil  was  sandy,  and  the  site  of  the  school  pro- 
tected by  trees.  Three  meals  were  provided,  lunch  on  arrival,  dinner  and 
tea.  About  25  per  cent,  of  the  cost  of  the  meals  was  defrayed  by  the  parents. 
The  extra  cost  of  maintenance,  over  and  above  the  usual  cost  of  the  average 
pupil  in  a  Special  Class — including  extra  tram  fares,  food,  housekeeper's 
salary,  etc. — but  excluding  costs  of  site,  was  about  30s.  per  pupil  for  the  whole 
time.  The  children  were  examined  six  times  by  Dr.  Mathieson,  S.  M.  O., 
and  Asst.  M.H.O.,  and  he  found  marked  improvement  in  their  condition. 
For  example;  in  June,  the  children  averaged  4.4  inches  below  normal 
children  in  height.  In  September  they  were  only  4.1  inches  below  normal 
children. 

The  After-care  Sub-Committee  of  the  Education  Committee  of  the  City 
of  Birmingham  has  issued  another  valuable  Report.  It  will  be  remembered 
that  this  Committee  has  traced  out  and  kept  a  history  of  370  mentally 
defective  children,  who  have  passed  through  their  Special  Classes  during  a 
period  of  seven  years.  Of  these,  57  are  earning  an  average  weekly  wage  of 
6s.  Id.     The  following  is  the  most  important  conclusion  in  the  report : 


1909  FEEBLE  MINDED  IN  ONTARIO.  35 


The  After-care  Sub-Committee,  therefore,  after  seven  years'  experience 
with  defectives,  would  like  to  endorse  their  opinion,  previously  expressed, 
that  for  a  large  percentage  of  the  feeble-minded,  permanent  supervision  is 
necessary  for  the  following  reasons:  — 

(1)  To  enable  them  to  contribute  to  their  own  support. 

(2)  To  save  them  from  vicious  habits. 

(3)  To  save  them  from  harsh  treatment  at  home  and  in  the  streets. 

(4)  To  prevent  their  becoming  drunkards,  criminals,  and  prostitutes. 

(5)  To  prevent  their  giving  birth  to  children  who  can  only  grow  up  to 
be  a  burden  to  the  community. 

The  Lancashire  and  Cheshire  Society  for  the  Permanent  Care  of  the 
Feeble-minded,  of  whom  Miss  Dendy  is  the  founder  and  leading  spirit,  have 
made  good  progress  during  the  year,  but  have  met  with  a  severe  loss  in  the 
death  of  Dr.  Ashby,  their  medical  adviser  and  chief  friend.  Dr.  Ashby 
visited  Canada  with  the  British  Medical  Association  in  1906,  and  will  be 
kindly  remembered  by  everyone  who  met  him  then.  His  splendid  physique, 
simple  and  charming  manners,  and  almost  unrivalled  knowledge  of  child- 
hood and  its  diseases,  will  give  him  a  permanent  place  in  the  memories  of 
those  who  were  fortunate  enough  to  know  him.  Miss  Dendy  says  in  the 
report :  "To  recount  the  services  which  Dr.  Ashby  rendered  to  the  Society 
would  be  to  write  its  history  from  the  beginning.  Without  his  sympathy, 
advice,  and  practical  assistance  it  would  never  have  been  founded.  When 
your  Hon.  Secretary  first  thought  of  the  work  which  might  be  done  by  such 
a  society,  Dr.  Ashby  was  the  first  person  whom  she  consulted.  He  consented 
to  be  one  of  the  small  committee  which  first  met  to  enable  her  to  put  her 
views  before  the  public.  He  taught  her  all  she  knows  about  feeble-minded 
children,  ungrudgingly  giving  time  and  thought  to  the  unravelling  of  all 
the  problems  that  had  to  be  considered.  No  memorial  is  necessary  to  help 
us  to  remember  him ;  but,  for  our  own  sakes,  we  wish  to  build  a  little  Hos- 
pital at  the  schools,  to  be  called  by  his  name. 

The  Governing  Body  remember  with  what  affectionate  kindness  and 
tenderness  Dr.  Ashby  ministered  to  sick  children  at  Sandlebridge  and  else- 
w'here.  It  was  his  good  fortune,  born  of  a  rare  professional  knowledge  and 
skill,  to  relieve  many  children  of  physical  infirmities,  which,  short' of  his 
help,  would  have  made  existence  a  burden.  His  work  was  done  unobtrusively 
and  ungrudgingly,  and  it  has  raised  for  him  a  memorial  of  the  kind  which 
the  Society  are  sure  would  have  been  the  nearest  to  his  heart." 

Another  fact  which  shows  the  hold  that  the  problem  of  the  feeble- 
minded has  taken  upon  the  public  mind  and  upon  the  leaders  of  public 
opinion,  is  the  fact  that  three  important  associations — the  British  Associa- 
tion, the  British  Medical  Association,  and  the  British  Society  for  the  Study 
of  Inebriety — have  all  devoted  sessions  to  the  problems  of  the  feeble-minded. 
In  the  last  named  Society  it  was  the  question  of  Causation — The  Relation 
of  Alcohol  to  Feeble-mindedness,  and  the  conclusion  of  Dr.  Potts.  Medical 
Investigator  to  the  Royal  Commission,  corroborated  by  nearly  all  the  Leading 
authorities  in  England,  is,  that  the  evidence  is  not  clear  that  alcoholism, 
by  itself,  in  the  father  will  produce  amentia;  but  it  is  quite  plain  that  in 
combination  with  other  bad  factors  it  is  a  most  unfavourable  element,  while 
maternal  drinking,  and  drinking  continued  through  more  than  one  genera- 
tion, are  potent  influences  in  mental  degeneracy. 

At  the  annual  meeting  of  the  British  Association,  Mrs.  Burgwin, 
Inspector  of  Special  Classes  under  the  Education  Committee  of  the  London 
County  Council,  read  a  paper  on  Schools  for  Defectives,  tracing  the  move- 
ment historically,  and  stating  that  there  were  now  in  London  84  schools, 
with  a  roll  of  6,006,  for  mentally  deficient  children. 


REPORT  OF  THE  No.   58 


"The  school  hours  were  from  9.30  a.m.  to  3  p.m.,  with  a  mid-day  interval 
of  one  and  a  half  hours.  The  premises  consisted  of  light  and  airy  class 
rooms,  with  a  corridor,  hall  and  kitchen.  A  good  dinner  was  provided  at  a 
cost  of  2d.  per  head,  paid  by  the  parents.  The  teaching  was  given  by 
trained  and  certificated  teachers,  the  morning  session  devoted  to  mental  work, 
and  the  afternoon  to  art  and  suitable  handicrafts.  The  mentally  deficient 
attended  from  9.30  to  12  a.m.,  and  from  2  to  4  or  1.30  to  3.30  p.m.,  accord- 
ing to  the  recommendation  of  the  managers  of  the  schools.  Pupils  were  admit- 
ted to  the  schools  by  the  London  County  Council  Medical  Officer,  who,  on 
examination,  entered  in  a  book  called  the  "Family  History,-"  the  particulars 
of  the  child's  ailments,  whether  mental  or  physical.  The  teacher  kept  the 
"class  progress"  of  the  pupil  in  a  separate  book  for  each  child.  All  these 
schools  were  in  charge  of  the  Special  Schools  Sub-committee,  consisting  of 
eleven  London  County  Councillors  and  four  co-opted  members.  The 
classes  in  the  special  schools  consisted  of  boys  and  girls,  but  experience 
showed  that  the  senior  boys  were  better  separated  from  the  junior  mixed 
classes,  and  they  were  now  being  taught  in  separate  schools  advanced  manual 
work — for  example,  woodwork,  bootmaking,  tailoring,  and  gardening  (where 
possible.)  The  lower-grade  mentally-deficient  need  permanent  custodial 
care  in  a  working  colony." 

At  the  annual  meeting  of  the  British  Medical  Association  in  the  Section 
of  Psychological  Medicine,  one  of  the  chief  discussions  was  that  on  School 
Life  from  the  point  of  view  of  Psychological  Medicine.  Papers  were  pre- 
sented by  Dr.  Francis  Warner,  F.R.C.P. ,  F.R.C.S.,  Senior  Physician  to 
the  London  Hospital,  Dr.  Ralph  P.  Williams,  M.D.,  D.P.H.,  Professor  of 
Public  Health  in  Sheffield  University,  S.M.O  and  M.O.H.  for  the  City  of 
Sheffield,  and  the  further  discussion  was  conducted  by  Dr.  Shuttle  worth  and 
others.  This  discussion  was  practically  entirely  devoted  to  the  problem  of 
the  feeble-minded,  and  strong  opinions  were  expressed  as  to  the  necessity 
for  permanent  care  of  the  mentally  defective. 

Report  of  the  Royal  Commission  on  the  Care  and  Control  or  the 

Feeble-Minded  . 

The  chief  event  of  the  year,  and  an  event  that  marks  an  epoch  in  the 
history  of  the  treatment  of  mentally  defective  persons  throughout  the  world, 
is  undoubtedly  the  issue,  after  four  years  of  study,  deliberation  and  the  taking 
of  evidence  from  248  witnesses,  of  the  Report  of  the  Royal  Commission, 
appointed  by  His  Majesty  King  Edward  in  1904.  This  Report  is  comprised 
in  eight  large  volumes,  containing  4,000  pages,  of  which  the  total  weight 
is  25  lbs.  This  mass  of  evidence,  the  detailed  description  of  all  the  most 
important  institutions  for  the  feeble-minded  in  Europe  and  America,  and  the 
wise  and  far-seeing  recommendations  made  by  the  Commission  are  of  such 
importance,  as  well  as  of  such  volume,  as  to  render  it  impossible  to  deal 
with  it  adequately  within. the  compass  of  a  brief  report.  Besides,  the  original 
terms  of  reference  of  the  Commission  were  extended  by  His  Majesty  in  1906 
to  cover  an  enquiry  into  the  working  of  the  Commission  of  Lunacy,  etc. 

The  report  first  of  all  gives  certain  definitions,  and  then  lays  down  cer- 
tain principles,  of  which  the  following  are  the  most  important. 

Definitions. 

"Idiots" — i.e.,  persons  so  deeply  defective  in  mind  from  birth  or  from 
an  oarly  age  that  they  are  unable  to  guard  themselves  from  common  physical 


1909  FEEBLE  MINDED  IN  ONTARIO.  37 


dangers,  such  as,  in  the  case  of  young  children,  would  prevent  their  parents 
from  leaving  them  alone. 

"Imbeciles" — i.e.,  persons  who  are  capable  of  guarding  themselves 
against  physical  dangers,  but  who  are  incapable  of  earning  their  own  living 
by  reason  of  mental  defect  existing  from  birth  or  from  an  early  age. 

"Feeble-minded" — i.e.,  persons  who  may  be  capable  of  earning  a  living 
under  favourable  circumstances,  but  are  incapable  from  mental  defect  exist- 
ing from  birth  or  from  an  early  age— (a)  of  competing  on  equal  terms  with 
their  normal  fellows;  or  (6)  of  managing  themselves  and  their  affairs  with 
ordinary  prudence. 

"Moral  Imbeciles" — i.e.,  persons  who,  from  an  early  age,  display  some 
mental  defect  coupled  with  strong  vicious  or  criminal  propensities  on  which 
punishment  has  little  or  no  deterrent  effect. 

Principles. 

(1)  That  persons  who  cannot  take  a  part  in  the  struggle  of  life  owing 
to  mental  defect,  whether  they  are  described  as  lunatics,  or  persons  of  unsound 
mind,  idiots,  imbeciles,  feeble-minded  or  otherwise,  should  be  afforded  by 
the  State  such  special  protection  as  may  be  suited  to  their  needs. 

(2)  That-the  mental  condition  of  these  persons,  and  neither  their  poverty 
nor  their  crime,  is  the  real  ground  of  their  claim  for  help  from  the  State. 

(3)  That,  if  the  mentally  defective  are  to  be  properly  considered  and 
protected  as  such,  it  is  necessary  to  ascertain  who  they  are  and  where  they 
are,  and  to  bring  them  into   relation  with  the  local  authority. 

(4)  That  the  protection  of  the  mentally  defective  person,  whatever  form 
it  takes,  should  be  continued  as  long  as  it  is  necessary  for  his  good. 

(5)  In  order  to  supervise  local  administration  of  this  nature  a  central 
authority  is  indispensible. 

(6)  That  in  regard  to  the  protection  of  property  all  mentally  defective 
persons  should  have  like  privileges. 

(7)  It  is  essential  that  there  should  be  the  closest  co-operation  between 
judicial  and  administrative  authorities. 

The  Gravity  of  the  Present  State  of  the  Mentally  Defective. 

The  Commissioners  are  deeply  impressed  with  the  seriousness  of  the 
situation. 

"The  mass  of  facts  that  we  have  collected,  the  statements  of  our  witnesses, 
and  our  own  personal  visits  and  investigations  compel  the  conclusion  that 
there  are  numbers  of  mentally  defective  persons  whose  training  is  neglectrd, 
over  whom  no  sufficient  control  is  exercised,  and  whose  wayward  and  irres- 
ponsible lives  are  productive  of  crime  and  misery,  of  much  injury  and  mis- 
chief to  themselves  and  others,  and  of  much  continuous  expenditure,  waste- 
ful to  the  community  and  to  individual  families. 

We  find  a  local  and  "permissive"  system  of  public  education  which  is 
•available,  here  and  there,  for  a  limited  section  of  mentally  defective  children, 
•and  which,  even  if  it  be  useful  during  the  years  of  training,  is  supplemented 
by  no  subsequent  supervision  and  control,  and  is  in  consequence  often  mis- 
directed and  unserviceable.  We  find  large  numbers  of  persons  who  are 
committed  to  prisons  for  repeated  offences,  which,  being  the  manifestations 
or  a  permanent  defect  of  mind,  there  is  no  hope  of  repressing,  much  less  of 
stopping,  by  short  punitive  sentences.  We  find,  also,  at  large  in  the  popula- 
tion many  mentally  defective  persons,  adults,  young  persons,  and  children, 


38  REPORT  OF  THE  No.  58 


who  are,  some  in  one  way,  some  in  another,  incapable  of  self-control,  and 
who  are,  therefore,  exposed  to  constant  moral  danger  to  themselves,  and 
become  the  source  of  lasting  injury  to  the  community. 

This  evidence  suggests  for  our  consideration  as  a  main  issue  how  far 
it  is  possible  to  create  a  svstem  by  which  these  mentally  defective  persons 
could,  at  an  early  age,  be  brought  into  touch  with  some  friendly  authority, 
trained,  as  far  as  need  be,  supervised  during  their  lives  inco-operation  with 
their  relations,  when  that  is  to  their  advantage,  or,  when  it  is  desirable, 
detained  aud  treated  in  some  measure  as  the  wards  of  the  State.  The  evidence 
also  suggests  that,  as  so  many  authorities  are  brought  into  contact  with  these 
persons —  the  Poor  Law,  Prisons,  Schools,  and  the  like — in  some  way  a  set- 
tled plan  of  action  should  be  established  between  the  various  agencies,  so 
that  some  one  supervising  authoritjT  should  see  that  they  did  not  pass  from 
one  authority  or  institution  to  another,  helped  or  detained  a  little  at  each, 
but  permanently  cared  for  by  none." 

In  England  and  Wales,  with  a  population  of  32,527,843,  the  Com- 
missioners estimate  the  number  of  feeble-minded  persons  at  46  per  cent,  of 
the  whole  population,  or,  149,628  persons.  Of  these  it  is  estimated  that 
66,509,  or  45  per  cent,  at  the  present  time  urgently  need  care  and  protection, 
either  in  their  own  interest  or  for  the  public  safety.  The  Commissioners 
find  that  by  far  the  greater  number  of  mentally  defective  persons  who  are 
cared  for  at  all,  are  under  the  charge  of  the  Poor  Law  authorities  (just  as 
we  find  in  Ontario  a  large  number  of  feeble-minded  are  in  charitable  insti- 
tutions and  houses  of  refuge).  Moreover,  it  has  been  found  that  from  60  to 
TO  per  cent,  of  the  inebriates  dealt  with  under  the  Inebriates  Act  are  men- 
tally defective. 

In  regard  to  mental  defect  and  crime,  the  Commisioners  recommend 
that,  in  a  Court  of  summary  jurisdiction,  prior  to  and  apart  from  convic- 
tion, in  the  case  of  a  mentally  defective  person  charged  with  crime,  he  should 
be  dealt  with  by  a  reception  order,  renewable  from  time  to  time,  so  that 
he  may  be  committed  to  a  receiving  house,  or  ward,  or  institution,  or  other 
place  of  care. 

The  feeble-minded  person  who  breaks  the  law,  often  at  the  instigation 
of  someone  who  wants  the  deed  done  and  does  not  want  to  do  it  himself,  is 
committed  to  prison.  This  is  indefensible,  because  the  feeble-minded  are  not 
responsible.  But  it  is  inevitable,  until  our  prison  methods  are  reformed. 
Whenever  convicts  are  studied  at  all  it  becomes  only  too  evident  that  some 
oi  them  are  feeble-minded. 

Dr.  Treadwell,  the  medical  officer  of  Parkhurst  Convict  Prison,  studied 
37  feeble-minded  convicts  whose  criminal  course  began  under  the  age  of 
20.  One  man  had  28  convictions  between  the  ages  of  7  and  24.  Another 
had  34  convictions  between  the  ages  of  18  and  32.  These  37  convictions 
began  their  criminal  record  at  the  average  age  of  14^,  and  have  now  com- 
mitted a  total  of  515  serious  crimes. 

Central  Authority  or  Board  of  Control. 

The  most  important  recommendation  of  the  Commission  is  that  a  cen- 
tral authority  or  Board  of  Control  be  constituted  by  the  Government  under 
suitable  legislation  to  deal  with  the  care,  control  and  general  interests  of 
all  mentally  defective  persons.  The  Commissioners  recommend  that  there 
should  be  medical  members  of  this  Board,  with  expert  knowledge  in  regard 
to  the  different  classes  of  mental  defects  and  regarding  institutions  and 
their  administration;  that  there  should  also  be  legal  members  of  this  Board 


1909  FEEBLE  MINDED   IN   ONTARIO.  o9 


qualified  to  deal  with  cases  and  points  of  law,  and  that  at  least  one  woman 
with  special  experience  in  the  subject  should  be  a  member  of  this  Board  of 
Control. 

The  Local  Authority  for  the  Care  and  Control  of  the  Mentally  Defective. 

The  council  of  each  county  and  of  each  county  borough  is  to  be  the  local 
authority,  and  will  be  required  by  Statute  to  make  suitable  and  sufficient 
provision  for  the  care  and  control  of  the  mentally  defective  in  their  respec- 
tive areas  and  institutions,  homes,  or  houses,  or  in  observation  or  reception 
wards,  or  under  family  guardianship,  or  in  any  other  way  of  which  the 
Board  of  Control  shall  approve.  The  local  authority  will  act  through  a 
committee  for  the  care  of  the  mentally  defective,  one  of  the  members  of 
which  committee  shall,  by  co-option,  include  a  woman  of  special  experience 
or  knowledge  of  the  subject. 

In  regard  to  mentally  defective  inebriates,  the  Commissioners  advise 
that  the  powers  and  duties  of  the  county  committees  and  of  the  Board  of 
Control  should  extend  to  mentally  defective  inebriates  as  well  as  to  other 
classes  of  the  mentally  defective. 

That  the  licensing  and  inspection  of  institutions  which  are  established 
for  the  reception  of  mentally  defective  inebriates,  or  in  which  mentally 
defective  inebriates  are  received,   devolve  on  the  Board  of  Control. 

It  would  appear  to  be  the  opinion  of  the  Commissioners  that  while  the 
special  class  has  a  place  at  least  as  a  "Clearing  House"  where  children, 
who  are  backward  or  defective  may  be  recognized,  studied,  classified,  yet  the 
mentally  defective  child  should  be  under  one  continuous  authority. 

The  Education  Authorities  and  Mentally  Defective  Children. 

The  Elementary  Education  (Defective  and  Epileptic  Children)  Act, 
1899,  is  a  permissive  Act,  under  which  education  authorities  were  empow- 
ered, but  not  required,  to  make,  provisions  for  an  intermediate  class  of  defec- 
tive children,  being  neither  imbeciles  on  the  one  hand,  nor  merely  "dull  and 
backward"  on  the  other.  Up  to  September  30th,  1906,  the  Act  had  been 
adopted  by  87  local  education  authorities:  but  the  schools  have  been  estab- 
lished wholly  in  urban  centres,  and  usually  where  there  is  a  large  indus- 
trial population  and  a  high  assessable  value.  The  statistics  show  that,  tak- 
ing England  and  "Wales  as  a  whole,  the  schools  are  few  in  number  and  very 
unevenly  distributed.  On  August  1,  1907,  accommodation  had  been  pro- 
vided for  9,082  children  in  all,  of  whom  4,946  were  in  London. 

As  a  result  of  the  medical  investigations  the  Commissioners  conclude 
that  .59  per  cent,  of  the  total  number  of  children  on  the  school  registers, 
or,  in  other  words,  some  35,662  children,  are  in  need  of  more  suitable  pro- 
vision than  is  at  present  existing.  The  Commissioners  discuss  in  preat 
detail  the  results  achieved  under  the  existing  voluntary  Act  of  1899,  and. 
after  stating  that  they  do  not  propose  that  Act  should  bo  made  compulsory, 
remark :  — 

"We  believe  that  by  itself ,  and  without  many  modifications  and  chancre? 
in  other  directions,  that  Act  cannot  meet  the  demands  of  the  mentally  defec- 
tive; but  this  view  is  quite  consistent  with  the  opinion  that  a  special  class 
of  some  kind  for  the  observation  and  training  of  mental  defective  children 
should  be  associated  with  other  means  of  dealing  with  the  mentally  defec- 
tive as  part  of  a  common  system." 

The  Commissioners  thus  give  some  of  their  reasons  for  rejectincr  the 
proposal  that  the  education  authority  should  l>e  the  authority  in  charge  of 
mentallv  defective  children:  — 


40  REPORT  OF  THE  No.  58 


A  single  and  continuous  control  over  the  child  seems  to  us  indispensable ; 
and  by  its  very  nature,  as  the  educator  of  children  and  not  the  supervisor 
of  adults,  the  education  authority  could  not  exercise  this  control.  In  the 
case  of  other  afflicted  children,  the  blind  and  the  deaf,  school  time  suffices 
for  education;  in  the  case  of  mentally  defective  children  the  special  school 
or  class  represents  but  part  of  the  education,  and  sometimes,  indeed,  the 
child  is  unfitted  for  any  "Special  School"  education  at  all.  He  has  prim- 
arily to  be  treated  as  mentally  defective,  and  then,  subject  to  the  limits  of 
mental  defect  as  educable  to  a  certain  point.  It  is  not,  as  in  the  case  of  the 
blind  or  deaf,  that  one  faculty  only  is  wanted.  All  his  faculties  are  by 
reason  of  the  mental  defect  reduced  to  a  lower,  or  less  than  normal  standard. 

The  educational  system  of  the  country  established  for  the  teaching  of 
the  normal  child  is,  in  our  opinion,  unsuitable  for  the  child,  who,  unlike 
the  blind  and  the  deaf,  can  never  reach  the  mental  level  of  the  normal. 
Also  it  is  evident  that  the  development  of  the  institution  and  other  arrange- 
ments required  for  this  class  would  lead  education  into  a  department  of 
work  largely  foreign  to  it. 

It  is  only  by  taking  care  of  children,  who  are  mentally  defective  in 
various  ways  and  degrees,  as  part  of  a  common  problem,  that  it  becomes 
possible  to  provide  for  them  systematically  or  adequately,  either  during 
childhood  or  later.  On  these  grounds  it  seemed  to  us  indispensable  that  a 
new  authority  should  be  established  for  the  care  and  control  of  this  class, 
and  that  it  should  be  responsible  both  for  children  and  adults. 

Cost  of  Institutions  and  Suggestioris  as  to  more  Economical  Provision. 

As  regards  the  existing  expenditure  on  institutions,  the  Commissioners 
say :  — 

That  the  impression  left  on  our  minds  by  the  evidence  is  that  in  many 
instances  the  scale  of  expenditure  has  been  too  large;  that  there  has  been 
a  general  disregard  for  small  economics  and  careful  spending;  that  little 
thought  has  been  given  to  what,  after  all,  must  be  a  chief  factor  in  any 
provision  made  by  the  State,  namely,  the  social  status  and  normal  require- 
ments of  the  patients ;  that  persons  may  be  well  cared  for  as  patients :  and 
yet  need  not  be  maintained  under  conditions  altogether  superior  to  those 
to  which  they  are  accustomed;  and  finally,  that  there  has  been  no  recog- 
nition of  any  definite  and  accepted  standard  of  expenditure  to  which  author- 
ities should  be  required  to  adhere,  and  for  non-adherence  to  which  they 
should  be  obliged  to  give  cogent  and  satisfactory  reasons.  The  material 
for  such  a  method  of  standardizing  is  available.  In  many  instances,  the 
establishment  of  an  institution  for  the  care  of  the  mentally  defective  should 
not,  we  think,  entail  an  expenditure  of  more  than  £100  a  bed,  site  and 
drainage  included,  especially  if  regard  is  paid  to  the  normal  requirements 
of  patients  in  the  class  of  life  from  which  they  come.  Under  certain  con- 
ditions it  should  be  much  less. 

The  Commissioners  point  out  that :  — 

The  three  methods  of  oversight,  certification,  and  detention  are  recom- 
mended as  available  for  the  mentally  defective;  they  will  be  applied  subject 
to  statutory  safeguards  and  at  the  advised  discretion  of  a  responsible  com- 
mittee. According  to  the  different  classes,  for  some  oversight  will  suffice, 
for  others  certification,  and  for  others  certification  with  an  order  for  deten- 
tion. The  aim  of  the  scheme  is  the  application  of  particular  methods  suit- 
able for  the  cases  of  different  persons,  not  th?  general  adoption  of  any  one 
method  exclusively. 


1909  FEEBLE  MINDED  IN  ONTARIO.  41 


The   Commissioners  recommend  a   simple   system   of  wardship   for  the    ; 
oversight  and  control  of  a  person  who  is  under  age,  and  also  a  method  of 
recognized  friendly  care  for  his    oversight    and  guidance,    with,    after   his 
coming  of  age,  a  reconsideration  of  circumstances  and  conditions,  followed 
by  continuing  supervision  or  control  if  it  be  necessary. 

The  Commissioners  recommend  a-  simpler  system  of  certification  than 
is  now  in  operation,  which  may  be  put  in  force,  if,  in  the  interest  of  the 
person  or  of  society,  detention  or  segregation,  or  the  right  to  detain,  is  con- 
sidered necessary.  But  they  point  out  that  certification  would  not  carry 
with  it  one  possibility  only — detention  in  an  asylum,  or  licensed  house,  or 
hospital,  or  workhouse.  It  might  carry  with  it  stay  in  a  voluntary  home  or 
in  a  "colony,"  or  family  care  and  guardianship. 

Separate  volumes  and  separate  recommendations  are  made  as  regards 
Scotland  and  Ireland,  corresponding,  in  the  main  outlines  of  the  scheme 
at  least,  to  the  recommendations  referring  to  England  and  Wales.  An 
interesting  volume  and  one  of  special  value  is  that  in  regard  to  American 
Institutions  and  legislation.  It  will  be  remembered  that  five  members  of 
the  Commission  visited  the  United  States  in  1904.  It  is  pointed  out  by  the 
Commissioners  that  the  care  and  control  of  mentally  defective  women  of 
child-bearing  age  has  received  great  attention  in  the  United  States,  and 
they  also  state  that  "in  their  methods  of  treatment,  administration  and 
finance,  the  American  institutions  are  examples  that  in  many  respects  may 
be  imitated  in  our  own  country  with  advantage." 

Another  matter  which  the  -Commissioners  specially  mention  is  the< 
large  share  taken  by  women  in  the  management  and  medical  supervision  of 
such  institutions. 

American  Legislation,  as  is  well  known,  is  advanced  on  this  subject 
The  State  of  Iowa  enacted  in  1897,  "Every  child  and  youth  residing  in  this 
State  between  the  ages  of  5  and  21  years  who  by  reason  of  deficient  intellect 
is  rendered  unable  to  acquire  an  education  in  the  common  schools  is 
entitled  to  receive  the  physical  and  mental  training  and  care  of  this  institu- 
tion at  the  expense  of  the  State."  The  age  limit  of  21  years  was,  some  years 
ago,  by  provision  of  the  General  Assembly  of  the  State  of  Iowa,  extended  to 
46  years  in  the  case  of  feeble-minded  women. 

The  attention  of  a  Mr.  Bucknill,  of  Chicago,  was  called  to  the  fact 
that  a  great  number  of  feeble-minded  inmates  of  the  poor  house  were  also 
illegitimate.  He  investigated  one  case  and  traced  out  40  descendants  of  a 
feeble-minded  couple  in  one  Union  Hospital.  Everyone  of  the  40  was  feeble- 
minded, and  60  per  cent,  were  also  illegitimate. 

We  cannot  leave  this  problem  to  the  working  out  of  natural  laws.  Wo 
have,  in  the  progress  of  civilization,  secured  the  poor  boon  of  life  to  the  men- 
tally unfit,  whom  nature  would  have  removed,  so  that  now  those  unfit  threaten 
somewhat  the  interests  of  the  race  and  we  must  now  set  our  house  in  order 
and  since  we  have  secured  the  survival  of  the  unfit,  we  must  establish  places 
fit  for  the  unfit  to  live  in  and  to  make  the  most  of  themselves,  so  that  life  will 
be  something  good  for  them  and  that  their  lives  shall  not  threaten  others. 

As  Sir  Clifford  Allbutt  says,  "In  this  country  we  are  groat  at  bringing 
out  mops  and  mopping  up  effects,  but  we  never  try  to  stop  causes." 

We  must  now  try  to  stop  causes. 

A  very  large  part  of  the  work  of  the  Royal  Commission  was,  of  course, 
intrusted  to  its  medical  experts,  Dr.  Potts  and  Dr.  Tredgold.  The  special 
subjects  of  investigation   were  as  follows  :  — 

(1)  Children  in  public  elementary  schools. 

(2)  Children  and   adults  in  poor  law  institutions. 

(3)  Children  and   adults   in   receipt  of   out-door  relief. 

4  F.M. 


42  REPORT  OF  THE  No.  58 


(4)  Persons  known  to  eanitarv  authorities. 

(5)  Persons  relieved  by  medical  charities. 

(6)  Persons  known  to  general  practitioners. 

(7)  Children  and  adults  in  various  charitable  institutions  and  common 
lodging  houses,  reformatories,   and  industrial  schools. 

(8)  Persons  to  be  heard  of  from- other  sources. 

(9)  Persons  known  to  the  police. 

(10)  Idiots  of  the  district  in  idiot  asylums. 

(11)  Inmates  of  prisons. 

(12)  Inmates  of  inebriate  homes. 

Legislation . 

In  regard  to  the  expected  legislation,  following  the  report,  the  Imperial 
Government  has  as  yet  made  no  sign,  except  that  last  week  in  answer  to  Sir 
George  Kekewich,  Mr.  Gladstone  stated  on  Monday  that  the  question  of 
legislation  on  the  report  of  the  Royal  Commission  on  the  feeble-minded 
must  be  subject  to  parliamentary  exigencies,  but  he  might  point  out  that 
section  62  (2)  of  the  Children  Act  of  last  session  already  dealt  with  feeble- 
minded children  and  young  persons  who  were  guilty  of  offences. 

Every  British  magazine  and  review  of  importance  and  the  British  Press 
generally,  have  received  the  report  of  the  "Commission  with  the  attention 
and  interest  that  it  undoubtedly  deserves.  Not  one  voice  has  been  raised 
against  its  recommendations.  For  example,  the  British  Medical  Journal 
says  editorially :  — 

' 'Faced  with  this  state  of  affairs,  to  the  truth  of  which  the  report  bears 
eloquent  witness,  the  Commissioners  have  made  recommendations  which, 
whilst  involving  certain  changes  in  the  existing  machinery  of  administra- 
tion, will,  if  adopted,  at  once  co-ordinate,  unify,  and  immensely  strengthen 
and  improve  the  control  over  and  care  of  mentally  defective  persons  of  what- 
ever kind.  Of  these  recommendations  in  general  it  is  not  too  much  to  say 
that  they  embody  a  masterly  and  comprehensive  survey  of  the  questions 
considered  by  the  Commissioners ;  indefatigable  zeal ;  a  resolution  to  grapple 
with  the  question  in  its  entirety  which  is  at  once  bold  in  the  enunciation  of 
general  principles  and  minutely  careful  in  the  desire  to  utilize  existing 
institutions  and  to  save  public  money;  and,  further,  there  can  be  little  ques- 
tion that  the  scheme  and  recommendations  of  the  Commissioners,  if  adopted, 
will  place  Great  Britain  at  once  at  the  head  of  the  whole  world  in  this 
matter. 

In  the  meantime,  the  Commissioners  are  to  be  congratulated  upon  the 
completion  of  a  monumental  work,  which  marks  a  new  era  in  the  treatment 
of  the  insane  and  defective,  which  will  be  an  abiding  memorial  to  their 
labours,  and  for  long  a  guide  upon  the  way." 

Other  parts  of  the  British  Empire,  such  as  our  own  Province,  where  we 
are  just  beginning  to  stop  turning  away  from  this  problem,  are  under  a 
great  debt  of  gratitude  for  the  labours  of  the  Commission.  This  great  report 
shows  us  where  we  shall  be,  ere  long,  unless  we  bestir  ourselves,  and  where 
should  we  begin?  We  may  fitly  answer  in  the  words  of  an  article,  in  The 
Empire  Review,  by  Major  C.  L.  A.  Skinner,  a  member  of  the  London  County 
Council  and  Chairman  of  the  Special   Schools  Committee  for  London. 

"The  very  doubt  as  to  how  far  the  disease  may  have  spread  makes  it 
necessary  that  something  should  be  done  at  once  as  regards  those  cases  about 
which  there  is  least  doubt.  Feeble-minded  girls  must  be  our  first  care.  The 
maternity  wards  in  our  workhouses  are,  at  present  to  a  fearful  extent, 
breeding-grounds  for  mentallv  defective.     Here  we  can  make  a  beginning." 


1909  FEEBLE  MINDED  IN  ONTARIO.  43 


Or,  we  may  as  fitly  answer  in  the  words  of  The  Times  :  — 
"The  darkest  side  of  the  picture  which  the  medical  examiners  have  been 
called  upon  to  paint  arises,  as  might  have  been  predicted,  from  the  early 
release  of  imbecile  or  weak-minded  girls  from  discipline  or  control.  Num- 
erous cases  are  recorded  in  which  such  girls  have  speedily  lapsed  into  the 
criminal  classes,  have  given  birth  to  one  or  more  illegitimate  children,  and, 
at  the  best,  have  completely  broken  down  in  any  attempt  which  they  may 
have  made  to  assume  the  ordinary  responsibilities  of  domestic  service  or  of 
family  life.  In  the  great  majority  of  such  cases  the  lapse  from  good  con- 
duct is  not  only  inevitable  and  easily  to  be  foreseen,  but  leads,  with  practi- 
cal inevitableness,  to  prolonged  or  repeated  imprisonment,  or  to  other  forms 
of  punitive  restraint,  which  are  absolutely  inefficacious  as  far  as  the  pro- 
duction of  any  permanent  effect  is  concerned,  and  the  necessity  for  which 
would  have  been  obviated  if  the  necessary  external  support  had  been  afforded 
in  time.  Cases  are  mentioned  in  which,  by  "adopting"  a  weak-minded 
orphan  girl,  the  guardians  have  been  enabled  to  retain  her  within  the  shelter 
of  the  workhouse  up  to  the  age  of  eighteen,  at  which  time  she  insisted  upon 
her  discharge  and  went  forth,  to  reach  the  natural  goal  of  her  existence. 
In  the  United  States  girls  of  this  class  are  not  allowed  a  freedom  which  they 
are  certain  to  misuse;  and  it  would  not  seem  to  be  difficult  to  place  them 
under  proper  control  in  this  country  also.  Every  one  who  is  well  acquainted 
with  rural  life  is  aware  that  girls  of  this  class,  and  the  women  into  which 
they  mature,  are  often  sources  of  serious  immorality  in  a  village  or  other 
small  community;  and  the  practically  unchecked  freedom  to  do  wrong  which 
they  now  possess  in  this  country  is  an  evil  the  consequences  of  which  are 
by  no  means  limited  to  themselves." 

The  establishment  of  some  central  authority  by  the  Government  to  care 
for  the  feeble-minded,   and  the  immediate  necessity  of  action  for  the  care 
and  protection  of  the  feeble-minded  women  and  of  the  feeble-minded  children 
in  Ontario,  numbering  now  over  1,200,  would  seem  to  be  the  three  less 
for  this  Province  out  of  the  report  of  the  Royal  Commission.   , 

I  have  the  honour  to  be, 

Sir, 

Tour  obedient  servant, 

Helen  MacMubchy. 
March  12th,  1909 


FOURTH    REPORT 


OF  THE 


Feeble -Minded  in  Ontario 

1909 


BY 

Dr.  HELEN  MacMURCHY 

TORONTO 


PRINTED  BY  ORDER  OF 

THE  LEGISLATIVE  ASSEMBLY  OF  ONTARIO 


TORONTO: 
Printed  and  Published   by  L.  K.  CAMERON,  Printer  to  the  King's  Most  Excellent  Majesty 

1910 


Printed  by 
WILLIAM  BRIGGS, 
29-37  Richmond  Street  West5 
TORONTO 


FOURTH   REPORT 

OF  THE 

FEEBLE-MINDED  IN  ONTARIO 

1909. 


To  The  Hon.  W.  J.  Hanna, 

Provincial  Secretary. 

Sir, — I  have  the  honour  to  present  the  Fourth  Report  on  the  Care  of  the 
Feehle-minded  in  this  Province,  being  for  the  year  1909. 

The  Eeport  for  the  year  1908  appears  to  have  aroused  a  larger  share  of  public 
interest  and  attention  than  any  previous  Eeport  on  the  same  subject.  Not  only  at 
the  time  of  its  presentation  to  the  House,  but  during  the  whole  year,  both  in  the 
Province  and  in  other  parts  of  Canada,  as  well  as  in  the  United  States  and  Great 
Britain,  references  have  been  made  to  it  from  time  to  time  by  those  interested,  and 
also  in  the  Press  and  in  official  documents. 

British  Experts  Visit  Ontario. 

Several  workers  for  the  feeble-minded  in  England,  prominent  among  whom 
was  Miss  Mary  Dendy,  a  member  of  the  School  Board  of  Manchester,  and  the 
founder  of  the  Sandlebridge  Schools  for  the  Feeble-minded,  visited  Canada  in 
June,  1909.  Miss  Dendy  was  invited  to  lecture  before  the  Women's  Canadian 
Club  of  Toronto,  on  which  occasion  a  large  and  interested  audience  listened  closely 
to  her  account  of  work  for  the  feeble-minded  in  England.  She  also  presented  an 
illustrated  lecture  on  "  Types  of  Feeble-mindedness  "  before  a  crowded  meeting 
of  the  International  Council  of  Women  in  the  University  of  Toronto,  and  we 
have  been  informed  that  on  that  occasion  a  large  supply  of  the  Third  Report  of 
this  Department  on  the  feeble-minded  of  the  Province  of  Ontario,  presented  at 
the  request  of  the  International  Council's  Committee  on  Literature,  was  im- 
mediately exhausted,  and  many  who  wished  to  obtain  copies  were  disappointed. 

Action  of  the  Board  op  Education,  Toronto. 

At  the  request  of  Mr.  Rawlinson,  Chairman  of  the  Board  of  Education  of 
Toronto  for  1909,  I  visited  with  Mi~s  Dendy  a  number  of  the  Public  Schools  of  the 
City  of  Toronto.    The  Chairman  had  suggested  that  we  should  see 

(1)  A  school  in  one  of  the  poorest  districts  of  the  City; 

(2)  One  in   a   district    of  average  conditions; 

(3)  A  school  in  one  of  the  best  districts. 

This  we  did,  and,  at  the  invitation  of  the  Chairman,  Miss  Dendy  addressed 
the  Board  at  their  regular  meeting  on  the  evening  of  June  ISth,  in  the  Council 
Chamber  of  the  City  and  County  Municipal  Building  at  Toronto. 

[3] 


KEPOKT  OF  THE  No.  23 


Miss  Dendy's  Keport  to  the  Board  of  Education. 

Miss  Dendy  spoke  as  follows: — 

x*  Gentlemen, — I  have  to-day,  in  compliance  with  the  suggestion  made  to  me, 
visited  three  of  your  schools,  containing  I  believe  about  1,800  children.  Dr. 
MacMurchy  accompanied  me,  so  that  a  skilled  medical  opinion  might  be  given  on 
any  cases  that  appeared  to  me  to  be  defective.  The  results  of  a  somewhat  hurried 
enquiry  are  interesting  as  confirming  the  general  opinion  that  amongst  all  school 
children  (excepting  those  who  are  Jews)  one  per  cent.,  or  rather  more,  will  be 
found  to  be  defective.  Personally,  I  believe  that  when  those  are  added  whose 
defect  is  so  severe,  or  so  combined  with  bodily  weakness,  as  to  prevent  their  attend- 
ing school,  about  two  per  cent,  will  be  found  of  these  unfortunate  children.  We 
will  take  the  Jewish  children  first;  of  the  eighteen  hundred  children  in  the  schools 
visited  five  hundred  are  Jews,  and  amongst  these  we  found  only  two  defectives. 
They  were  both  severe  cases.  This  agrees  with  what  has  been  found  to  be  the  case 
elsewhere.    The  Jews  have  very  few  mental  defectives. 

Amongst  the  thirteen  hundred  other  children  we  found  eleven  cases  in  school. 
Two  severe  cases  were  reported  as  being  away  from  school  at  the  time  of  our  visit. 

In  the  third  school  we  visited  the  children  were  dismissed  before  we  had  seen 
them  all.  Some  few  cases,  also  were  noted  by  the  teachers  as  being  abnormally 
dull,  but  there  was  no  time  to  examine  them.  Of  the  two  Jewish  children  one  was 
a  boy;  of  the  eleven  other  children  eight  were  boys;  also  the  two  severe  cases  away 
from  school  were  boys. 

It  is  improbable  that  any  of  these  children  will  be  able  to  earn  their  own 
living  when  they  grow  up.  The  worst  case  is  that  of  a  strong  well-grown  lad  of 
fifteen. 

Since  more  minute  enquiry  into  the  condition  of  children  has  been  made  in 
England,  it  has  frequently  been  found  that  in  cities  where  it  was  asserted  there 
were  no  defective  children,  the  usual  percentage  has  been  forthcoming.  It  varies 
somewhat  in  different  localities,  being  usually  greater  in  the  country  than  in  the 
towns. 

In  England  it  is  reckoned  that  there  are  one  hundred  thousand  defective  per- 
sons uncertified,  in  addition  to  one  hundred  and  ten  thousand  certified.  It  is  certain, 
notwithstanding  the  careful  enquiries  made  under  the  direction  of  the  Eoyal  Com- 
mission, that  not  nearly  all  defectives  are  yet  discovered  and  reported." 

Mart  Dendy. 

The  above  report  is  a  joint  one,  both  on  account  of  the  suggestion  of  the 
Chairman  of  the  Board,  and  also  because,  as  Miss  Dendy  explained,  such  work 
cannot  be  done  without  the  assistance  of  a  medical  expert'. 

I  found  all  the  children  above  described  defective  mentally,  but  so  far  as  my 
present  experience  guides  me,  I  do  not  think  that  we  have  in  Ontario  as  great  a 
proportion  as  one  per  cent,  of  the  school  population  defective  mentally.  It  will 
be  some  time  before  we  are  in  a  position  to  form  an  accurate  judgment  on  that 
and  on  other  matters  closely  related  thereto.  We  need  first  the  enforcement  of 
compulsory  school  attendance  and  of  laws  in  regard  to  truancy.  And  we  greatly 
need  a  census  of  the  school  population  of  the  Province. 

Immediate  attention  was  given  by  the  Board  to  Miss  Dendy's  address.     Mr. 
James  Simpson  spoke  briefly,  stating  that  he  had  for  some  time  been  intending 
to  urge  action  in  this  matter,  and^that  he  would  now  move  that  the  teachers  in. 
each  school  be  requested  to  report  to  their  Principals  the  number  of  children 
under  their  care  who  were,  in  their  opinion,  apparently  defective  mentally.     This 


1910  FEEBLE-MINDED  IN  ONTARIO.  5 

motion  was  seconded,  and  the  Board  passed  it  unanimously.  The  matter  afterwards 
came  before  the  School  Management  Committee,  and  it  is  understood  that  the 
return  has  been  received  and  will  be  dealt  with,  under  the  direction  of  Dr.  Charles 
Sheard,  Medical  Health  Officer  of  the  City  of  Toronto,  early  in  1910,  and  that  a 
report  will  probably  be  presented  to  the  Board  of  Education  at  an  early  date.  Mr. 
James  Simpson,  Chairman  of  the  Board  of  Education  for  1910,  also  took  occasion 
to  mention  this  matter  in  his  inaugural  address  as  Chairman.^ 

An  Expert  from  Germany. 

Among  other  delegates  to  the  International  Council  who  took  a  special  interest 
in  the  welfare  of  the  feeble-minded,  was  Dr.  Tiburtius,  of  Berlin,  Germany,  who 
contributed  a  paper  to  the  proceedings  of  the  Council  in  the  course  of  which  ex- 
tended reference  was  made  to  practical  and  sympathetic  methods  of  examining 
feeble-minded  children. 

The  United  States.    Co-operation  and  Interest  Shown  in  Ontario  Reports. 

From  the  United  States  requests  have  come  to  this  Department  to  prepare 
papers  or  addresses,  or  to  take  part  in  discussions  on  the  following  occasions : — 

First  National  Conference  on  Infantile  Mortality,  held  at  Yale  University, 
New  Haven,  under  the  auspices  of  the  American  Academy  of  Medicine,  November, 
1909. 

Sixth  Annual  Conference  on  Backward,  Truant  and  Delinquent  Children, 
held  at  Buffalo,  June,  1909. 

Thirty-sixth  National  Conference  of  Charitjes  and  Correction,  held  at  Buffalo, 
June,  1909. 

Further  reference  will  be  made  to  these,  but  it  should  here  be  said  that  these 
opportunities  have  been  of  great  value  because  they  have  made  it  possible  to  keep 
in  touch  with  recent  work,  to  acquire  information,  and  to  establish  and  maintain 
mutually  helpful  and  sympathetic  relations  with  other  workers,  especially  those 
who  have  shown  themselves  capable  of  enlightened  and  progressive  views,  and  who 
have  successfully  carried  out  plans  and  policies  founded  on  such  views. 

The  Conference  on  Infant  Mortality  devoted  one  session  to  the  consideration  of 
the  welfare  of  children  who  cannot  safely  be  reared  by  the  mother.  The  one  reason 
accepted  for  this,  and  it  was  referred  to  repeatedly  by  the  experts  who  advised 
the  Conference,  was  the  feeble-mindedness  of  the  mother.  The  problem  of  how  to 
prevent  such  feeble-minded  women  becoming  mothers  was  briefly  but  decidedly 
referred  to  by  the  Conference,  the  universal  opinion  being  thai  custodial  care  for 
them  was  such  a  necessity  that  it  admits  of  little  or  no  argument. 

Frequent  communications  have  been  received  from  workers  in  the  United 
States  of  America  about  our  work  here,  and  requests  have  been  numerous  for  copies 
of  the  three  previous  reports  on  the  feeble-minded.  For  example,  from  the  Russell 
Sage  Founil.it  ion,  from  Clark  University,  from  the  Child  Conference  for  Research 
and  Welfare,  and  from  Professor  Karl  Barnes,  of  Philadelphia,  these  communica- 
tions have  come. 

Professor  Barnes  says  in  part : 

"Your  Third  Report  on  the  Feeble-minded  in  Ontario  is  one  of  the  most 
admirable  documents  on  the  subject  that  1  have  seen  in  a  long  time.  It  must  prove 
a  strong  working  argument  for  the  cause." 


EEPOET  OF  THE  No.  23 


Attitude  of  the  People  of  Ontario. 

The  press,  as  well  as  the  people  of  Ontario,  are  evidently  watching  the  course 
of  events  in  regard  to  the  care  of  the  Feeble-minded  in  this  Province,  as  frequent 
references  in  print  and  in  conversation  and  in  public  gatherings  show. 

Tenth  Canadian  Conference  of  Charities  and  Correction. 

At  the  Canadian  Conference  of  Charities  and  Correction,  held  in  Toronto  on 
October  19th,  20th,  and  21st,  almost  every  speaker,  whether  his  or  her  sphere  of 
labour  was  a  prison,  a  house  of  refuge,  an  hospital  or  a  charitable  institution,  re- 
ferred to  the  question  of  the  Feeble-minded,  the  necessity  for  taking  care  of  them, 
and  the  serious  consequences,  yearly  becoming  more  serious,  of  delay  in  dealing 
with  the  problem.  The  final  meeting  of  this  conference  was  a  joint  session  with 
the  North  York  Teachers'  Association,  and  at  this  meeting  the  subject  of  Back- 
ward Children  gave  rise  to  an  important  discussion,  several  teachers  and  others 
referring  to  the  fact  that  Feeble-minded  children,  though  not  numerous,  were 
sometimes  found  in  the  schools. 

The  Kingston  Press. 

The  editor  of  Church  Life,  Kingston,  in  commenting  on  certain  notorious 
criminal  cases,  writes  as  follows: — 

"  The  morals  of  the  people  are  suffering  in  some  localities,  judging  by  the 
Eobinson  and  Beaverstock  cases.  What  can  be  expected,  however,  from  weak- 
minded  persons?  They  should  be  in  some  public  institution,  the  wards  of  the 
government,  and  so  protected  from  abuses  and  society  from  hereditary  taints.  These 
later  cases  are  strong  evidence  for  the  annual  appeal  to  the  local  government, 
evidence  that  will  be  simply  irresistible  in  its  quality.  The  heart  sickens  when  it 
is  realized  that  there  are  people  so  lost  to  all  the  decencies  of  life  that  their  relations 
are  more  brutal  than  human." 

Nor  are  these  the  only  cases  where  crimes,  either  against  the  Feeble-minded, 
or  done  by  the  Feeble-minded  at  the  bidding  of  the  vicious  and  depraved,  have 
been  entered  on  the  criminal  calendar  of  Ontario.  Every  district  of  the  country 
can  show  similar  cases.  But  these  cases  were  horrible,  and  the  people  of  Ontario 
Lave  not  forgotten  them. 

The  Social  and  Moral  Eeform  League. 

The  Social  and  Moral  Eeform  League,  and  the  clergy  of  the  Anglican,  Presby- 
terian and  Methodist  Churches  have  again  expressed  themselves  on  this  subject. 

The  Toronto  Evening  News  says  in  this  connection : — 

"  In  acknowledging  Mr.  Hanna's  enthusiastic  attitude  towards  the  care  of  the 
Feeble-minded,  Eev.  Dr.  Chown  pays  the  Provincial  Secretary  a  well  deserved 
tribute.  The  problem  of  safe-guarding  these  unfortunates  is  a  difficult  one,  and 
it  deserves  the  serious  attention  of  the  municipalities,  as  well  as  of  the  Government." 

The  Brantford  Expositor. 

The  Brantford  Expositor  devoted  its  leading  article  in  one  issue  to  this  subject, 
and  quoted  largely  from  the  report  which  it  endorsed  and  supported. 


1910  FEEBLE-MINDED  IN  ONTARIO. 


The  Toronto  Globe. 

The  Toronto  Globe  has  also  given  great  attention  to  the  subject  and  says, 
editorially,  that  the  report  "must  always  be  read  with  mixed  feelings.  The  primary 
one  must  be  that  of  profound  pity  for  those  who  come  into  the  world  with  a  con- 
fused, defective  brain,  living  in  a  mental  and  moral  twilight,  yet  unfortunately  not 
experiencing  .that  kindness  and  consideration  which  their  stricken  condition  should 
naturally  excite.  It  is  a  disgrace  that  everywhere  they  are  the  butts  of  the  com- 
munity, the  sport  of  the  children,  and  sometimes,  alas,  the  victims  of  adult  vicious- 
ness.  Until  comparatively  recently  the  conscience  of  the  community  was  not  as 
tender  to  the  claims  of  these  defective  creatures  as  it  ought  to  be.  They  are  seen 
harried  and  tantalized  on  the  streets,  and  no  one  feels  it  to  be  a  duty  to  put  a  stop 
to  the  painful  spectacle. 

There  is  a  side  of  it,  also,  of  still  greater  moment.  It  is  well  recognized  now 
that  such  weaklings  leave  an  offspring  often  illegitimate  and  similarly  defective 
or  useless.  The  exercise  of  some  care  over  the  lives  of  these  strays  for  a  genera- 
tion would  undoubtedly  greatly  reduce  their  number,  and  looked  at  merely  as  a 
piece  of  economy  would  overwhelmingly  justify  itself.  Hon.  Mr.  Hanna  has, 
during  his  term  of  office,  studied  the  problem,  and  is  circumspectly  moving  towards 
a  firmer  and  more  comprehensive  dealing  with  it." 

Further  on  in  the  same  article  the  remark  is  made  that  "there  can  be  no 
satisfactory  handling  of  the  evil  until  the  treatment  and  instruction  begin  at  a 
much  earlier  period  in  life." 

Finally,  the  editor  deals  with  the  key  to  the  whole  problem  as  follows: — 

"  In  this  connection  the  difficult  problem  of  the  backward  child  in  the  ordin- 
ary classes  of  the  public  schools  deserves  attention.  The  backward  child  not  only 
makes  little  or  no  progress  itself,  but  the  attention  which  it  demands  tends  to 
detract  from  the  progress  of  the  normal  children  in  the  class.  The  remedy  la, 
of  course,  special  classes  for  the  defective  children.  The  defects  which  these 
children  manifest  cannot,  of  course,  be  removed  by  education,  and  the  segregation 
of  them  at  school  is  only  a  preliminary  step  to  caring  for  life  for  those  who,  it  is 
found,  cannot  stand  alone.  It  is  a  fundamentally  important  question,  and  it  is 
satisfactory  to  find  that  the  Provincial  Secretary  is  seized  of  the  fact  and  has  set 
his  mind  on  endeavouring  to  find  some  solution." 

Official  Eeferences  to  Keports  of  this  Department. 

Further  evidence  that  the  Third  Eeport  was  useful  is  to  be  found  in  the  fact 
that  the  Report  of  the  Standing  Committee  on  Defectives,  presented  at  the  Thirty- 
sixth  Annual  Meeting  of  the  American  National  Conference  of  Charities  and 
Correction,  by  the  Chairman,  Superintendent  J.  M.  Murdoch,  of  the  State  Institu- 
tion  for  the  Feeble-minded  of  Western  Pennsylvania,  quoted  rather  largely  from 
it.  Superintendent  Murdoch  had  previously  written  a  courteous  communication  to 
this  Department  requesting  permission  to  do  so,  and  expressing  a  high  opinion  of 
the  Report. 

The  Third  Report  has  also  enabled  the  Department  to  secure  copies  of  many 
similar  reports  and  other  documents  relating  to  the  Feeble-minded,  published  in 
Great  Britain,  the  United  States  and  elsewhere. 

Institutions  Whebe  the  Feeble-minded  arb  Cared  For. 

The  Industrial  Refuge  at  Toronto  continues  its  excellent  work  for  the  Feeble- 
minded, and  even   improves  on  it.       The  Matron.  Miss  Rankin,  whose  unusual 


8  REPORT  OF  THE  No.  23 

powers  of  organization  and  leadership  are  here  employed  to  the  great  benefit  of  her 
large  household,  and  to  whom  I  am  indebted  for  much  of  the  following  information, 
has  under  her  care  at  present  about  seventy  women,  whose  ages  vary  from  fourteen 
to  ninety,  all  of  whom,  except  ten  of  twelve  permanent  and  mostly  aged  inmates, 
are  feeble-minded. 

One  woman  referred  to  in  the  Third  Report  as  a  confirmed  mendicant,  whose 
children  were  being  neglected  and  taught  to  beg,  continues  to  do  a  little  work 
("enough  to  save  herself")  and  looks  clean  and  respectable. 

Another  girl  referred  to  in  the  Third  Report  was  employed,  on  our  last  visit, 
dusting  a  room  and  polishing  the  floor,  with  evident  interest  and  relish,  "  enjoying 
her  job,"  like  President  Roosevelt.  When  spoken  to  kindly  she  dodged  behind  the 
door,  quite  shy  with  happiness. 

E.  P.  looks  well,  and  is  as  good  and  affectionate  as  ever. 

A.  A.  during  the  year  made  one  bad  mistake.  A  man  in  the  neighbourhood, 
whose  morals  were  not  of  the  best,  hung  round  the  wall,  threw  over  notes,  put  up 
ladders,  and  otherwise  tempted  the  girls  until  finally  three  of  them  ran  away, 
and  in  this  escapade  A.  A.  was  concerned.  This  incident  illustrates  the  need, 
not  only  of  police  supervision,  but  of  high  walls  for  such  an  institution,  and  a 
site  removed  from  any  doubtful  or  too  easily  accessible  neighbourhood.  The  three 
girls  were  sent  to  the  Mercer  to  serve  a  term.  A.  A.  has  been  a  good  girl  since 
and  works  hard. 

The  most  encouraging  thing  about  these  inmates  is  their  happy  industry. 
Montaigne  says  that  the  most  certain  sign  of  wisdom  is  a  continual  cheerfulness. 
Taken  as  it  is  doubtless  meant,  for  the  average  worker  at  the  average  day's  work, 
and  not  as  applying  to  specially  serious  and  significant  occasions,  such  as  the  great 
changes  and  tragedies  of  life,  this  saying  is  doubtless  true.  And  it  may  be  applied 
to  the  condition  of  the  Feeble-minded  here.  When  we  see  them  wearing  not  the 
vacant  smile  of  idiocy,  but  the  quiet  smile  of  contentment,  when  we  see  them  in- 
dustrious and  see  the  work  of  their  hands  really  good  useful  remunerative  work, 
when  we  see  that  these  things  and  the  understanding,  knowledge,  and  kindness 
with  which  they  are  treated  have  their  vindication  and  their  reward  in  the  cheer- 
fulness of  those  who  are  the  subjects  of  our  care,  then  we  may  read  a  new  meaning 
into  Montaigne's  words,  and  say  that  the  most  certain  sign  of  the  wisdom  of  those 
who  rule  and  bestow  care  is  in  the  continual  cheerfulness  of  those  on  whom  the 
care  is  bestowed. 

A.  A.  was  almost  gay  and  pathetically  confident  of  demeanour,  and  so  proud 
of  having  been  a  good  girl  ever  since  the  last  time.  She  called  after  us  with  a  mix- 
ture of  affection  and  pride  in  her  voice,  "  Why  don't  you  come  to  see  us  of tener  ? 
You  don't  come  half  often  enough."  What  a  contrast  to  the  neglected  feeble- 
minded girl — useless,  cowed,  afraid,  disgraced,  broken-spirited,  fallen — no  place 
for  her  anywhere — taken  advantage  of  by  everyone  so  disposed!  She  and  her 
children,  who  never  should  have  been  born,  wandering  back  and  forth  along  the 
hard  way  of  the  transgressor  from  one  Maternity  Hospital,  Orphanage,  Shelter, 
Haven,  Workhouse,  Prison  to  another — costing  the  community  double  or  treble 
(or  perhaps  a  hundred  times,  who  knows?)  what  she  would  if  made  happy  and 
safe  working  for  herself  before  she  had  fallen,  or  when  she  had  not  fallen  often, 
in  a  place  like  this. 

Mrs.  A.  P.,  one  of  the  difficult  cases,  has  made  great  progress  in  the  year.  As 
mentioned  in  the  Third  Report  she  is  the  feeble-minded  wife  of  a  feeble-minded 
husband.  But  she  has  actually  made  a  place  for  herself,  and  is  quite  an  important 
person  in  the  Refuge,  though  she  was  a  lamentable  failure  outside.     She  possesses 


1910  FEEBLE-MINDED  IN  ONTARIO.  9 

in  a  marked  degree  the  virtue  of  early  rising,  and  when  she  is  given  something  to 
do  as  part  of  the  daily  routine,  that  work  is  always  faithfully  done  (more  than  we 
can  say  of  all  mentally  sound  people!).  She  can  be  trusted  with  a  good  deal.  As 
for  the  feeble-minded  husband,  she  invariably  refers  to  him  by  the  proud  title  of 
"  The  Baby's  Pa/'  and  his  frequent  calls  upon  her  on  visiting  days  are  a  source 
of  interest  and  excitement  to  tne  whole  house.  Mrs.  A.  P.  is  admonished  at  once, 
as  soon  as  anyone  catches  sight  from  the  window  of  "  The  Baby's  Pa"  approaching, 
that  she  must  hurry  and  get  ready  and  go  upstairs  to  see  him. 

The  mental  condition  of  "The  Baby's  Pa"  may  be  judged  by  a  wonderful  plan 
he  has  elaborated  to  go  to  housekeeping  again  with  his  wife  and  the  baby.  This 
is  to  rent  a  room  from  some  rather  apocryphal  person,  to  pay  the  rent  by  getting 
his  wife  to  work  for  the  apocryphal  landlady,  and  to  secure  his  wife's  freedom  by 
the  aid  of  the  police.  He  intends  to  invite  two  or  three  constables  to  assist  him, 
to  guide  them  within  sight  of  the  Industrial  Refuge,  "  Then  I'll  say,  '  Come  on, 
boys,  she  is  in  there,'  and  1^11  get  her  out !" 

As  for  the  poor  feeble-minded  child  of  this  extraordinary  pair,  whose  birth 
created  the  title  of  "The  Baby's  Pa,"  she  is  kindly  cared  for  in  one  of  our  best 
institutions,  and  is  frequently  visited  there  by  her  father.  She  does  show  signs 
of  mental  defect,  and  still  perhaps  we  can  make  something  of  her,  perhaps  she 
can  fill  some  sheltered  corner  in  the  Scheme  of  Things,  and  if  the  Province  has  to 
support  her  partly,  still  we  have  the  consolation  of  knowing  that  the  feeble-minded 
'  father  is  cared  for  (by  his  family)  and  working  a  little,  that  the  feeble-minded 
mother  is  almost  self-supporting,  and  that  we  have  not  four  or  five  more  children. 
None  of  these  things  would  have  happened  if  we  had  let  this  case  drift. 

As  we  go  on  through  the  house  we  meet  A.  B.,  one  of  the  best  girls.  She  is 
allowed  to  have  a  room  to  herself,  and  works  well,  and  is  a  pleasant  girl.  Her 
sister,  in  spite  of  the  fact  that  A.  could  not  take  care  of  herself  at  all,  and  was 
twice  in  a  Maternity  Hospital  within  little  more  than  a  year,  is  very  angry  that 
A.  is  here,  and  would  like  to  get  her  out.  To  look  at  A.  those  wTho  know  nothing 
of  the  higher  grades  of  the  Feeble-minded  might  agree  with  the  sister.  When  one 
sees  the  inmates,  useful,  clean,  industrious,  contented,  one  thinks  they  could  surely 
do  housework  out  in  the  world,  where  domestic  servants  are  so  much  needed.  Most 
of  these  have  already  proved  that  such  a  course  would  be  impossible  and  disastrous 
to  them.  It  recalls  to  one's  mind  the  reply  of  Rob  Roy  to  the  Duke  when  His 
Grace  said  to  the  famous  outlaw,  on  whom  he  had  just  passed  the  sentence  of 
death : 

"  You  will  do  well,  sir,  to  warn  your  wife  and  family  and  followers  to  beware." 

"My  Lord,"  said  Rob  Roy  in  answer,  "were  I  now  with  my  folk,  I  could  rule 
four  or  five  hundred  wild  Highlanders  as  easy  as  Your  Grace  these  eighl  or  ten 
lackeys  and  footboys.  But  if  Your  Grace  is  bent  to  take  tne  head  away  from  a 
house,  ye  may  lay  your  account  there  will  be  misrule  among  the  members." 

In  this  well  governed  house,  with  a  good  woman  and  an  excellent  officer  at 
the  head  of  it,  with  no  one  to  tempt,  no  one  to  betray,  no  one  to  Bel  a  bad  example, 
with  work  and  order  and  civility  the  rule  of  the  house,  with  their  whimsicalities 
understood,  and  their  weakness  compensated  for  by  someon  strength,  these 

poor  girls  and  women  Loot  clear  and  work  well  and  speak  civilly,  and  try  hard 
and  successfully  to  he  good.  But  not  even  !>"'»  Roy's  wild  Highlanders  could  use 
worse  language,  or  he  more  easily  tempted,  or  live  lazier  lives,  or  commit  more 
crimes,  than  the  feeble-minded  prostitute-  and  criminal-  of  a  modern  city.  1 
this  fate  it  is  the  duty  of  the  civilized  State  (which  assumes  the  responsibility  <>f 
caring  for  minors  deprived    of  their  natural   guardians   ami   of   protecting  those 


10  EEPOBT  OF  THE  No.  23 

whose  minds  are  so  diseased  as  to  render  them  irresponsible),  to  save  those  who  will 
always  mentally  be  minors  of  about  the  age  of  nine  years  and  whose  minds  have 
never  developed  far  enough  to  make  them  other  than  irresponsible. 

Some  few  Feeble-minded,  placed  in  exceptionally  good  homes  and  also  placed 
under  authoritative  supervision  to  see  that  they  remain  in  these  homes,  under 
favourable  circumstances,  may  do  fairly  well.  But  for  the  vast  majority  custodial 
care  is  the  only  proper  course,  and  this  applies  almost  without  exception  to  those 
who  have  once  found  their  way  to  Government  or  charitable  institutions.  On  this 
point  there  is  no  difference  of  opinion  among  those  who  have  studied  the  subject, 
such  as  Dr.  Walter  E.  Fernald,  of  Waverley. 

As  an  authority  on  the  Feeble-minded,  Dr.  Fernald  has,  in  the  opinion  of 
the  British  Eoyal  Commission  on  the  Feeble-minded,  and  others  well  qualified  to 
judge,  few  superiors. 

In  his  last  report,  published  in  1909,  of  the  famous  Massachusetts  School  for 
the  Feeble-minded,  of  which  he  is  Superintendent,  Dr.  Fernald  says : — 

"  With  the  girls  generally  the  introduction  of  the  musical  training,  the  domestic 
training  and  the  fascinating  forms  of  handwork — embroidery,  fancy  work,  etc. — 
has  opened  up  many  natural  sources  of  feminine  interest  and  pleasure.  This 
greatly  broadened  life  has  apparently  made  a  permanent  change  in  the  relation 
of  the  girls  as  a  whole  to  the  school  and  to  life  generally.  As  a  class  they  have 
become  much  better  contented,  better  behaved  and  have  become  infinitely  more  like 
normal  women  in  every  way. 

This  noticeable  change  in  the  apparent  mental  condition  of  so  many  of  our 
girls  has  opened  up  a  new  set  of  perplexing  problems,  as  has  already  been  called 
attention  to  in  the  report  of  the  trustees. 

It  often  happens  that  a  girl  is  committed  to  the  school  because  she  has  been 
found  impossible  at  home  and  in  the  community.  She  is  dull  mentally,  idle,  untidy 
in  dress,  disobedient,  wilful,  incorrigible,  inefficient  at  any  kind  of  work.  Probably 
she  has  been  unchaste,  perhaps  has  had  one  or  more  illegitimate  children;  she  may 
have  a  court  record.  She  comes  to  us  hard  and  unattractive,  impudent,  insolent 
and  useless.  She  is  put  in  school;  she  is  taught  to  read  and  write,  to  sing,  to  cook 
to  sew,  to  knit.  With  good,  simple  food,  regular  bathing,  physical  exercise,  regular 
habits,  etc.,  she  becomes  strong,  bright-eyed  and  attractive.  She  becomes  quiet, 
obedient  and  well-behaved.  Her  friends  see  the  change,  but  do  not  realize 
that  the  improvement  is  the  result  of  and  depends  upon  the  environment  of 
the  school,  the  influence  of  association  with  refined  women,  absence  of  tempta- 
tion, and  constant  supervision  and  direction.  They  demand  that  she  may 
be  sent  home,  that  the  family  may  have  the  benefit  of  her  work  or  that  she 
may  be  put  out  to  service  for  wages.  They  do  not  realize  that  with  the  best 
possible  home  supervision  the  girl  will  almost  always  rapidly  deteriorate,  and 
quickly  return  to  her  old  ways.  They  do  not  understand  that  the  mental  weakness 
which  was  the  cause  of  the  moral  delinquency  is  a  permanent  condition,  and  in  all 
probability  will  reassert  itself  if  the  constant  supervision  is  taken  away.  We  now 
have  at  least  twenty  cases  where  the  friends  are  urgently  asking  for  the  discharge  of 
female  patients  whose  history ,  before  and  after  entering  the  school  closely  corres- 
ponds to  the  h}'pothetical  condition  described  above.  The  apparent  fitness  of  a 
girl  of  this  type  for  home  life,  as  a  result  of  the  school  training,  is  so  real  that  a 
magistrate  would  hesitate  to  commit  the  very  girl  he  unhesitatingly  committed, 
at  the  urgent  request  of  the  same  relaives,  only  a  few  months  previously.  The  fact 
that  every  one  of  the  girls  of  this  type  almost  certainly  returns  to  her  previous 


1910  FEEBLE-MINDED  IN  ONTARIO.  11 

troublesome  mental,  social  and  moral  habits  is  well  understood  by  every  one 
familiar  with  mental  defectives. 

This  year,  two  girls  who  had  been  admitted  to  the  school  under  the  conditions 
described  above  improved  so  much  in  every  way  that  the  relatives  honestly  believed 
that  it  was  not  fair  to  keep  them  here  longer,  and  also  wished  to  have  the  girls  at 
home  to  assist  with  the  house  work.  Prominent  people  became  interested  and 
urgently  requested  the  discharge  of  the  girls.  The  families  promised  to  closely 
watch  and  guard  them.  The  trustees  finally  -permitted  these  girls  to  return  to  their 
homes.  They  quickly  became  unmanageable  and  waj^ward,  and  both  became  preg- 
nant within  a  few  months  of  their  discharge.  Both  girls  were  then  recommitted 
to  the  school. 

The  existence  of  this  large  institution  is  largely  due  to  the  demands  of  parents, 
physicians,  clergymen,  court  officers,  social  workers,  and  thoughtful  people  gener- 
ally, that  feeble-minded  women  should  be  permanently  removed  from  the  com- 
munity. In  this  State  there  is  an  urgent  demand  for  the  commitment  and  per- 
manent detention  of  the  higher  grade  cases  of  defect,  where  the  social  incapacity 
and  the  moral  weakness  are  more  obvious  than  the  mental  backwardness.  These 
cases  cannot  support  themselves,  and  are  most  undesirable  and  troublesome  mem- 
bers of  society.  Under  institution  conditions,  protected,  supervised  and  helped  as 
they  are,  they  soon  behave  much  like  normal  women.  If  sent  out  into  the  com- 
munity they  almost  invariably  return  to  their  former  habits.  It  is  not  difficult 
to  obtain  powerful  pressure  to  discharge  these  cases.  Indeed,  the  fact,  well  known 
to  alienists,  that  these  girls  are  often  attractive  and  bright-looking,  and  are  able 
to  talk  glibly  and  plausibly,  is  very  convincing,  even  to  the  courts.  We  have, 
therefore,  to  face  the  anomalous  f  actv  that  it  is  easy  to  have  a  class  of  patients  com- 
mitted to  the  school  under  a  permanent  commitment  who  in  a  few  months  are 
likely  to  impress  the  same  court  as  cases  who  ought  at  least  to  be  released  on  trial, 
on  the  principle  that  no  person  ought  to  be  permanently  deprived  of  his  liberty 
on  the  mere  assumption  that  he  will  in  all  human  probability  misbehave  or  commit 
crime. 

This  state  of  affairs  is  largely  due  to  the  fact  that  the  medical  and  popular 
appreciation  of  the  existence  of  this  most  dangerous  class  of  so-called  moral  de- 
fectives has  not  yet  been  adequately  formulated  into  workable  legal  definitions 
and  precedents." 

But  we  are  rapidly  learning  the  practical  and  right  way  to  deal  with  these 
cases,  and  legal  definitions  and  precedents  will  follow  before  long. 

No  one  in  the  Industrial  Refug<>  requests  to  be  allowed  to  leave.  It  is,  in  fact, 
a  favourite  remark  of  another  inmate,  E.  D.  (conversation  among  the  Feeble- 
minded has  a  strong  tendency  to  frequent  repetition,  and  even  to  becoming  stereo- 
typed), "I  don't  see  why  any  girl  would  want  to  go  away  from  this  house." 

B.  L.,  a  willing  girl,  Mrs.  IT.,  a  poor  woman  who  has  always  been  mentally 
inferior,  and  cannot  even  remember  to  eat  her  meals  without  being  reminded; 
A.  F.,  whose  mother  died  in  an  asylum:  M.  IT.,  whose  favourite  remark  is,  "A 
great  many  people  are  fools  and  don't  know  it,  but  T  know  T  am  !"  are  all  looking 
well.  M.  H.  needs  very  constant  cave.  On  one  occasion  it  was  necessary  to  burn 
some  suspected  rubbish  and  M.  TT.  added  fuel  to  the  flames  in  the  shape  of  the 
whole  stock  of  clothes  of  another  of  the  inmates.  She  had,  however,  sufficient 
sense  of  right  and  wrong  to  make  her  think  afterwards  that  she  should  give  her 
own  clothes  to  the  inmate  whose  clothes  she  had  destroyed! 

M.  I.,  a  quiet,  sweet-looking  girl,  and  a  good  worker,  was  rescued  by  the 
Salvation  Army.     Tt  seems  hard   to  believe  that  this  girl,  now  looking  not  only 


12  BEPOKT  OF  THE  No.  23 

respectable,  but  attractive,  was  very  immoral,  and  had  three  illegitimate  children 
in  as  many  years,  and  still  believes,  what  some  evil  person  told  her,  namely,  that 
this  was  quite  right  and  proper ! 

There  are  three  girls  in  the  house  much  younger  than  the  others,  whose  ages 
are  fourteen,  eighteen  and  nineteen.  One  of  these  was  the  despair  of  her  father 
and  brother  who  could  do  nothing  with  her.  "With  much  difficulty  she  was  placed 
here,  and  now  is  no  trouble  to  any  one,  but  is  learning  to  work. 

Of  the  other  two,  who  have  become  friendly  and  "make  a  team,"  accounts  are 
most  favourable. 

L.  W.,  fourteen  years  old,  is  helped  a  great  deal  by  one  of  the  older  girls,  who 
is  both  gentle  and  refined. 

E.  T.,  who  is  nineteen  years  old,  does  with  L.  W.  a  great  amount  of  work. 
They  work  together  turning  wringers  and  turning  mangles,  and  every  other  needed 
work  they  will  do,  so  that  Miss  Calder,  one  of  the  assistants,  frankly  says  she  does 
not  know  what  she  would  do  without  them. 

The  Haven,  Toronto. 

The  good  work  of  the  Haven,  referred  to  at  some  length  in  the  last  Eeport, 
still  continues.  There  are  now  among  the  inmates  about  30  women  who  are  men- 
tally defective,  most  of  whom  are  utterly  unable  to  protect  themselves  morally. 

All  are  fond  of  music  and  most  of  them  exceedingly  fond  of  flowers.  The 
Superintendent,  Miss  Brooking,  to  whom  I  am  indebted  for  much  information  (see 
below)  and  assistance,  would  very  much  like  to  try  the  influence  of  gardening  upon 
them.  All  are  inclined  to  self-conceit  and  boasting,  and  nearly  all  are  violent  and 
irritable  in  temper,  but  also  affectionate,  and  with  patient  and  loving  training  are 
able  to  develop  considerable  power  of  self-control.  Nearly  all  are  Testless,  and  fond 
of  motion  and  change.  Nearly  all  are  capable  of  great  interest  in  various  kinds  of 
mechanical  work,  especially  if  results  are  beautiful.  They  often  show  signs  of 
decidedly  artistic  ideas.  They  are  generally  very  emotional,  impatient  of  restraint 
in  private  life,  but  usually  happy  and  contented  with  the  cheery  life  of  an  institu- 
tion. Can  be  led,  but  not  driven,  though  requiring  a  very  firm  hand  at  times. 
Nearly  all  are  kindly  and  good  to  little  children,  to  the  sick  and  to  the  aged.  They 
are  prone  to  imagine  various  ailments,  and  without  exception  anxious  to  be  taking 
medicine  all  the  time !     Most  of  them  are  physically  defective. 

This  Institution  has  been  visited  regularly  by  me  at  the  beginning  of  each 
month.    A  few  notes  follow  on  some  of  the  cases. 

P.K. — Interesting  case  of  arrested  development.  Had  a  severe  illness  at  the 
age  of  three  years,  and  though  now  twenty-seven,  still  talks  and  acts  like  a  child 
of  tender  years.  Is  very  affectionate  and  kind-hearted.  Quite  bright  in  some  ways ; 
is  a  self-appointed  detective  if  anything  dishonest  is  in  the  air  and  always  tracks 
the  culprit  successfully. 

She  had  to  be  sent  from  the  Haven  to  the  Hospital  soon  after  admission,  and 
was  there  discovered  weeping  copiously  She  would  give  no  reason  for  this,  nor 
conld  she  be  comforted,  but  repeated  over  and  over  "  I  want  to  go  back  to  the 
lady  in  the  plaid  dress."  It  was  remembered  that  Miss  Brooking  had  been  wearing 
a  plaid  dress  which  greatly  took  P.K.'s  fancy.  She  could  not  at  first  remember 
names,  but  always  referred  to  the  Superintendent  as  "the  lady  in  the  plaid  dress !" 
Is  fond  of  bright  colours,  of  flowers,  and  also  of  music.  Is  clean  in  her  person. 
Learning  to  sew,  though  very  slowly — helps  in  the  wash  room  with  simpler  parts 


1910  FEEBLE-MINDED  IN  ONTARIO.  13 

of  the  work.  Is  of  a  happy,  playful,  innocent  disposition,  and  improving  greatly 
with  training.  Quite  unable  to  protect  herself,  and  has  had  two  children,  both 
dead. 

F.L. — Forty  years  of  age,  and  for  nearly  thirty  years  in  the  Haven.  Feeble- 
minded and  epileptic — one  side  partially  paralyzed.  Violent  and  irritable  in 
temper,  but  kind-hearted.  Extremely  clean  in  person,  and  very  industrious. 
Scrubs  beautifully  with  left  hand,  and  is  learning  to  sew  fairly  well.  Made  an 
immense  effort  to  learn  to  read,  but  had  not  been  trained  early  enough  to  do  much. 
Has  to  be  managed  like  a  child,  and  when  giving  way  to  her  occasional  outbursts 
of  passion,  has  to  be  punished  like  a  child,  by  some  restriction,  as  going  without 
a  meal,  etc.,  after  which  she  will  be  quite  well-behaved  for  weeks. 

L.D. — Has  been  in  the  Haven  three  years.  Improved  greatly.  Was  ex- 
tremely quarrelsome  at  first.  Is  now  conquering  this,  though  still  subject  to 
occasional  lapses.  Imagines  herself  the  victim  of  every  ailment  she  hears  of 
another  having.  Neat  worker,  and  very  clean.  Has  learned  to  sew  beautifully. 
Writes  and  reads  fairly  well,  but  finds  spelling  and  arithmetic  more  difficult, 
though  improving  steadily  in  both.  Is  extremely  dictatorial,  always  advising 
others,  but  is  kind-hearted,  and  can  be  led  and  controlled  by  her  affections. 

M.B. — Twenty-nine  years  of  age,  and  looks  much  older.  Appeared  very 
idiotic  at  first,  and  showed  little  intelligence,  but  brightened  up  wonderfully 
during  her  first  year  at  the  Haven.  Learned  to  wash  and  dress  herself  neatly,  to 
help  in  wash  room,  to  sew,  but  not  to  put  the  simplest  garment  together.  Learned 
to  read  a  little  and  commenced  writing.  Began  to  look  quite  intelligent.  Gentle 
and  happy  in  disposition,  and  very  affectionate.  Belonged  to  very  respectable  but 
poor  family;  formed  the  wandering  habit,  and  grew  uncontrollable.  Settled  down 
quite  happily  at  the  Haven,  and  showed  no  desire  to  wander.  Used  to  howl  like 
an  animal  when  restrained,  but  has  dropped  this  habit  entirely.  As  time  passed 
began  to  complain  of  pain  in  her  back,  and  was  in  a  hospital  for  some  months 
under  treatment  for  neurasthenia.  During  this  time  in  hospital,  lacking  mental 
stimulation  and  being  waited  upon  like  a  child,  she  fell  back  into  more  than  her 
former  imbecility.  Makes  no  effort  to  keep  herself  clean.  Can  neither  read,  write 
nor  sew,  and  has  formed  a  strong  aversion  to  any  form  of  effort  or  exercise.  Has 
formed  the  habit  of  staying  in  bed,  which  she  never  had  before,  and  only  wishes 
to  doze  away  the  hours,  waking  at  meal  times  and  eager  for  food.  However,  we 
are  beginning  all  over  again,  and  hope  soon  to  stimulate  to  mental  and  physical 
activity. 

S.M. — Age  unknown.  Year  after  year  says  she  is  twenty-seven.  Looks  fifty ! 
Too  old  when  found  to  do  much  with  her  along  new  lines.  Is  very  neat  about  her 
person,  but  grows  careless  and  untidy  in  her  work,  unless  continually  spurred  on. 
Likes  to  be  quiet  and  undisturbed.  Will  go  out  alone  into  the  grounds  and  getting 
behind  a  tree,  sing  aloud  in  a  high  childish  treble,  with  face  lifted  to  the  sky,  and 
illuminated  by  a  broad  smile.  Often  laugh's  aloud  at  her  own  thoughts.  Is  pas- 
sionately  fond  of  flowers.  When  Bhe  thinks  do  one  is  looking,  will  go  along  the 
whole  length  of  the  border,  touching  each  leaf  and  blossom  with  loving  fingers, 
smiling  or  laughing  to  herself  the  while.     Mighl  have  been  developed  if  found  in 


H 


ime. 


j/e — Five  years  in  Haven.  When  first  admitted  nursed  an  old  doll,  sucked 
her  thumb,  and  wept  continually.  Now  does  housework  well;  also  mangling  and 
ironing.  Sews  very  neatly.  During  last  year  has  learned  to  read  fairly  and 
write  neatly.  Puts  forth  immense  efforts  to  reckon  simplest  figures,  hut  is 
improving  even  here.     Ts  fond  of  singing,  and  has  learned  many  hymns.     Rarely 


14  REPORT  OF  THE  No.  23 

shows  the  old  violent  temper,  and  is  always  bright  and  happy,  except  after 
the  rare  visits  of  her  relatives,  when  she  goes  back  to  old  state  for  a  few  days.  la 
delighted  with  her  own  progress.     Will  always  need  continual  direction. 

E.G. — Is  twenty-two  years  of  age,  and  has  been  four  years  in  the  Haven. 
Can  manage  machinery  after  much  training,  and,  of  course,  under  continual  over- 
sight. Is  kind,  willing  and  amenable  to  authority.  Learning  well,  though  slowly. 
Makes  great  mental  effort,  and  is  generally  fairly  bright  in  her  narrow  routine  ©f 
daily  life.  Exceedingly  faithful  in  general.  Is  subject  to  severe  bilious  attacks, 
during  which  she  sinks  back  into  almost  a  state  of  imbecility.  Gentle  in  dis- 
position, and  usually  truthful,  but  has  lapses,  when  she  tells  the  "tallest"  stories  full 
of  self-conceit.  Spent  her  spare  time  for  weeks  helping  another  who  could  not 
read,  to  learn  the  fifth  chapter  of  St.  Matthew,  for  which  a  prize  was  offered.  In 
reporting  progress  she  said  that  "  Rosie  had  now  learned  her  chapter  perfectly, 
except  that  she  got  her  blessings  mixed." 

J.M. — Extremely  feeble-minded,  and  withal  stubborn.  Has  been  treated  in 
two  hospitals  and  was  simply  beyond  restraint.  Was  insolent,  defiant  and  quarrel- 
some, and  lazy  to  a  degree.  Concluded  that  at  present  the  physical  was  all  to 
which  an  appeal  might  be  made.  One  day  when  she  had  been  picking  quarrels 
with  everyone  in  sight,  apparently  for  the  pure  fun  of  the  thing,  and  ended  by 
knocking  down  an  unoffending  comrade,  she  was  shut  up  alone  in  a  small  empty 
room.  When  she  found  herself  left  alone  to  think,  she  commenced  to  scream  and 
pound  the  walls  like  a  maniac.  As  a  last  resort,  the  hose  was  turned  upon  her  for 
a  few  moments,  and  when  she  promised  to  try  to  behave  decently  to  the  others, 
she  was  taken  upstairs,  stripped  of  her  wet  clothing,  rubbed  thoroughly  and  put 
to  bed  for  the  rest  of  the  day.  She  has  been  completely  subdued  ever  since ;  is  still 
provoking  and  trying,  but  gives  in  immediately  when  reproved,  and  requires  no 
further  punishment  than  to  be  made  sit  alone  for  an  hour  or  so.  Is  kind-hearted, 
anxious  to  help  sick  or  aged,  but  possessed  of  an  innate  love  of  teasing,  which 
makes  her  a  trying  companion  for  others  of  limited  capacity  and  irritable  tem- 
perament. One  mental  peculiarity  is  that  though  learning  to  read  nicely,  spelling 
seems  impossible  to  her,  even  with  the  most  painstaking  individual  teaching. 

A.R. — Is  said  to  have  been  an  exceptionally  bright  child  up  to  about  four- 
teen years  of  age,  when  she  had  a  severe  attack  of  illness  brought  on  by  over-study 
and  grief  for  the  loss  of  her  mother.  Was  for  several  weeks,  as  nearly  as  can  be 
learned,  almost  insane.  Upon  physical  recovery,  was  still  mentally  unbalanced, 
usually  at  regular  intervals.  Would  do  the  most  erratic  things.  Upon  growing 
stronger  went  into  a  situation  as  domestic,  but  was  morally  incapable  of  pro- 
tecting herself,  and  came  under  our  care  as  a  maternity  case.  Has  been  here  nearly 
a  year,  and  is  recovering  poise,  both  mental  and  physical.  Rarely  exhibits  any 
tokens  of  old  restless  irritability — is  getting  back  into  habits  of  study,  doing  ex- 
cellent work  in  all  lines.  Is  very  neat  in  person  and  of  dainty  habits.  Hope  she 
will  soon  be  able  to  take  light  situation  under  kind  guardianship.  A  very  pathetic 
and  interesting  case. 

M.C. — Very  wild  and  uncontrolled.  Perpetually  reminds  one  of  a  broncho. 
Is  loud  and  rough  and  fond  of  boasting.  Is  restless  in  the  extreme,  and  if  com- 
pelled to  remain  in  one  place,  will  turn  her  head  from  side  to  side  with  precisely 
the  motion  of  a  caged  animal.  Will  work  at  one  thing  and  in  one  place  for  only 
a  few  minutes.  When  first  admitted  was  subject  to  no  restraint  and  would  roam 
through  the  house  at  will.  It  was  almost  one  person's  work  to  watch  and  follow 
her,  trying  to  interest  her  in  some  useful  occupation.  Is  taming  down  wonderfully, 
works  fairly  well  at  active  work  where  there  is  a  good  deal  of  going  about.     Is 


1910  FEEBLE-MINDED  IN  ONTARIO.  15 

learning  to  sew,  a  little  at  a  time.  Is  doing  fairly  at  school  work,  and  is  quite 
happy  and  content.     Delights  in  being  praised. 

E.C. — Very  simple  and  fond  of  boastful  talk.  Kindly,  respectful  and  obedi- 
ent, as  she  has  been  fairly  well  brought  up  in  poor  but  decent  home.  When  she 
contracted  the  wandering  habit  her  parents  could  not  control  her,  and  she  drifted 
to  the  City  and  fell  into  the  hands  of  the  police  as  a  vagrant.  Is  given  to  romanc- 
ing— says  she  has  been  six  times  married,  though  now  only  twenty-one.  Is  one 
that  will  improve  with  training. 

It  is  true  that  those  who  support  themselves  in  an  institution  under  favour- 
able circumstances  are  in  quite  a  different  position  from  those  who  support  them- 
selves in  the  world.  The  normal  person  always  takes  some  share  in  the  direction 
and  development  of  others.  Almost  never  are  the  feeble-minded  able  to  do  that. 
The  normal  person  really  earns  three  times  his  own  support. 

"In  any  rationally  organized  community  the  common  labourer  can  earn  enough 
to  support  himself,  his  wife  and  family.  If  not  where's  the  next  generation  of 
workers  to  come  from?  The  imbecile  has  no  wife  or  family.  If,  therefore,  he  does 
one-third  of  a  full  man's  work,  or  just  as  much  more  than  that  as  will  make  up 
for  the  extra  supervision  he  requires  because  he  is  an  imbecile,  he  may  rightly 
claim  to  be  self-supporting." 


THE  NEGLECTED  FEEBLE-MINDED. 

How  Long  Can  the  Province  Afford  to  Neglect  Them? 

By  far  the  majority  of  the  Feeble-minded  seen  this  year,  or  referred  to  this 
Department  for  advice,  have  not  been  in  any  Institution.  There  is  no  room  for 
them.  There  is  no  Institution  for  them,  and  every  case  we  hear  of  usuallv  brings 
other  cases  to  light. 

Good  so  far,  that  we  can  say,  "These  excellent  Institutions  have  cared  for  80 
or  90  Feeble-minded  women  and  girls  during  the  year."  But  this  Department  re- 
ceives almost  every  day  a  letter  from  Hamilton,  or  London,  or  St.  Catharine?,  or 
Peterborough,  or  Kingston,  or  North  Bay,  (to  name  the  places  from  which  the  last 
half-dozen  letters  were  received),  or  some  other  city  or  town,  or  from  a  village,  or 
a  country  district  in  Ontario,  giving  just  such  a  history,  and  Baying,  "Where  can 
we  send  her?"  "What  can  we  do  with  her?"  And  what  can  we  answer?  The 
Industrial  Refuge  is  full.  The  Haven  is  over-crowded.  The  Feeble-minded  women 
and  girls  alone  who  need  such  care  and  hare  it  not  in  this  Province  are,  according 
to  our  best  information  and  estimate,  at  least  from  500  to  1.000.  and  there  are  prob- 
ably born  to  them  now  every  year  about  100  children,  most  of  whom  will  probably 
be  Feeble-minded.      How  long  can  we  afford  to  delay? 

Unsuccessful  Attempt  to  Send  a  Girl  to  Sandlebbidge. 

During  "Miss  Dendy'fi  \isit,  I  advised  a  clergymaD  who  had  several  times  come 
for  advice  about  a  neai  relative,  to  appeal  to  Miss  Dandy  for  admission  for  the  child 
to  the  Sandlebridge  School.  Miss  Dendy  agreed.  The  application  form  was  duly 
filled  out,  and  arrangements  made  to  pay  for  the  child  in  England.  After  Miss 
Dendy  left  Toronto,  I  received  a  telegram  from  her,  stating  that  the  Board  of  Sandl  - 
bridge  School  declined  to  allow  the  child  to  enter,  and  asked  me  to  advise  the 
trie rgyman  accordingly. 


16  EEPORT  OF  THE  No.  23 


The  Most  Hopeful  Yeaes. 

This  child  is  meantime  with  her  relatives,  losing  the  most  hopeful  years  for 
being  trained,  while  she  and  her  family  wait  until  the  people  of  Ontario  make  some 
provision  to  educate  and  care  for  the  Feeble-minded  children  of  the  Province,  who 
"not  being  imbecile  and  not  being  merely  dull  and  backward,  are  defective — that  is 
to  say,  by  reason  of  mental  defect,  are  incapable  of  receiving  proper  benefit  from  the 
instruction  in  the  ordinary  public  elementary  schools,  but  are  not  incapable  by  rea- 
son of  such  defect  of  receiving  benefit  from  instruction  in  special  classes  and 
schools,"  and  who  have  as  much  right  to  education  as  any  other  child,  and  more 
need  of  it.  The  normal  child  will  get  an  education  almost  in  spite  of  himself. 
Not  so  the  feeble-minded.  The  State  must  care  for  the  irresponsible,  or  pay  the 
penalty. 

A  Case  in  Manitoba  Goes  to  the  United  States. 

Another  case,  this  time  in  Manitoba,  came  to  light  while  I  was  in  the  West 
this  summer.     The  mother's  letter  says: 

"We  have  tried  to  find  out  to  see  if  there  was  any  School  in  Canada,  but 
failed,  for  we  would  have  much  preferred  a  Canadian  School.     So  we  have  made  all 

arrangements  to  take  our  little  girl  to  a  School  in  the  State  of next  week. 

But  we  would  be  very  much  obliged  if  you  would  give  all  the  information  you  can 
in  regard  to  help  for  backward  children,  as  it  may  come  in  handy  for  future 
leference." 

An  Interesting  Little  Girl. 

One  of  the  most  interesting  cases  seen  this  year  was  N.  H.,  a  little  girl  of  nine 
years  of  age.  She  was  a  good  little  girl,  clean  and  nice  looking,  and  she  had  a 
good  mother,  who  came  with  her.  The  little  girl  was  an  only  daughter.  The 
mother  assured  me  that  she  could  make  out  what  N.  H.  said,  but  that  no  one  else 
could,  and  was  pleased  and  surprised  when  N.,  with  a  little  teaching,  learned  one 
or  two  new  words  on  the  spot,  and  seemed  to  understand  what  was  said  to  her, 
gradually  losing  her  apprehensive  look,  and  finally  smiling. 

As  they  went  away  through  the  open  door,  N.,  who  had  momentarily  been  ac- 
quiring more  confidence,  turned  on  the  threshold  and  said  to  me  with  a  wistful  look, 
mentioning  first  a  name  which  neither  her  mother  nor  I  could  make  out,  but  which 

we  thought  was  probably  one  of  her  schoolmates :  " said  N.  was  silly,  but  N. 

is  not  silly."  "No,"  I  said,  "She  should  not  have  called  Nora  silly.  Nora  is  a 
good  girl."     Nora  smiled,  and  smiling,  went  away. 

She  could  be  taught  a  great  deal.  She  is  nine  years  old.  The  hopeful  yecirs 
for  teaching  her  are  from  three  to  thirteen  years  of  age.  I  hope  we  shall  have  a 
school  and  teacher  for  her,  and  for  a  boy  of  twelve,  whose  brother,  a  student  in  the 
University  of  Toronto,  brought  him  for  advice  last  week,  and  the  little  girl  who 
could  not  get  into  Sandlebridge,  and  for  the  one  who  has  gone  to  a  School  in  the 
States,  and  for  the  other  children  who  need  such  a  class,  NOW,  before  they  are  too 
old  to  get  much  good  from  it. 

N.  H.  is  at  school  now  in  one  of  the  Public  Schools  of  Toronto,  in  the  Second 
Part  of  the  First  Book  (not  that  she  was  fit  at  all  for  promotion  from  the  First 
Part  of  the  First  Book),  and  her  teacher,  with  much  kindness,  and  with  the  patience 
of  Job,  has  almost  got  the  other  children  to  let  her  alone,  and  not  to  be  too  much 
distracted  by  the  uncouth  noises  she  makes  whenever  the  class  sings  or  recites.  What 
more  can  the  teacher  do?     Few  would,  or  could,  do  as  much.     The  teacher  has  4.9 


1910  FEEBLE-MINDED  IX  ONTARIO.  17 

other  children  and  she  gives  X.  H.  now  far  more  than  one-fiftieth  of  her  time  and 
care,  not  to  mention  all  the  distraction  and  distress  and  delay  which  the  mere  pres- 
ence of  such  a  child  in  a  class  of  normal  children  always  causes. 

The  Sisters  of  Our  Lady  of  Charity. 

The  Sisters  of  Our  Lady  of  Charity  at  West  Lodge  Avenue,  Parkdale,  have  for 
years  received  Feeble-minded  girls,  cared  for  them,  and  taught  them.  Among  the 
cases  sent  there  this  year  was  one  girl  of  twelve  years,  E.  B.  She  was  an  inmate 
of  a  charitable  institution  in  Toronto,  but  was  troublesome  on  account  of  being  very 
defective  mentally.  She  could  not  be  taught  her  letters,  nor  indeed,  anything  else. 
She  had  not  grown  properly,  and  was  delicate.  Her  mother,  deserted  by  her  father, 
had  three  other  children  to  provide  for,  and  was  very  desirous  of  placing  her  with 
the  Sisters  of  Our  Lady  of  Charity.     So  we  asked  them  to  take  her. 

The  Mayor  Attends  to  a  Case. 

Another  girl,  E.  K.,  aged  twenty,  was  also  placed  in  the  same  Institution.  She 
came  from  a  town  in  a  somewhat  distant  part  of  Ontario.  The  Mayor  of  the  town 
wrote  himself  to  this  Department  saying  that  this  poor  Feeble-minded  girl  had  no 
parents,  no  friends,  and  no  home.  Xo  one  was  willing  to  receive  her,  and  "If  you 
can  arrange  for  her  admission  we  will  be  thankful,  as  we  have  no  means  of  looking 
after  her  here." 

Admission  was  accordingly  arranged  for,  and  the  Mayor  was  notified  by  Long 
Distance  Telephone  and  requested  to  send  the  girl  under  charge  of  some  responsible 
person,  to  be  brought  first  for  medical  examination  before  being  placed  in  the  Insti- 
tution. She  came  the  next  day,  May  24th,  under  the  charge  of  the  Chief  Constable 
of  the  town,  and  her  mental  condition  was  only  too  plainly  evident.  On  being  given 
something  to  eat,  she  devoured  it  at  once  in  that  peculiar  furtive  way  which  is  much 
more  characteristic  of  the  lower  animals  than  of  the  normal  human  being.  She 
seemed  not  to  have  the  slightest  choice  about  where  she  should  go  or  stay,  or  where 
she  was  to  be  sent,  but  was  perfectly  indifferent  and  contented  no  matter  what  was 
said  or  done. 

She  is  doing  well  under  the  charge  of  the  Sisters. 

A  High  Type  of  the  Feeble-Minded. 

Another  girl,  X.  W.,  aged  sixteen  years,  brought  to  me  from  out  of  town  by  her 
mother,  was  one  of  the  most  marked  and  interesting  cases  yet  seen  in  the  course  of 
this  investigation.  Her  father  was  a  Presbyterian  minister,  and  her  mother  goes 
out  nursing,  and  is  quite  unable  to  look  after  this  poor  girl. 

She  is  pretty  and  attractive,  of  a  high  type  of  feeble-mindedness.  Can  read 
some — reads  Eaton's  Catalogue,  for  example,  with  great  attention,  and  certainly 
could  be  taught  a  great  deal.  In  such  an  Institution  as  the  Industrial  Refuge  she 
would  rise  to  the  top  of  the  ladder,  and  be  a  leader  and  help  among  those  less  gifted. 
But  there  is  no  room  and  no  place  vet.  Her  mother's  last  letter  to  me,  beautifully 
written  and  well  expressed,  is  as  follows: 

"Will  you  kindly  give  me  the  terms  on  which  you  could  enter  my  daughter  in 
a  school  where  she  could  be  taught  the  common  branches  of  education,  and  be  under 
a  kindly  and  systematic  discipline.  My  daughter  is  sixteen  years  old.  so  I  feel  if 
there  can  be  anything  done  for  her,  it  should  be  now. 

"I  shall  be  truly  grateful  for  the  efforts  made  in  her  behalf." 


REPORT  OF  THE  No.  23 


Re-Patriated  Cases. 

A  few  cases  have  been  re-patriated  from  Canada  during  the  year,  and  one  case 
at  least  has  been  re-patriated  from  the  United  States  to  Canada.  This  was  A.  G., 
aged  twenty-seven  years,  a  Canadian,  who  was  re-patriated  from  a  Buffalo  Mater- 
nity Hospital.  This  was  her  second  child,  both  illegitimate.  She  is  mentally  de- 
fective. She  was  found  by  the  police  on  March  2nd  wandering  round  the  Union 
Station,  and  was  sent  to  the  Haven. 

Not  a  few  Eeeble-minded  women  and  girls  are  found  wandering  about  the 
Union  Station  at  various  times.  G.  G.,  aged  twenty-two  }rears,  one  of  Dr.  Bar- 
nardo's  girls,  was  one  of  these  so  found.  She  was  distinctly  feeble-minded,-  and 
seemed  to  have  no  sensible  ideas  on  any  subject.  Her  own  account  of  herself  was 
that  she  had  come  to  Toronto  to  find  some  respectable  young  man  who  would  marry 
her!  On  account  of  her  condition  she  had  to  be  sent  at  once  to  the  Maternity 
Hospital. 

A  Typical  Case. 

The  following  is  a  report  from  one  of  the  Agents  of  the  Children's  Aid 
Society : 

"It  is  quite  apparent  that  the  mother  of  a  little  seven-year-old  girl  now  in  the 
Shelter  here  is  in  danger  of  repeating  her  old  habit,  as  she  is  of  weak  mind,  and 
consequently  easily  persuaded  on  this  line.  I  do  not  know  her  exact  age,  but 
think  she  is  almost  thirty.  She  is  the  mother  of  three  illegitimate  children,  the 
youngest  being  some  six  or  eight  months  old." 

It  must  again  be  repeated  that  these  are  only  a  few  cases  selected  almost  at 
random  out  of  a  large  number  reported  during  the  year.  These  reports  are  made 
in  various  ways. 

The  Doctor's  Letter. 

Sometimes  it  is  the  physician  who  is  so  indignant  at  the  wrong  and  cruelty 
of  the  lives  of  the  Feeble-minded,  he  cannot  help  protesting,  as  in  the  following 
case: 

"You  are  taking  an  interest  in  the  Feeble-minded  immoral  women  of  the  Pro- 
vince. There  is  a  woman  in  our  town,  aged  about  twenty-two  years,  who  has  had 
two  children  born  out  of  wedlock.  She  went  to  Michigan  and  married,  so  her 
mother  says,  but  she  has  come  back  and  is  living  here  again.  I  suppose  her  hus- 
band has  left  her,  and  no  doubt  she  will  keep  on  having  children  with  a  regularity 
worthy  of  imitation  by  the  wealthier  classes.  This  is  a  serious  case,  as  she  is 
feeble-minded,  and  her  progeny  will  no  doubt  be  immoral  and  probably  idiotic,  if 
not  criminal.  Can  nothing  be  done  in  a  case  like  hers?  It  is  a  miserable  experi- 
ence to  have  to  attend  obstetric  cases  like  hers.  I  would  like  to  know  if  there  is 
any  law  applying  to  cases  like  hers.  She  will,  unless  prevented  by  law,  go  on 
having  children,  until  nature  prevents  her." 

These  are  dreadful  words.     But  they  are  true. 

What  Could  be  Done. 

The  next  letter  on  our  file  is  from  one  of  the  most  valued  and  respected  muni- 
cipal officers  of  this  Province.  He  has  been  considering  the  same  question  from 
his  point  of  view.  He  sees  these  women  in  the  Houses  of  Refuge,  where  they  sim- 
ply come  and  go,  sinking  deeper  every  time,  and  his  letter  says :  "That  the  young 
women  in  question  cannot  be  so  employed  in  the  Houses  of  Refuge  so  as  to  make 


1910  FEEBLE-MINDED  IN  ONTARIO.  19 

the  best  and  most  profitable  use  of  whatever  ability  they  may  possess,  while  in  an 
institution  provided  specially  for  them  the  utmost  of  what  they  are  capable  of  would 
be  secured." 

The  United  States. 

In  Educational,  Philanthropic,  Municipal  and  Research  work  the  Feeble- 
minded have  not  been  forgotten  in  the  United  States  during  this  year.  In  fact, 
we  find  perhaps  more  progress  and  more  permanent  record  of  such  work  than  bas 
before  been  observed. 

Report  of  the  Commissioner  of  Education. 

The  Annual  Report  of  the  Commissioner  of  Education  for  the  United  States 
contains  references  to  such  work  in  New  York  City  and  in  Germany.  Superinten- 
dent Maxwell,  of  New  York,  points  out  that  the  increased  influx  of  recent  years 
of  an  inferior  class  of  immigrants  from  Southern  Europe  has  been  followed  by  a 
corresponding  increase  in  mental  defectives  and  delinquents. 

In  Germany  an  enquiry  (Weigel)  as  to  the  later  life  of  the  children  who  had 
been  in  these  Special  Schools  shows  that  fifty  per  cent,  or  more  were  self-support- 
ing. 

On  the  other  hand,  an  investigation  (Stelzner)  of  two  hundred  weakminded 
persons  who  had  not  such  training  in  Special  Schools  shows  that  tbere  were  two 
hundred  and  thirty-five  convictions  against  them,  one  hundred  and  forty-six  for 
larceny,  forty-four  as  hopeless  tramps,  nineteen  for  begging,  ten  for  housebreaking, 
eight  for  fraud,  five  for  assault  and  three  for  forging. 

It  is,  however,  probable  that  the  above  investigation  (Weigel)  was  made  not 
many  years  after  the  children  left  school,  and  it  is  a  question  whether  so  many  as 
fifty  per  cent,  could  maintain  themselves  outside  of  an  institution  for  more  than  a 
short  time. 

Sixth  Annual  Conference  on  the  Education  of  Backward,   Truant   and 

Delinquent  Children. 

This  Conference  was  a  good  one,  and  a  strong  bond  united  the  members.  Some 
of  the  most  valuable  papers  presented  dealt  with  the  Feeble-minded.  Such  were 
"The  Border  Line  Girl,"  by  Mrs.  Amigh,  of  Geneva,  N.Y.,  and  "The  Ungraded 
School,"  by  Miss  McNeal,  of  Cleveland.     Part  of  the  latter  paper  reads  thus: 

"If  the  special  child  is  to  be  studied  with  the  greatest  advantage  to  himself 
and  the  largest  return  to  society  for  the  money  spent  in  salaries,  it  must  be  done 
by  the  united  efforts  of  those  who  work  with  him  in  institutions  and  in  the  public 
school. 

"Let  us  have  the  special  school  for  the  special  child.  It  must  ever  be  an  ex- 
pensive one,  but  the  public  has  no  choice  in  the  matter.  If  the  money  be  not  spent 
to  educate  the  boy,  it  will  be  needed  to  take  care  of  the  man." 

National  Education  Association. 

At  the  Annual  Meeting  of  the  National  Education  Association  held  in  Den- 
ver in  July  a  comprehensive  Supplementary  Report  was  presented  by  a  Special  Com- 
mittee on  Provision  for  Exceptional  Children  in  Public  Schools.  This  Report  ap- 
pears in  six  different  sections,  of  which  the  two  most  important  for  our  purpose 
are,  "Abnormal  Children,  their  Classification  and  Instruction,"  by  Mr.  F.  G.  Bru- 
ner,  of  Chicago,  and  "Provision  for  Exceptional  Children  in  Public  Schools  of  St. 
Louis,"  by  Superintendent  Blewett,  of  St.  Loui^. 


20  REPORT  OF  THE  No.  23 

There  are  now  in  St.  Louis  six  Special  Schools,  each  held  in  a  detached  six  or 
eight-roomed  private  house,  each  of  which  is  arranged  to  give  accommodation 
to  two  classes  of  fifteen  pupils  each,  also  lodging  for  the  woman  who  is  caretaker 
and  attendant.  There  are  about  ninety  of  such  children  unprovided  for  in  St. 
Louis,  besides  the  one  hundred  and  eighty  children  in  the  six  Special  Schools. 

The  Eesult  in  St.  Louis. — Worth  What  it  Costs. 

Superintendent  Blewett's  conclusion  is  as  follows: 

"x\t  the  end  of  a  year  and  a  half  of  experience  we  know  very  definitely  that 
we  have  helped  most  of  the  pupils  to  a  healthier,  happier  life.  We  know  just  as 
definitely  that  we  have  been  only  feeling  our  way,  and  that  there  must  be  a  much 
closer  diagnosis  of  the  individual  case  by  one  specially  trained  to  see  the  defects 
of  the  mind  and  the  physical  causes  of  the  defects.  What  we  do  even  with  our 
inadequate  provision  is  worth  what  it  costs,  both  because  of  the  good  it  actually 
does  the  defectives,  and  because  of  the  relief  it  affords  the  ordinary  school  classes." 

Department  of  Special  Education. 

There  is  also  at  the  National  Education  Association  a  separate  department, 
called  the  Department  of  Special  Education  where  the  main  topic  is  the  education 
of  the  child  seriously  backward  by  means  of  mental  defect.  A  Special  Committee 
presented,  in  connection  with  the  Department,  a  valuable  report  on  Books  and 
Tests  pertaining  to  the  Study  of  Exceptional  and  Mentally  Deficient  Children. 
This  is  a  very  helpful  document,  and  Dr.  Goddard's  translation,  which  will  be 
found  in  an  appendix,  dealing  with  the  De  Sanctis  and  the  Binet  &  Simon  tests 
is  a  distinct  addition  to  our  resources  and  our  knowledge  of  the  Feeble-minded 
and  how  to  recognize  them. 

National  Conference  of  Charities  and  Correction. 

Dr.  Goddard's  Exhibit  and  Demonstration  of  the  methods  employed  in  the 
Psvchological  Research  Laboratory  of  the  New  Jersey  Training  School  for  Feeble- 
minded Girls  and  Boys  at  Vineland,  N.J.,  was  one  of  the  most  striking  features 
of  the  Conference  and  Dr.  Goddard's  reception  showed  how  his  work  was  appreci- 
ated. In  the  proceedings  only  a  brief  abstract  appears,  but  Dr.  Goddard  spoke 
fully  and  explained  the  ergograph  and  other  delicate  machines.  When  he  demon- 
strated by  the  graphic  method  applied  to  case-histories,  how  definitely  hereditary 
Feeble-mindedness  is,  the  audience  showed  how  serious  were  their  thoughts  upon 

this  subject,  and  how  greatly  they  appreciated  the  work  of  the  speaker. 

i 

The  Psychological  Clinic. 

Another  American  educational  influence  towards  helping  the  Feeble-minded 
child,  and  promoting  the  normal  development  of  every  child  is  a  Monthly  Maga- 
zine called  "The  Psychological  Clinic,"  and  edited  by  Prof.  Lightner  Witmer, 
of  the  University  of  Pennsylvania.  Clinical  studies,  practical  papers  and 
the  results  of  the  work  of  teachers  and  physicians  are  published  in  this  important 
magazine,  which  is  a  great  help  to  the  work. 

Permanent  Census  Board. 

A  great  advance  in  the  education  of  mentally  defective  children,  and  of  all 
i  children  a  little  below  the  normal  line  in  any  way   (i.e.,  the  children  who  need 


1910  FEEBLE-MINDED  IN  ONTARIO.  21 

education  most)  is  now  rendered  possible  by  Chapter  249  of  the  Laws  of  1908  in 
New  York  State,  which  provides  for  a  complete  census  of  children  from  four  to 
eighteen  years  of  age.  This  has  already  been  begun  in  the  City  of  New  York.  The 
Permanent  Census  Board  so  established  consists  of  the  Mayor,  the  Police  Com- 
missioner, the  City  Superintendent,  of  Schools,  and  Assistant  Superintendent  Chat- 
field,  who  is  Secretary  of  the  Permanent  Census  Board. 

The  details  have  been  rapidly  worked  out,  and  the  system  is  already  in  opera- 
tion. The  teachers  collect  all  the  information  they  can  from  their  pupils,  and 
the  cards  so  filled  out  are  returned  to  the  police,  or  patrolmen  of  the  district,  whose 
duty  is  then  to  get  any  additional  information  from  the  parents  and  others,  andi 
then  return  the  cards  to  the  different  schools. 

I  am  greatly  indebted  to  Assistant  Superintendent  G.  H.  Chatfielcl  for  the  in- 
formation about  this  progressive  and  promising  movement. 

It  is  not  possible  to  present  all  this  valuable  information  in  detail,  but  it  is  on 
file  in  this  Department,  and  those  who  are  interested  in  the  highest  welfare  of  the 
community,  especially  in  questions  of  special  education,  truancy,  charitable  and 
philanthropic  work,  prison  reform,  the  care  of  the  defective  and  delinquent,  and 
submerged  classes,  will  undoubtedly  support  the  adoption  of  measures  which  will 
lay  a  good  foundation  for  all  such  work.  Prevention  is  far  better  than  cure.  The 
boy  or  girl  on  the  way  to  an  unproductive,  unemployed,  undeveloped  and  criminal 
life,  cannot  be  met  and  helped  too  soon.  At  present,  the  Priest,  the  Levite,  and 
the  Good  Samaritan  often  do  not  get  a  sight  of  him.  or  her  until  the  period  of  pre- 
vention has  long  since  passed,  and  the  strong  arm  of  the  law  has  clutched  our 
neighbour,  our  brother,  our  sister,  after  an  indelible  impress  of  evil  is  made  upon 
the  character  that  in  school  days  was  capable  of  much  better  things. 

The  first  thirjg  we  must  do  to  help  these  lost  sheep  is  to  find  them,  and  this 
is  the  purpose  of  the  School  Census,  as  is  shown  by  a  letter  addresed  to  all  the 
Principals  of  schools  in  New  York  City  by  the  Superintendent,  Mr.  William  H. 
Maxwell. 

A  few  extracts  from  this  letter  which  are  connected  with  the  subject  of  this 
Report  are  here  given : 


INSTRUCTIONS  FOR  FILLING  OUT  CENSUS  CARDS  IN  SCHOOLS. 

Department  of  Education.  The  City  of  New  York,   Office  of  the  City 
Superintendent  of  Schools,  No.  500  Park  Avenue. 

December  4,  1909. 
To  Principals  of  Schools : 

Ladies  and  Gentlemen, — A  census  of  all  children  between  bhe  ages  of  four 
and  eighteen  years  is  required  to  be  taken  under  chapter  2  19  of  the  Laws  of  L908. 

I  have  decided  to  ask  your  co-operation  in  the  gathering  of  statistics  for  this 
census  for  two  reasons:  First,  because  limited  appropriations  do  not  make  it  pos- 
sible to  employ  the  large  number  of  patrolmen  who  would  be  required  in  order  to 
complete  the  work  within  a  reasonable  time:  secondly,  because  I  believe  that  the 
close  and  sympathetic  relations  which  exist  beta  hers  and  the  children  will 

enable  them  to  obtain  the  desired  information,  with  a  very  high  degree  of  accuracy. 

You  are  doubtless  familiar  with  the  larger  pui  ioe  the  law.  namely,  the 

better  and  stricter  enforcement  of  the  compulsory  education  law  and  the  discovery 


22  REPORT  OF  THE  No.  23 

of  those  children  who  by  reason  of  physical  or  mental  infirmity  are  not  receiving  the 
benefits  of  the  special  instruction  which  the  Board  of  Education  now  supplies  so 
generously  by  its  schools  for  the  blind,  the  deaf,  the  crippled,  the  tubercular  and 
the  mentally  deficient. 

It  is  further  hoped  that  more  accurate  information  may  be  obtained  concerning 
the  occupations  of  children  between  fourteen  and  eighteen  years  of  age.  Such  in- 
formation will  furnish  data  which  should  assist  materially  in  the  solution  of  the 
problem  of  vocational  training. 

I  therefore  request  that  upon  the  receipt  of  the  census  cards  from  the  Per- 
manent Census  Board  you  will  have  them  filled  out  in  accordance  with  the  accom- 
panying instructions  and  delivered  with  despatch  to  the  school  in  your  district 
designated"  to  receive  them. 

Please  impress  upon  the  teachers  the  necessity  of  care  and  discretion  in  ob- 
taining this  information  and  inform  the  parents,  through  the  children,  that  the  in- 
formation is  required  by  law,  and  that  all  facts  ascertained  concerning  the  pre- 
vious occupations  of  children  between  fourteen  and  eighteen  year?  of  age,  will  be 
regarded  as  confidential. 

Very  truly  yours, 

(Signed)  William  H.  Maxwell, 

City  Superintendent  of  Schools. 

If  child's  physical  condition  is  defective  in  any  of  the  particulars  indicated 
by  the  next  seven  items,  check  such  items  as  show  the  defects.  In  reporting  on 
items  describing  physical  condition,  and  those  classifying  causes  of  non-attendance 
at  school,  the  most  careful  judgment  should  be  exercised.  Exaggeration  of  any 
sort  should  be  eliminated  and  nothing  included  which  in  whole  or  part  is  a  mat- 
ter of  speculation. 

Note  the  following: 

(a)  A  child  is  to  be  checked  as  blind,  either  if  totally  blind,  or  if  the  parent 
claims  its  sight  is  so  poor  that  it  is  unable  to  benefit  from  ordinary  school  instruction. 

(b)  A  child  having  a  chronic  cough  and  fever  and  showing  a  progressive  loss 
of  weight  is  probably  tubercular. 

(c)  A  child  is  to  be  checked  as  ill  physically  if  the  parent  claims  that  it  is 
suffering  from  a  chronic  disease  which  totally  prevents  attendance  at  school,  or  if 
a  physician's  certificate  can  be  produced  directing  the  child  to  be  absent  from  school 
for  a  long  period  of  time. 

(d)  A  child  is  to  be  checked  as  ill  mentally  if  the  parent  claims,  or  if  it  is 
apparent,  that  its  mind  is  so  weak  or  defective  as  to  render  it  incapable  of  com- 
prehending ordinary  school  instruction. 

(e)  A  family  is  to  be  checked  as  "broken"  if  it  lacks  the  care  and  support 
of  one  or  both  parents,  or  if  one  or  more  childfen  are  inmates  of  another  family  or 
an  institution. 

It  is  interesting  to  compare  with  this  new  plan  the  enforcement  of  school  attend- 
ance in  London,  as  reported  on  in  The  Survey,  by  John  F.  Reigart,  Principal  Public 
School  No.  2,  New  York,  showing  the  necessity  of  a  School  Census. 

"  The  formation  of  a'  national  habit  of  school-going  in  England,"  according  to 
R.  Blair,  the  executive  officer  of  the  London  schools,  "  has  been  a  long  process,  de- 
manding patience,  persistence,  and  much  courage  on  the  part  of  the  education 
authorities.  To-day  in  London,  one  in  every  6.4  of  the  population  is  on  the  roll 
of  an  elementary  school,  and  the  percentage  of  average  attendance  for  children  of 


1910  FEEBLE-MIKDED  IN  ONTARIO.  23 

all  ages  from  three  to  fifteen  is  88.9.  In  1871,  only  39  per  cent,  of  the  possible 
children  were  in  the  rolls  of  efficient  schools,  and  these  make  an  average  attendance 
of  78.3  per  cent." 

The  foundation  of  the  school-going  habit  is  the  result  of  compulsion.  In 
1900  the  maximum  penalty  for  non-attendance  was  increased  from  five  shillings 
to  one  pound,  and  in  that  year  the  school  board  issued  over  28,000  summonses,  and 
obtained  over  26,000  convictions. 

The  proportion  of  convictions  indicates  the  changed  attitude  of  the  magistrates. 
By  1908,  the  number  of  summonses  and  convictions  had  been  reduced  one-half, 
while  the  attendance  had  increased  to  88.9  per  cent.  These  results  are  attained  at 
an  expense  of  about  60,000  pounds  a  year  for  the  department  of  school  attendance, 
and  an  equal  amount  for  industrial  and  truant  schools,  and  some  thousands  of 
pounds  for  medals  and  prizes  as  a  reward  for  attendance. 

For  administrative  purposes  London  has  twelve  divisions,  each  with  a  superin- 
tendent of  attendance  and  seating.  The  superintendent  has  general  charge  of  the 
attendance  officers  of  the  district.  Together  with  a  committee  of  managers  he 
meets  the  parents  of  delinquent  children,  issues  summonses  and  conducts  cases  before 
the  court.  The  divisions  are  subdivided  into  districts  containing  about  3,000  chil- 
dren between  the  ages  of  five  and  fourteen,  the  compulsory  period.  There  are  300 
school  attendance  officers,  one  of  whom  is  assigned  to  each  district.  Fifty  additional 
officers  are  employed  to  deal  with  the  employment  of  children,  and  with  industrial 
and  truant  school  cases,  to  pick  up  children  wandering  in  the  streets  during  school 
hours,  and  to  trace  families  who  have  removed.  New  York,  with  a  school  popu- 
lation but  little  less  than  that  under  the  control  of  the  London  County  Council, 
employs  only  eighty-six  attendance  officers. 

In  order  to  study  the  methods  of  enforcing  the  compulsory  law,  I  visited  the 
East  Lambeth  divisional  office  on  Peckham  Boad,  Camberwell,  and  was  guided  by 
H.  E.  A.  Coates,  the  superintendent,  who  explained  all  stages  of  the  work.  I  found 
thirty  or  forty  officers  at  work  on  their  records  or  planning  visits  for  the  following 
day,  and  I  was  permitted  to  examine  the  census  registers,  the  attendance  slips  and 
the  records  of  the  cases  brought  up  for  examination  or  trial.  The  books  are  kept 
by  districts,  and  are  in  charge  of  their  attendance  officers. 

A  schedule  or  register  in  book  form  is  kept  of  all  families  living  in  the  dis- 
trict. A  census  of  school  children  is  taken  annually  by  visiting  all  houses  below  a 
ratable  value  of  thirty  pounds.  Houses  above  that  ratable  value  are  only  visited  if 
it  is  believed  that  they  contain  children  not  receiving  efficient  instruction,  or  if  the 
children  are  attending  public  elementary  schools.  The  significant  fact  in  the 
routine  work  of  the  attendance  officer  is  that  his  visiting  is  based,  not  on  reports 
of  cases  of  truancy  or  even  absence,  but  on  the  weekly  record  of  each  child's 
attendance.  These  records  are  sent  weekly  from  each  school  on  Friday.  The 
officers  examine  each  slip  and  select  for  visiting  those  where  the  attendance  is 
irregular.  If  the  explanation  of  absence  is  not  satisfactory,  he  cautions  the  parent 
and  marks  the  slip  accordingly. 

In  boys'  schools  the  percentage  is  much  higher,  particularly  in  the  Jewish 
schools.  One  of  these  schools,  that  on  Christian  street,  has  maintained  for  several 
years  an  attendance  of  97  per  cent. 

In  order  to  complete  my  study  of  school  attendance.  I  visited  one  school  of 
each  type  to  which  truants  may  be  sent.  There  are  now  three  industrial  schools, 
of  which  Drury  Lane  was  the  first  established.  This  school  has  on  register  ninety 
boys  and  nine  girls. 


24  REPORT  OF  THE  No.  23 


The  great  success  of  Mr.  Humphreys,  the  head  master,  is  due  to  his  broad 
sympathy  and  the  individual  attention  which  he  gives  to  each  case.  He  visits  the 
homes  of  the  children  soon -after  admission  and  attempts  to  discover  the  cause  of 
truancy.  He  trains  the  children  for  the  industry  most  likely  to  prove  advantage- 
ous, secures  places  for  them  and  follows  them  up  for  three  years  after  leaving 
school.     Thursday  nights  are  given  to  the  reception  of  former  pupils. 

The  school  is  really  a  trade  school,  and  the  aim  is  to  train  the  children  for  self- 
support,  and  to  place  them  in  their  proper  social  relations.  Three  hours  a  day  are 
devoted  to  trade  work,  three  hours  to  school  studies  and  the  remaining  time  is 
spent  in  baths,  swimming,  physical  exercises,  games  and  meals.  The  school  gives 
three  meals  a  day.  Three  weeks  of  the  summer  time  are  spent  in  camp  at  the  sea- 
side. 

The  object  is  not  punishment,  but  training.  The  youth  of  the  boys  was  par- 
ticularly noticeable.  Some  were  not  more  than  nine  years  of  age.  Truancy  is 
attacked  in  its  incipient  stages  and  overcome  by  years  of  training.  The  striking 
characteristics  of  this  school  were  the  well  equipped  buildings,  large  grounds,  drill, 
excellent  school  work,  and  thorough  trade  training.  I  was  particularly  struck  with 
the  breadth  of  the  trade  work.  Tailoring,  for  instance,  is  carefully  analyzed ;  and 
accompanying  each  step  in  the  practice  is  interesting  and  suggestive  instruction 
aiming  to  enlist  the  intelligence. 

It  speaks  well  for  the  stage  of  efficiency  now  reached  by  the  attendance  depart- 
ment, that  it  is  no  longer  possible  to  fill  the  places  in  the  industrial  training  schools, 
even  though  children  are  now  admitted  from  localities  outside  the  jurisdiction  of 
the  County  Council.  The  accommodation  is  for  1,700  children  and  the  number  in 
the  schools  in  March,  1907,  was  1,300. 

The  means  by  which  London's  great  advance  in  the  enforcement  of  compulsory 
school  laws  has  been  secured : 

"The  separation  of  school  attendance  from  school  inspection;  an  adequate 
number  of  officers;  organization  under  superintendents;  the  prosecution  of  court 
cases  by  the  superior  officers ;  a  school  census  and  register  in  charge  of  the  attendance 
officers:  the  keeping  of  complete  records  in  the  division  offices;  responsibility  of 
each  officer  for  the  records  of  his  district;  the  basing  of  visits  upon  the  duplicate 
attendance  sheets  rather  than  upon  the  reports  of  absentees;  the  severity  of  the 
magistrates  as  to  fines  and  commitments  for  violation  of  the  compulsory  law;  the 
commitment  of  youthful  incipient  truants;  the  moral  and  industrial  training  of 
the  school  for  truants ;  a  term  of  commitment  adequate  to  gaining  a  preparation  for 
a  livelihood ;  the  placing  of  discharged  truants  in  appropriate  situations ;  the  after 
care  of  those  who  have  left  the  schools  for  truants;  the  license  system,  permitting 
the  attendance  of  a  truant  in  a  regular  school  conditioned  upon  regular  attendance 
or  return  to  truant  school  without  commitment." 

Education  of  Mentally  Defective  Children  in  New  York  City. 

Assistant  Superintendent  Farrell  again  presents  an  Annual  Eeport  full  of  in- 
formation, interest  and  meaning  to  the  Superintendent,  Mr.  William  H.  Maxwell. 

This  Report  draws  attention  to  the  two  most  important  matters  in  connection 
with  the  present  position  of  this  work. 

I.  Adequate  reports  concerning  abnormally  slow  children  now  in  the  schools. 

II.  Health  conditions  of  ungraded  class  children. 

208  schools  have  .reported  children  as  abnormally  slow.  Number  of  children 
examined  is  2,060,  and  the  number  of  ungraded  classes  is  61. 


1910 


FEEBLE-MINDED  IN  0NTAEI0. 


25 


DIAGRAM    I.    PRESENTS    GRAPHICALLY    THE    NUMBER    OF    SCHOOLS 
REPORTING    CHILDREN    ABNORMALLY    SLOW. 


soo 

So 

80 

■ 

7o 

1 

60 

■  1 

5b 

1  1 

4o 

tfl 

Jo 

-■T* 

ZO 

Irt 

/o 

III 

TTW 

A 

Diagram  J     The  shaded  portion  of  each  column  shews  the  percentage 
of  schools  in  tho  boroughs  named,  which  reported  children  abnormally 


slow. 


A  =  Manhattan. 
B  =  The  Bronx. 
C  =  Brooklyn. 


*b 


EEPORT  OF  THE 


No.  23 


DIAGRAM    II 


/oo 

So 

80 

70 

60 

S  N 

Sb 

v. 

^-»,. 

4 

S 
/ 

/ 

/ 

""•\ 

>            / 

40 

5 

V 

/ 
/ 

/ 
/ 

\        / 
/  \ 

Jo 

/      \ 
/          \ 

/               \ 

zo 

\ 
% 

\ 

> 

/o 

A                B              C                D                E                F             (5r 

_ ____^ — • 

Diagram  II.  Full  line  shows  percentage  of  physical  defects  found  in 
680  ungraded  class  children.  Dotted  line  shows  percentage  of  these 
under  treatment  as  the  result  of  the  teachers'  visit  to  the  homes.  .1  = 
Malnutrition;  B  —  Nervous  disorder;  C  —  Adenoid  growths;  D  ~ 
Hypertrophied  tousils:  E  =  Defective  vision.  F  —  Defective  bearing;  O 
=  Defective  teeth 


1910  FEEBLE-MINDED  IX  ONTARIO.  27 

And  here  we  meet  with  two  difficulties. 

There  are  many  children  abnormally  slow  and  defective  mentally  who  are  not 
in  the  schools  at  all,  and  there  are  others  who  are  in  the  schools  hut  are  not  recog- 
nized. It  is  hoped,  and  confidently  expected,  that  the  School  Census  will  find 
those  out  of  school.  But  according  to  the  best  expert  opinion,  one  per  cent,  less 
or  more,  of  Public  School  children  are  slow.  How  are  we  going  to  find  them? 
In  Germany  there  is  an  organized,  slow,  scientific,  laborious,  patient  and  earnest 
system  of  child-study  which  accomplishes  this  work. 

In  Great  Britain,  Medical  Inspection  of  Schools  has  to  some  extent  solved 
the  problem. 

Health  Conditions. 

The  Report  goes  on  to  discuss  Health  Conditions  among  backward  children, 
and  quotes  Descartes : 

"  If  the  human  race  is  ever  to  be  perfected  it  will  be  the  result  of  the  combined 
efforts  of  medicine  and  education,"  adding,  "  In  a  peculiar  way  the  ungraded  classes 
are  proving  this  statement.  Not  that  we  are  developing  a  perfect  type  of  public 
school  child,  but  rather  that  we  see  definitely  that  without  the  aid  of  medicine  and 
surgery  our  efforts  lose  much,  if,  indeed,  they  are  not  practically  worthless.  It  is 
a  startling  fact,  but  a  true  one,  that  95  per  cent,  of  all  children  examined  this  year 
for  ungraded  classes  were  found  to  be  suffering  from  malnutrition ;  80  per  cent,  were 
decidedly  neurotic ;  15  per  cent,  showed  a  very  low  physical  condition.  It  goes 
without  saying  that  the  physicians  and  the  surgeons  have  much  to  do  in  these  cases 
before  the  school  can  effectively  train  the  child's  mind.  To  get  the  co-operation  of 
physicians  and  surgeons,  two  plans  were  followed:  1.  The  class  teachers  undertook 
to  see  that  the  physical  defects  were  corrected;  2.  A  special  visitor  volunteered  to 
do  the  work  for  three  classes." 

"  As  you  know,  the  ungraded  class  work  is  particularly  hard.  The  class  teacher 
must  be  alert  and  active  during  the  entire  day.  She  is  often  tired  out  when  school 
closes  and  physically  unable  to  call  upon  and  to  persuade  parents  to  visit  hospitals. 
In  those  cases  where  the  teacher  did  succeed  with  the  parent,  the  condition  was 
attached  that  because  of  the  language  or  the  timidity  of  the  parent,  the  teacher 
should  accompany  the  party  to  the  dispensary.  In  many  instances  the  clinic  hours 
conflict  with  the  school  hours.  Saturday  has  been  spent  by  the  interested  and  vigi- 
lant teacher  in  visiting  hospitals  and  dispensaries  with  a  view  to  the  correction  of 
the  physical  defects  found  in  the  children." 

The  work  of  the  Special  Volunteer  Visitor,  Miss  Ruth  Peckham.  of  the  College 
Settlement,  was  done  with  forty-two  children.  She  made  fifty-seven  visits  to  the 
hospitals  and  one  hundred  or  more  to  the  homes.  Two-thirds  of  the  children  she 
took  herself  to  hospitals,  or  dispensaries,  for  necessary  medical  or  surgical  treatment 
for  eyes,  teeth,  tonsils,  adenoids,  tubercular  glands,  general  nervous  conditions,  and 
in  some  of  these  cases  great  improvement  occurred.  The  remaining  one-third  of 
the  children  were  taken  to  the  dispensaries  for  treatment  by  the  parents  or  by 
member  of  the  family. 

The  Report  concludes  as  follows : 

This  experiment  with  a  special  visitor  warrants.  I  believe,  the  continuance  of 
the  work.  Because  of  the  place  the  school  nurse  lias  already  made  for  herself  in  the 
lives  of  most  of  the  people,  she  can  do  this  work  better  than  anyone  else.  I  suggest 
that  nurses  be  assigned  to  ungraded  classes.  It  should  be  part  of  the  duty  of  suoh 
a  nurse  to  accompany  parents  to  hospitals  and  dispensaries,  and  to  see  that  recom- 
mendations as  to  food,  sleep  and  work  are  carefully  followed  out.     In  addition  to 


28 


REPORT  OF  THE 


No.  23 


the  assignment  of  nurses  to  ungraded  classes,  it  is  desirable  that  arrangements  be 
made  for  some  kind  of  written  communication  between  the  hospitals  and  dis- 
pensaries, and  the  schools.  They,  as  we,  are  striving  to  better  the  condition  of  the 
children,  and  this  effort  can  be  more  effective  if  each  could  know  what  the  other 
is  doing.  I  suggest  that  some  method  be  worked  out,  which  will  secure  a  clo=er  co- 
operation between  the  school  and  the  physician. 

I  want  to  commend  to  you  the  service  which  the  teachers  of  ungraded  classes 
have  rendered  this  year  to  the  children  in  their  charge.  Many  have  labored  under 
most  trying  circumstances,  but  with  a  cheerfulness  and  a  hopefulness  which  have 
made  friends  for  the  whole  movement.  While  remuneration  for  work  of  this  kind 
can  never,  in  the  nature  of  things,  be  adequate,  yet  the  compensation  which  can 
be  given  should  be  commensurate  with  the  service  rendered. 

The  statistical  report  submitted  by  Dr.  Isabelle  Thompson  Smart,  the  medical 
examiner,  shows  the  great  amount  of  work  accomplished.  With  characteristic  faith- 
fulness, Dr.  Smart  has  labored  early  and  late  to  promote  the  cause  of  mentally 
defective  children. 

SUMMARY   OF   RECOMMENDATIONS. 

1.  A  systematic  study  of  conspicuously  backward  and  conspicuously  naughty 
children  should  be  required. 

2.  The  appointment  of  nurses  to  ungraded  classes. 

3.  The  establishment  of  some  means  of  communication  between  hospitals  and 
dispensaries  and  the  public  schools  having  ungraded  classes. 

4.  The  recognition  of  the  peculiarly  arduous  character  of  the  work  required  in 
ungraded  classes  by  a  salary  commensurate  with  the  service  rendered. 

Respectfully  submitted,- 

ELIZABETH  E.  FARRELL, 

Inspector  of  Ungraded  Classes. 


TOTALS  FOR  ALL  BOROUGHS  OF  NEW  YORK  CITY,  1907-08. 


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Kansas  City. 

The  Superintendent  of  Schools  in  Kansas  City  puts  the  matter  briefly  and 
clearly  in  his  Annual  Report,  issued  in  1909 : 


1910  FEEBLE-MINDED  IN  ONTARIO.  29 

Waste  is  entailed  by  the  presence  of  defective  pupils  in  a  class  with  normal 
pupils. 

Defective  children  are  misfits  in  classes  of  ordinary  children,  and  are  impedi- 
ments to  class  progress.  Teachers  will  teach  to  these  slowly  moving  ones,  either 
in  tender  solicitude  for  them,  or  to  carry  them  along  with  the  class  and  cut  down 
the  number  of  failures,  unmindful  of  the  fact,  or  indifferent  to  it,  that  much  of 
the  time  and  zeal  given  to  them  might  be  more  profitably  expended  in  behalf  of 
their  other  pupils,  who  thus,  of  course,  lose  and  are  held  back.  True,  these  brighter 
pupils  accomplish  the  course;  but  they  could  accomplish  more,  and  it  is  their  right 
to  derive  from  the  school  all  that  it  can  make  possible  to  them. 

The  logical  relief  would  seem  to  be  the  alleviation  or  cure  of  the  defectives' 
ailments  by  prompt  professional  treatment,  and  the  segregation  of  the  incurable 
or  resistant  cases  under  the  scientific  training  of  specialist  teachers,  either  in  special 
classes  in  the  school  building,  or  in  an  institutional  building  specially  designed  and 
equipped  for  the  purposes  of  a  developmental  or  training  or  foster  school. 

The  Eussell  Sage  Foundation. 

One  of  the  delights  of  the  traveller  in  a  mountainous  country  is  to  reach,  by 
the  last  step  of  a  toilsome  climb  on  the  way  to  the  summit,  some  plateau  which 
suddenly  shows  him  his  progress,  and  enables  him  to  see  a  vast  extent  of  new  country. 
Such  was  the  position  of  Educational  and  Medical  experts  when  the  first  results 
of  Medical  Inspection  of  Schools  came  in  with  some  of  that  excitement  which  marks 
the  reception  of  election  returns. 

But  just  as  the  new  member  of  the  Canadian  Alpine  Club,  toiling  up  the 
Rockies,  looks  long  ere  he  identifies  the  land-marks  he  has  left  below,  so  the  Edu- 
cational and  Medical  Experts  will  take  a  while  to  recognize  and  get  into  focus 
what  they  see.  If  in  Sioux  City  there  are  eighty  per  cent,  of  the  children  examined 
in  the  Public  Schools  reported  as  defective,  and  about  the  same  time  only  eighteen 
per  cent,  are  so  reported  in  Minneapolis,  it  cannot  be  wondered  at  that  the  average 
citizen,  or  at  least  the  man  in  the  street,  will  long  for  some  classification  such  as 
that  suggested  by  Dr.  Elkington,  of  Tasmania,  who,  among  all  the  Tasmanian 
returns  in  regard  to  medical  inspection  of  schools,  lays  stress  only  on  those  he  calls 
I.  E.  P.  (Interfering  with  Educational  Progress). 

This  leading  feature  of  the  situation  has  been  seized  to  the  great  advantage 
of  the  community  by  the  workers  in  the  Eussell  Sage  Foundation,  one  of  whom, 
Mr.  Leonard  P.  Ayres,  is  the  author  of  a  valuable  book  on  Backward  Children. 
The  preparation  of  this  volume  will  always  reflect  credit,  and  even  glory,  on  the 
wisdom  of  Mrs.  Eussell  Sage,  who  made  it  possible,  as  well  as  those  who  put  their 
hands  and  brains  to  this  work,  and  gave  their  lives  to  it. 

This  book  touches  the  subject' of  the  present  report  in  two  ways: 

First:  It  reminds  us  that  many  children  will  be  very  backward  and  quite 
possibly  reported  to  us  as  mentally  defective  who  are  nothing  of  the  kind.  The 
fatherless  boy  who  will  not  go  to  school  when  his  mother  tells  him  is  still  in  the 
land,  and  sometimes  he  never  learns  to  read,  and  there  are  others  who  are  seriously 
backward. 

Second:  Not  all  who  are  reported  to  us  as  backward,  and  only  apparently 
mentally  defective,  because  they  are  suffering  from  physical  defects,  are  really  suf- 
fering from  physical  defects  alone. 

When  we  come  to  investigate,  though  we  can  remove  or  improve  apparent 
mental  defect  by  putting  the  child  into  a  physical  condition  as  perfect  as  may  be, 


30  REPORT  OF  THE  No.  23 

we  cannot  remove  real  mental  defect.  We  cannot  give  mentality.  We  can  only 
develop  what  is  there,  and  hence  the  permanent  need  of  permanent  care  for  the 
really  Feeble-minded. 

To  quote  the  convincing  words  of  Mr.  Ayres  himself: 

In  studying  the  problems  of  school  progress  and  physical  defects  we  must  not 
forget  that  school  success  is  to  only  a  limited  extent  a  true  measure  of  real  ability. 
It  may  often  be  but  an  indication  of  adaptability  and  docility.  Indeed  it  would 
not  be  surprising  to  find  that  the  child  of  perfect  physical  soundness  and  exuberant 
health  had  so  many  outside  interests  as  to  render  him  not  particularly  successful 
in  school  work  and  that  he  found  the  rigid  discipline  of  the  schoolroom  so  irksome 
as  to  cause  him  to  fail  of  -approbation  by  his  teachers.  It  must  not  be  inferred  that 
physical  defects  exercise  no  influence  upon  school  progress.  They  undoubtedly 
do  in  a  certain  number  of  somewhat  extreme  cases.  Current  statistics  do  not  con- 
clusively show  this  because  we  have  not  as  yet  discriminated  among  physical  defects. 
We  group  together  all  kinds  from  pediculosis  to  tuberculosis.  Some  have  a  direct 
bearing,  some  none  at  all.  Defective  hearing  undoubtedly  exercises  an  important 
influence  on  a  pupil's  success  in  school,  but  the  fact  that  the  child  has  a  club-foot 
has  no  such  significance.  When  we  find  that  "  non-exempt "  children  in  Phila- 
delphia have  many  more  physical  defects  than  exempt*  children  and  when  upon 
further  investigation  we  find  that  the  difference  is  caused  by  the  more  prevalent 
skin  diseases  in  the  former  group,  we  have  not  at  all  established  a  quantitative 
relation  between  pediculosis  and  progress.  We  have  merely  secured  one  more  illus- 
tration of  the  shortcomings  of  the  statistics  of  medical  inspection. 

The  new  school  hygiene  is  in  many  respects  a  new  science  and  like  most  am- 
bitious young  sciences  it  too  often  tries  to  prove  too  much.  If  medical  inspection 
were  to  show  that  10  per  cent,  of  all  the  school  children  were  suffering  from  such 
physical  defects  as  might  reasonably  be  thought  to  have  some  bearing  on  school 
progress,  there  is  little  question  that  the  study  of  the  school  records  of  these  pupils 
would  show  a  high  degree  of  correlation  to  exist  between  their  marked  physical 
defects  and  their  school  progress.  But  when  all  defects,  however  slight,  are  lumped 
together  and  we  are  told  that  80  per  cent,  of  the  children  are  defective,  it  is  not 
surprising  that  no  such  correlation  can  be  shown.  In  so  relatively  definite  a  test 
as  that  for  vision  we  find  the  ratio  of  abnormality  ranging  from  7  per  cent,  in 
Bayonne  to  70  per  cent,  in  Cleveland. 

Where  the  personal  equation  is  so  important,  and  methods  and  standards  so 
little  established  as  in  the  field  of  medical  inspection,  the  greatest  caution  must  be 
exercised  in  drawing  sweeping  conclusions  from  the  figures  furnished. 

We  have  shown  that  physical  defects  decrease  with  age,  that  age  is  the  im- 
portant factor  and  must  be  taken  into  consideration  in  all  investigations  dealing 
with  defectiveness  and  school  progress.  Secondly,  it  has  been  shown  that  vision  does 
not  follow  the  same  rules  as  do  the  other  defects.  The  examinations  conducted  in 
New  York  have  shown  higher  percentages  of  enlarged  glands,  defective  breathing, 
hypertrophied  tonsils  and  adenoids  among  the  dull  children  than  among  the  bright 
children.  It  has  been  pretty  well  demonstrated  that  physical  defectiveness  does 
have  a  bearing  on  the  progress  of  children,  but  it  has  been  even  more  conclusively 
shown  that  physical  defects  constitute  a  cause,  not  the  cause  of  retardation. 

The  new  hygiene  has  before  it  a  great  field  in  which  it  is  destined  to  splendid 
accomplishments  in  conserving  the  physical  soundness  of  the  rising  generations. 
Medical  inspection,  through  its  detection  and  exclusion  of  contagious  diseases,  is 

•"Kxempt    children,"  i.e.,    those   whose   school   work  Is   thoroughly   satisfactory. 


1910  FEEBLE-MINDED  IN  ONTARIO.  31 

preventing  much  misery  and  saving  many  lives.  The  school  doctor  in  his  study 
of  the  physical  welfare  of  the  children  will  make  easier,  happier  and  more  successful 
the  lives  of  many  thousands  of  pupils.  But  when  this  has  been  said  the  limited 
possibilities  in  this  field  have  to  some  extent  been  indicated.  The  old-fashioned 
virtues  of  industry,  application,  intelligence  and  regularity  still  hold  sway,  and 
among  the  reasons  for  poor  scholarship  are  still  to  be  found  such  old  standbys  as 
age  upon  starting,  absence,  laziness  and  stupidity. 

Wisconsin. 

The  State  Board  of  Control  of  Wisconsin  makes  an  important  reference  to 
the  probleni  of  the  Feebleminded  in  that  State. 

We  deem  it  our  duty  to  further  call  your  attention  to  the  situation  regarding 
the  feeble  minded.  Attempt  has  been  made  during  the  past  year  to  secure  a  census 
of  the  defectives  of  the  state.  Blanks  containing  queries  regarding  the  number, 
conditions,  parentage,  etc.,  of  the  defectives  were  sent  to  every  institution,  every 
(own  clerk  and  every  doctor,  in  the  state.  Much  difficulty  was  experienced  in 
getting  returns.  The  returns  received,  however,  intelligently  studied,  show  the 
existence  of  at  least  three  thousand  of  these  defectives,  at  least  two  thousand  of 
them  not  cared  for  in  institutions.  Of  this  number  three  hundred  will  be  cared 
for  soon  at  the  Home  for  the  Feeble  Minded  in  the  new  buildings  now  nearly 
completed. 

It  is  clear  that  if  all  this  class  could  be  segregated  and  cared  for  until  past  the 
age  of  procreation,  a  great  deal  of  suffering  and  sorrow  could  be  saved  to  the  people 
of  the  state  and  the  growth  of  this  burden  on  the  community  could  be  checked. 
It  is  earnestly  recommended  that  steps  be  taken  by  this  legislature  to  locate  and 
begin  the  construction  of  an  additional  home  for  the  feeble  minded  somewhere  in 
the  south-eastern  part  of  the  state. 

Mentally  Defective  Children  in  Philadelphia. 

The  Bureau  of  Health  in  Philadelphia  has  made  a  census  of  mentally  defective 
school  children : 

Dr.  Walter  S.  Cornell,  of  the  health  department ;  District  Superintendent 
Oliver  P.  Cornman,  of  the  Department  of  School  Superintendence,  who  succeeded 
in  securing  the  desired  information  from  every  one  of  the  240  schools  of  the  city, 
thereby  making  the  census  complete;  Dr.  Abbott,  chief  of  the  Bureau  of  Health, 
and  Superintendent  Brumbaugh,  united  their  efforts  to  make  this  census  a  success. 
The  school  population  of  Philadelphia  is  150,000,  and  the  results  were  as  follows: 

Feeble  minded  children  who  should  properly  be  in  custodial  institutions,  442. 

Truant,  incorrigible  and  vicious  children,  or  defective  mentality,  who  should 
be  segregated  in  special  schools,  447. 

Truant,  incorrigible  and  vicious  children,  of  fair  mentality,  who  should  also 
be  segregated  in  special  schools,  1,131. 

Backward  children,  who  require  instruction  by  special  methods  in  small  Bpecial 
classes,  2,920. 

Dull  children,  who  would  be  benefited  by  special  instruction  but  who  do  not 
absolutely  require  it,  6,603. 

The  general  accuracy  of  the  report  is  shown  by  the  close  correspondence  of 
the  census  figures  contributed  by  each  of  the  eleven  school  districts  of  the  city. 
It  is  also  interesting  to  note  that  the  total  number  of  children  stated  to  be  defective 


32  REPORT  OF  THE  Jk>.  23 

(11,543)  agrees  well  with  the  number  of  children  two  or  more  years  below  grade 
(9,969)  because  of  failure  of  promotion.  The  latter  number  was  determined  in 
1908  by  Superintendent  Brumbaugh,  the  inquiry  revealing  also  the  fact  that  483 
children  who  had  been  three  or  more  years  in  grade  were  included  in  this  number. 

The  congregation  and  stagnation  of  the  defective  groups  in  the  primary  grades 
are  well  demonstrated.  Of  the  4,770  children  (groups  I,  II,  III,  IV)  who  require 
special  educational  methods,  only  687  are  in  the  grammar  grades,  while  4,053  are 
primary  pupils. 

The  truant  and  incorrigible  children  (groups  II  and  III)  are  also  shown  to 
remain  largely  in  the  primary  grades.  Thus  1,277  of  these  children  are  in  the 
primary  grades  against  301  in  the  grammar  grades,  a  proportion  of  four  to  one, 
which  is  double  the  ratio  of  the  primary  to  the  grammar  school  population.  Such 
a  proof  that  crime  and  ignorance  are  usually  associated  is  a  strong  argument  for  the 
prevention  of  wrong-doing  by  adoption  of  teaching  methods  suited  to  the  individual 
capabilities  and  needs  of  children. 

The  primary  grades  are  perhaps  the  most  important  part  of  our  school  system 
We  should  give  more  serious  attention  to  our  public  school  beginners. 

Training  foe  Teachers  of  Special  Classes. 

It  is  hoped  that  this  Report  may  be  useful  for  reference  to  Boards  of  Educa- 
tion, teachers,  and  others  interested  in  education,  and  in  philanthropic  work,  and 
therefore  reference  should  here  be  made  to  the  Vineland  Summer  School  for 
Teachers,  conducted  by  the  New  Jersey  Training  School  for  Feeble-Minded  Girls 
and  Boys,  at  Vineland,  N.J.,  which  will  hold  its  eighth  session  in  July  and 
August,  1910. 

The  purpose  of  the  School  is  to  give  professional  training  to  those  who  desire 
to  teach  in  the  special  classes  in  the  public  schools  and  to  fit  teachers  and  others 
to  better  understand  peculiar,  backward  and  "  special "  children.  The  course 
covers  a  period  of  six  weeks. 

Those  who  teach  "  special "  classes  or  those  in  whose  rooms  are  apt  to  be 
many  defective  and  backward  children,  need  a  first  hand  acquaintance  with  typical 
eases,  and  should  have  pointed  out  to  them  by  experts  the  special  problems  of  the 
defective,  the  promising  symptoms,  as  well  as  the  dangers  and  pitfalls. 

With  such  a  teacher  in  charge,  the  special  class  is  an  assured  success;  other- 
wise it  must  be,  to  say  the  least,  not  so  satisfactory.  There  is,  of  course,  no  place 
for  such  training  like  an  institution  for  the  feeble-minded. 

The  New  Jersey  Training  School  is  near  Vineland,  which  is  thirty-four  miles 
from  Philadelphia,  and  is  one  mile  from  the  railway  station  on  the  trolley  line 
between  Millville  and  Vineland. 

The  grounds,  shops,  barns,  dairy  and  other  buildings  are  open  to  visitation 
and  inspection,  and  every  facility  is  given  to  the  members  of  the  classes  to  see  the 
children  at  work,  at  school,  at  home,  and  at  play. 

The  work  of  the  Summer  School  is  carried  on  along  three  main  lines: 

1.  Observing  and  teaching  the  children  in  their  school  rooms.  This  is  under 
the  direction  of  Mrs.  Alice  Morrison  Nash,  who  has  been  for  eight  years  Principal 
of  the  School  Department. 

The  students  spend  one  hour  daily  in  the  regular  class  rooms  with  a  group 
of  selected  pupils  to  do  practice  work.  Elementary  work  in  basket^,  wood-working 
and  pyrography,  special  sense  training,  sewing  and  knitting,  clay  modelling,  and 


1910  FEEBLE-MINDED  IN  0NTAEI0.  33 

kindergarten  (including  technical  room  work  and  games  and  plays),  and  the 
regular  school  branches  are  given. 

Certain  periods  will  be  devoted  to  observation  in  the  vocational  training 
classes. 

In  order  that  all  of  the  students  may  have  a  fuller  knowledge  of  the  elements 
of  the  branches  that  have  been  found  of  value  in  training  "  special "  children 
(those  who  are  not  usually  taught  in  Normal  Schools ;  basketry,  wookworking,  etc., 
etc.)  there  will  be  class  periods  of  two  hours  each  week,  when  these  will  be  taught. 

For  those  who  wish  it  a  period  will  be  assigned  for  band  work. 

2.  Examining,  testing  and  studying  the  children  individually.  This  is  con- 
ducted by  Dr.  Henry  H.  Goddard  (A.B.,  A.M-,  Haverford;  Ph.D.,  Clark  Uni- 
versity), who  has  been  for  three  years  Director  of  the  Eesearch  Department. 

This  work  centres  in  the  Laboratory.  Students  will  carry  on  special  investi- 
gations with  a  number  of  children,  and  make  complete  examinations  of  at  least 
four  children.  The  value  of  the  various  pieces  of  apparatus  is  learned  by  actual 
use,  practical  tests  of  mental  capacity  made,  and  everything  possible  is  done  to 
enable  the  teachers  to  learn  how  to  know  and  understand  "  special "  children. 

3.  Lectures,  quizzes  and  assigned  reading.  This  is  under  the  direction  of  the 
Superintendent,  who  is  assisted  by  the  members  of  the  Faculty  and  specialists  in 
various  lines  of  related  work. 

The  Laboratory  comprises  a  suite  of  six  rooms  on  the  second  floor  of  the 
Industrial  Building.  Here  are  found  materials  and  apparatus  for  studying  and 
testing  the  children. 

In  the  main  room  (where  are  given  also  the  lectures  by  Dr.  Goddard)  are  the 
ataxiagraph,  ergograph,  tests  for  color  and  for  form,  tapping,  precision,  and  other 
tests  of  motor  control.  Here,  too,  is  the  Psychometer  (Psycho-galvanic  apparatus, 
Jung)  and  the  new  eye-sight  test. 

In  the  next  room  is  the  anthropometric  apparatus,  including  the  Spirometer 
and  Smedley  Dynamometer.  Next  to  this  is  the  Director's  office,  where  are  kept 
the  records,  the  magazines  and  reference  books.  Here  are  also  the  papers  and 
blanks  for  the  more  purely  intellectual  tests;  also  the  new  McCallie  Audiometer 
for  testing  hearing.  Other  rooms  are  used  for  special  tests  and  individual  ex- 
aminations. 

The  magazine  literature  now  includes  Journal  of  Psycho-Asthenics,  Journal  of 
Abnormal  Psychology,  Psychological  Clinic,  Psychological  Bulletin,  Journal  of 
Philosophy,  Psychology  and  Scientific  Method,  Pedagogical  Seminary,  American 
Journal  of  Psychology,  Science,  Popular  Science  Monthly,  Training  School,  Eos,  Die 
Gesundhoitswaerte  der  Schule,  Journal  de  Psychologie  normal  et  pathologique, 
Rivista  di  Psicologia  Applicata,  Die  Kinderfehler.  Archives  de  Paychologie,  Zeits- 
chriff  fur  Pedagogische,  Psychologie,  etc.,  Le  Progres  Medical. 

Past  experience  has  shown  us  that  the  greatest  good  can  only  be  accomplished 
by  having  all  of  the  students  live  in  the  institution,  and  therefore  the  number  is 
limited. 

The  following  classes  of  students  are  admitted  to  the  course: 

a.  Public  School  teachers  who  have  had  Special  Classes,  or  who  are  contem- 
plating taking  up  such  work. 

b.  Superintendents,  professors  and  students  of  psychology  and  pedagogy  who 
wish  a  direct  personal  knowledge  of  this  phase  of  their  subjects. 

c.  Teachers  and  trainers  from  other  institutions. 

d.  Such  other  workers  with  children  as  are  suitably  equipped  and  will  profit 
by  the  course. 


34:  EEPOET  OF  THE  No.  23 

'  e.  Any  teacher  who  desires  to  have  what  this  course  can  give  as  a  practical 
contribution  to  general  pedagogy. 

A  special  examination  may  be  required  of  those  not  holding  credentials  from 
Training  or  Normal  Schools,  or  a  regular  teachers'  license. 

The  fee  for  tuition  for  the  course  is  $25.00. 

The  charge  for  board  and  lodging  for  the  six  weeks  is  $25.00.  This  does  not 
include  laundering. 

The  following  notes  may  be  of  interest: 

1.  The  Superintendent  will  lecture  one  hour  a  day  on  the  general  subject  of 
Mental  Deficiency. 

The  history,  care,  treatment,  and  training  of  these  children. 

The  causes,  diagnosis,  and  prevention  of  this  condition. 

Allied  defects;  blindness,  deafness,  epilepsy,  paralysis,  and  insanity. 

The  aim  and  results  of  our  work  and  its  bearing  on  sociology  and  education. 

2.  Dr.  Goddard's  lectures  will  cover  the  following  points: 

How  to  test  a  feeble-minded  child  to  determine  the  degree  of  defect. 
What  progress  can  we  expect  from  the  various  grades  of  children. 
The  relation  of  the  physical  to  the  mental  in  defective  children 
Heredity  and  what  it  teaches  us. 

The  mental  possibilities  of  the  various  types  of  feeble-mindedness. 
Why  attention  is  weak  and  what  is  to  be  done. 
The  value  of  sense  training. 
Relation  of  feeble-mindedness  to  insanity. 

The  various  forms  of  aphasia  in  the  feeble-minded  and  their  significance. 
Ehythm  and  the  value  of  music. 
What  can  be  done  to  train  the  will. 
Eight  and  wrong  methods. 
Methods  of  discipline. 
What  shall  we  teach  ?    How  ? 
The  rate  of  growth  and  its  significance. 

The  fatigue  curve  and  its  relation  to  instruction  and  discipline. 
Measuring  the  emotions. 

How  do  manual  training,  basketry,  knitting,  number  work  and  other  possible 
studies  develop  and  train  the  mind. 
The  psychology  of  happiness. 
The  psychology  of  plays  and  games. 
The  place  of  habit  among  the  feeble-minded. 
The  psychology  of  learning. 
The  significance  of  memory. 
The  idiot,  the  genius,  and  the  idiot  savant. 

3.  Mrs.  Nash's  daily  lectures  will  bear  particularly  on  the  practical  work  of 
training.    They  will  embrace: 

Methods  of  teaching  the  regular  branches,  reading,  nature  work,  sense  train- 
ing, etc. 

The  most  satisfactory  approach  to  the  manual  arts,  wood-working,  basketry, 
etc. 

Plans  for  discipline. 

Entertainments  and  their  value,  and  outlines  for  programmes. 

Games  and  play  and  their  relation  to  health  and  physical  work. 

Free  discussion  in  all  the  lectures  has  always  made  them  particularly  valuabh. 


1910  FEEBLE-MINDED  IN  0NTAKI0.  35 

Coueses  foe  Special  Teachees  in  New  Yoek  Univebsity. 

Another  summer  course  for  teachers  of  special  classes  is  that  at  New  York 
University,  known  as  the  Summer  School  at  University  Heights,  which  is  not  in 
connection  with  any  institution  for  the  feeble-minded,  and  is  held  in  July  and 
August. 

The  following  are  the  "courses : 

520.  The  Psycho-Physiologic  Laboratory  of  Biology, 

Nature  of  the  Child.  9.30-10.30. 

Doctor  Macy. 

This  course  is  designed  to  give  practical  help  to  teachers  of  all  grades  in  un- 
derstanding the  relations  which  normal  physiologic  development  and  function  bear 
to  the  evolution  of  the-mental  faculties  of  the  child.  The  physiologic  importance 
of  perfect  nutrition  as  an  aid  to  inducing  satisfactory  educational  results,  together 
with  some  simple  tests  for  determining  conditions  of  malnutrition,  will  be  dis- 
cussed. Special  attention  will  be  given  to  the  physiologic  basis  of  psychologic 
powers,  and  the  use  that  may  be  made  of  these  powers  by  the  intelligent,  observant, 
and  skillful  teacher.  The  stages  of  development  reached  by  the  normal  child  at 
given  ages  will  be  pointed  out.  A  study  will  be  made  of  the  relations  of  the  special 
senses  to  the  education  of  normal  children,  and  the  developmental  alterations,  which 
may  be  caused  or  aggravated  by  school  work,  will  be  noted.  Physiologic  and 
hygienic  problems  of  development  preceding  and  during  pubescence,  as  well  as 
the  signs  of  fatigue  and  its  effects  on  the  development  and  on  the  psycho-physio- 
logic powers,  will  be  considered.  Wherever  possible  the  course  will  be  illustrated 
by  lantern  slides,  wall  charts,  anatomic  specimens,  animal  and  human  brains,  and 
sections,  and  miscroscopic  slides.  An  elementary  knowledge  of  physiology  is  a 
prerequisite  for  students  taking  this  course. 

521.  The  Pathologic  Child:  Laboratory  of  Biology, 

An  Educational  Problem.  10.30-11.30. 

Doctor  Macy. 

Considerations  of  General  Pathology. — The  preliminary  lectures  of  this  course 
will  be  devoted  to  the  consideration  of  the  lack  of  harmony  resulting  from  altera- 
tion in  the  physiologic  functions  of  the  body,  and  the  effects,  upon  educational 
capacity  and  receptivity,  of  these  pathologic  condition-.  Special  attention  will  be 
given  to  the  means  for  early  recognition,  and  for  the  classification  of  such  derange- 
ments by  educators,  and  to  such  hygienic  measures  as  are  usually  at  their  hand  for 
the  prevention  or  improvement  of  such  abnormal  states. 

Pathology  of  Crippled  and  Deformed  Children. — Pathologic  conditions  found 
among  crippled  children  will  be  the  topic  of  the  second  group  of  lectures  in  the 
course.  Special  attention  will  bo  paid  to  the  causes  and  classification  of  such  con- 
ditions as  are  found,  as  well  as  to  the  hygienic  environment  over  which  the  educator 
has  control,  and  which  may  be  made  available  to  counterad  existing  pathologic  con- 
ditions. The  problems  of  the  care  in  school  and  the  specialized  education  necessary 
for  these  pupils  will  be  discussed. 

Pathology  of  the  Special  Senses  and  Speech.— The  third  Beries  of  lectures  will 
be  devoted  to  the  consideration  of  the  causes  and  effects  of  partial  deafness,  eye  de- 
fects, speech  defects,  and  abnormalities  of  other  special  senses,  their  recognition 


36  EEPORT  OF  THE  No.  23 

and  care  in  the  schoolroom.  There  will  also  be  a  discussion  of  the  problems  of 
education  of  the  sense  defectives,  such  as  the  deaf,  the  blind,  etc.,  and  special 
emphasis  will  be  placed  upon  the  effect  which  the  pathologic  conditions  present 
have  upon  the  mental  powers  of  an  otherwise  apparently  normal  child. 

Pathology  of  Mental  Deficiency. — The  final  lectures  of  the  course  will  treat  of 
the  causes,  classification,  means  of  recognition  and  educational  care  of  the  mental 
defectives.  The  special  problems  of  public  school  treatment  of  this  class  of  patho- 
logic child  will  be  carefully  presented  and  discussed  as  fully  as  the  time  permits. 
The  importance  of  the  differentiation  of  the  mental  defectives,  the  incorrigible  and 
the  truant  child  by  the  superintendent,  principal  or  teacher  will  be  considered,  and 
the  necessity  of  their  "diagnosis,"  being  subsequently  confirmed  by  a  specialist  with 
medical,  psychological  and  pedagogical  training,  will  be  pointed  out. 

This  course  is  designed  for  directors,  superintendents  and  graduate  students 
of  education;  others  may  be  admitted  if  satisfactory  evidence  of  qualification  is 
furnished,  by  obtaining  special  permission  from  the  Director  of  the  Summer  School. 
A  preliminary  knowledge  of  physiology  is  a  prerequisite. 

Germany. 

Germany  in  1905  had  230  schools  for  Defective  Children  in  150  German  pro- 
vinces, registering  15,000  children.  That  this  enormous  material  furnished  an 
enviable  opportunity  for  studying  the  origin  and  antecedents  of  the  various  forms 
of  degeneration  encountered  early  in  life  was  fully  emphasized  seven  years  ago  by 
the  illustrious  psychiatrist,  Kraeplin,  and  has  recently  led  to  some  important  re- 
searches conducted  by  Eugene  Schlesinger  (Archiv  f  Kinderheilhunde,  Vol.  16, 
No.  1).     As  reported  in  The  Medical  Record. 

The  analysis  by  this  careful  investigator  of  the  past  history  and  antecedents 
of  138  defective  school  children  showed  that  in  27  there  was  no  predisposing  event 
that  could  be  considered  sufficiently  important  to  have  causative  relationship  to  the 
present  defective  condition.  In  24  per  cent,  of  the  remainder  there  were  unmis- 
takable evidences  of  degeneration  in  the  brothers  and  sisters.  In  17  per  cent,  of 
the  cases  truancy  may  have  accounted  for  the  mental  backwardness,  while  in  13 
per  cent,  this  was  attributed  to  conditions  associated  with  abject  poverty  in  the 
home.  In  most  of  these  cases  alcoholism  in  the  parents  was  a  coincident  circum- 
stance, but  its  causative  role  was  distinctly  apparent  in  only  2  per  cent,  of  the  cases. 
Ten  per  cent,  of  the  cases  revealed  a  neuropathic  inheritance,  but  many  of  these 
cases  could  be  explained  on  the  basis  of  severe  antecedent  illness  in  the  child,  par- 
ticularly nervous  diseases,  such  as  epilepsy,  cerebral  paralysis  and  cerebral  syphilis, 
and  also  tuberculosis,  diseases  of  the  eye,  or  to  the  severe  disorders  of  infancy.  In 
6  per  cent,  the  defective  condition  was  closely  linked  with  defect  in  speech,  in  5 
per  cent,  with  psychopathic  deficiencies,  while  only  rarely  was  deafness  found  to 
be  a  cause.  In  contrast  to  these  etiological  factors,  only  seldom  did  birth  trauma- 
tisms, injuries  to  the  head  during  early  childhood,  and  atrophy  of  the  thyroid,  play 
•  any  role,  while  the  fact  that  hypertrophied  tonsils  were  so  widely  prevalent  excluded 
these  as  important  factors  in  the  production  of  the  defective  condition.  In  only 
3  per  cent,  of  the  cases  was  the  condition  purely  hereditary,  and  in  8  per  cent, 
purely  acquired,  while  in  the  remainder  hereditary  and  acquired  influences  were 
both  operative.     In  these,  however,  the  acquired  factors  predominated. 

The  above  figures  are  significant,  for  they  emphasize  the  eminent  importance 
of  environment,  and  the  urgent  need  of  early  prophylaxis  in  diminishing  the  ranks 
of  the  school  defectives. 


1910  FEEBLE-MINDED  IN  ONTARIO.  37 


Greater  Britain. 

The  needs  of  mentally  defective  children  are  being  recognized  and  must  soon 
be  dealt  with  in  different  parts  of  Greater  Britain. 

In  the  First  Beport  of  the  Medical  Branch  of  the  Education  Department  of  Tas- 
mania the  following  statements  occur  in  the  Beport  of  the  Chief  Health  Officer  of 
Tasmania,  and  of  his  assistants.  The  total  average  school  attendance  in  Tasmania 
is  14,464. 

Mental  Defects. — Seventy-one  mentally  deficient  children  are  recorded,  the  pro- 
portion in  Launceston  Schools  being  strikingly  low.  This  somewhat  remarkable 
variation  between  the  two  cities  was  specially  enquired  into,  but  was  found  to  be 
correct.  The  children  so  recorded  are  not  imbeciles  or  idiots,  but  are  incapable 
of  benefiting  by  the  ordinary  methods  of  teaching. 

The  remarks  of  Drs.  Halley  and  Clarke  on  this  subject  merit  serious  atten- 
tion, and  the  provision  of  some  special  teaching  appears  to  be  required  for  these 
children.  At  present,  as  Dr.  Halley  points  out,  many  of  them  are  "doing  no  prac- 
tical good  at  school,  but  are  only  hindering  the  teachers  and  distracting  the  atten- 
tion of  the  other  children."  Tbey  are  also  taking  up  much  needed  air  space,  and 
in  a  few  cases  are  liable  to  become  actively  dangerous  to  their  fellow  scholars.  Dr. 
Clarke  gives  some  very  definite  instances  in  point. 

Nova  Scotia. 

Those  citizens  who  have  worked  for  the  welfare  of  the  mentally  defective  in 
Nova  Scotia  had  a  most  encouraging  audience  with  the  Government  of  Nova  Scotia 
on  March  9th,  1909,  on  the  Feeble-minded.  Three  members  of  the  Moral  and 
Social  Reform  Council  were  appointed  to  act  as  a  Committee  with  three  members  of 
the  Government,  and  to  investigate,  and  formulate  a  plan.  The  Government 
already  have  land  that  is  available. 

There  is  no  doubt  Nova  Scotia  will  deal  with  this  matter  in  the  near  future. 

Great  Britain. 

The  national  greatness  and  vitality  of  Great  Britain  is  in  nothing  more  clearly 
shown  than  in  the  fact  that  she  has  set  herself  to  the  Titanic  task  of  doing  some- 
thing for  the  thousands  of  feeble-minded,  who,  as  completely  unknown  and  unnoted 
as  the  tares  in  the  field,  have  increased  and  multiplied  in  the  "Power-House  of  the 
Line."  The  problem  with  us  is  easy  and  within  control  compared  with  what  it  is 
in  Britain,  but  we  seem  to  think  we  can  do  it  any  time.  The  statesmen  of  Great 
Britain  would  give  much  for  our  chance. 

From  one  of  the  officials  at  Starcross  in  the  Christmas  of  1909  came  a  letter 
saying  :— 

"Things  are  beginning  to  move  in  England.  Meetings  have  been  held  all  over 
the  country  to  demonstrate  the  need  of  continual  care  of  the  Feeble-minded.  An 
eminent  worker  in  the  field,  who,  for  years  has  been  a  devoted  adherent  of  the 
Special  School  System,  and  has,  after  a  long  visit  here,  become  a  convert  to  our 
opinion  that  Institution  life,  with  its  constant  (.arc.  is  what  is  required  for  these 
poor  little  mortals. 

"I  trust  your  work  is  making  good  progr* 

The  Annual  Beport  of  Starcross  is  most  interesting,  and  shows  how  its 
work  grows. 


EEPORT  OF  THE  No.  23 


i 
Public  opinion  in  Great  Britain,  the  freest  country  in  the  world,  begins  to  de- 
mand some  restraint  of  those  whose  children,  if  they  have  children,  will  be  feeble- 
minded.    The  Nation,  a  fairly  good  index  of  public  opinion,  says : — 

"It  is  more  humane  to  achieve  this  end  by  restraints  on  marriage  than  by 
leaving  the  unfortunate  victim  of  an  hereditary  taint  to  die,  while  conversely  it 
is  not  right  to  enable  him  to  propagate  the  disease.  In  this  limited  field  eugenic 
principles  may,  with  suitable  safeguards,  find  their  application :  Miss  Dendy,  who 
has  devoted  many  years  to  the  care  of  thee  Feeble-minded — the  class  bordering  on 
idiocy,  but  just  above  the  line — believes  that  they  do  more  to  recruit  the  class  of 
"unemployable"  and  to  depress  by  their  competition  the  economic  status  of  the 
casual  laborer  than  any  other  single  cause-  The  weight  of  authority  is  on  the  side 
of  the  opinion  that  feeble-mindedness  is  largely  an  hereditary  condition,  and,  if 
this  is  so,  to  provide  permanent  institutional  care  for  this  unhappy  class,  involving 
restrictions  on  marriage,  would  seem  neither  inhumane  nor,  if  a  suitably  stringent 
definition  of  feeble-mindedness  be  laid  down,  an  unjustifiable  interference  with 
liberty.  The  duty  of  refraining  from  marriage  where  there  is  a  marked  hereditary 
taint  of  very  grave  character,  such  as  insanity,  has  long  been  recognized.  So  far 
as  eugenics  is  merely  emphasizing  this  duty  and  seeking  to  extend  and  define  it  by 
some  systematic  research  into  heredity,  it  can  only  do  good  service." 

Associations  to  Help  the  Feeble-minded. 

More  sympathy  and  more  support  seem  to  have  been  given  to  these  Institutions 
this  year  by  the  British  public-  More  people  are  interested  in  them,  and  their  work 
is  extending.  Among  others  may  be  mentioned  the  Conference  of  Committees  for 
the  After-Care  of  Feeble-minded  Children,  at  Leicester,  in  October,  1909,  where 
there  was  a  numerous  attendance  of  delegates  from  all  parts  of  the  country.  Dr. 
Astley  Y.  Clarke,  Chairman  of  the  Leicester  After-care  Committee,  briefly  explained 
that  the  object  of  the  organization  was  to  keep  in  touch  with  young  persons  of 
both  sexes  whose  intellects  were  subnormal,  and  who  had  been  provided  by  the 
State  with  a  modified  form  of  education  in  special  classes.  Such  State  care  extended 
only  till  the  age  of  16 ;  hence  the  necessity  for  after-care  committees  to  follow  up 
the  cases.  Adequate  care  of  this  class  was  well-nigh  impossible  without  increased 
powers  of  control  and  detention,  and  even  if  these  were  granted  by  the  State,  there 
would  be  need  of  voluntary  workers  to  secure  the  best  results. 

Sir  William  Chance  contributed  a  paper  dealing  with  the  growth  of  after-care 
committees  and  summarizing  their  returns;  the  number  of  cases  reported  on  this 
year  was  2,185,  as  compared  with  1,373  in  1908  and  1,037  in  1907- 

Dr.  G.  H.  Savage,  speaking  on  "The  social  dangers  of  Feeble-mindedness,"  said 
that  neglect  of  the  Feeble-minded  as  such  tended  not  only  to  the  misery  of  these 
unfortunates,  but  to  the  harm  of  the  public  at  large,  for  they  gravitated  into  re- 
mand homes,  houses  of  detention,  convict  prisons,  and  criminal  lunatic  asylums, 
where  they  formed  a  considerable  percentage  of  the  inmates.  Therefore  they  had 
evidence  enough  to  justify  society  in  protecting  itself,  and  in  protecting  itself  it 
must  begin  at  the  very  root.  If  good  were  to  be  done  in  preventing  the  frequently 
recurring  fatuous  and  irresponsible  crimes  and  offences  of  mentally-defective  per- 
sons, it  must  be  by  continuous  observation  and  control,  and,  when  necessary,  by 
permanent  detention. 

National  Association  for  the  Feeble-Minded. 

The  annual  meeting  of  this  association  was  held  at  the  Mansion  House  on  May 
13th,  under  the  presidency  of  the  Lord  Mayor  of  London. 


1910  FEEBLE-MINDED  IN  ONTARIO.  39 

Dr.  Savage,  in  an  opening  address,  emphasized  the  national  importance  of  the 
question  in  view  if  the  alarming  increase  of  the  Eeeble-minded  class,  which  had  been 
estimated  as  numbering,  in  England  and  Wales  alone,  about  140,000,  of  whom  some 
66,000  urgently  needed  special  provision.  Inasmuch  as  heredity  was  the  prepond- 
erant factor  in  causation,  and  "prevention  was  better  than  cure"  (which,  indeed, 
was  impracticable),  the  only  remedy  seemed  to  lie  in  the  adoption  of  measures  for 
the  early  detection  of  the  unfit  and  the  prevention  of  their  propagation. 

Mr.  Montague  Crackenthorpe,  K.C.,  pointed  out  that,  both  from  the  humane 
and  the  economic  aspects,  it  behoved  society  to  protect  itself  from  the  criminal  tend- 
encies into  which  the  uncared-for  Feeble-minded  so  often  drifted.  An  industrial 
farm  colony,  such  as  was  contemplated  by  the  association,  would  meet  a  great  social 
want. 

Mr.  W.  H-  Dickinson,  M.P.,  moved  a  resolution  expressing  the  opinion  that  the 
facts  brought  out  by  the  Royal  Commission  proved  the  existence  of  a  grave  national 
evil  urgently  requiring  to  be  remedied,  and  pressing  upon  the  Government  the  need 
of  early  legislation  on  the  lines  of  the  Commissioners'  recommendations. 

Lady  Frederick  Brudenell-Bruce  seconded  the  resolution. 

Dr!  A.  E.  Tredgold,  speaking  from  experience,  said  it  was  high  time  for  the 
nation  to  stem  the  advancing  tide  of  degeneracy,  instead  of  dwelling  simply  upon 
the  glories  of  the  past.  Unfortunately,  feeble-mindedness  did  not  tend  to  sterility ; 
indeed,  he  had  found  a  larger  average  of  children  in  degenerate  families  than  in 
others  (7.3  as  compared  with  4.63),  and  unless  means  were  speedily  adopted  to  check 
the  increase  of  the  unfit,  national  decadence  seemed  inevitable.  Their  propagation 
must  be  prevented,  and  their  happiness  and  freedom  from  criminality  secured,  by 
early  training  and  permanent  segregation  with  useful  employment  in  an  industrial 
colony  such  as  it  was  the  ambition  of  the  National  Association  to  establish. 

The  thirteenth  annual  report  of  the  association  shows  that  during  1908  there 
had  been  a  steady  expansion  of  its  work.  New  centres  around  London  and  in  the 
provinces  had  been  organized,  additional  homes  affiliated,  and  local  after-care  com- 
mittees had  been  co-ordinated  in  their  methods,  and  their  results  compared  and 
tabulated.  The  honorary  medical  staff  had  been  strengthened  by  the  addition  of 
several  provincial  consultants;  and  lectures  had  been  given  under  the  auspices  of 
the  Education  Committee.  The  Colony  Fund  had  benefited  by  an  increase  of 
£1,514  during  the  year,  and  altogether  about  £3,000  seems  now  available  for  this 
object.     Much  more,  however,  is  needed. 

There  are  now,  under  the  National  Association  for  the  Feeble-minded  and 
other  voluntary  organizations  between  thirty  and  forty  permanent  Bomes  and  In- 
stitutions in  which  the  Feeble-minded  are  received.  Among  these  for  example,  are 
the  Laundry  and  Houses  of  Industry  at  Birmingham : 

"To  provide  safe,  and,  if  needful,  permanent  shelter  for  those  women  and  girls 
who,  through  weak  intellect,  have  no  power  of  self-protection." 

"To  provide  remunerative  employment  for  such,  in  laundry  work  and  other 
suitable  industries." 

"And  to  develop  the  feeling  that  they  are  all  members  of  one  family,  and  that 
they  must  work  loyally  for  the  common  good,  and  for  the  welfare  of  the  Home  which 
snelters  them." 

2,000  applications  for  admission  to  those  Homes  have  been  received  during  the 
last  16  years. 


40  EEPOET  OF  THE  No.  23 

The  Eeport  of  the  Eotal  Commission  on  the  Care  and  Control  of  the 

Feeble-minded. 

The  consideration  of  this  Eeport  was  the  chief  event  of  1909  in  regard  to  the 
welfare  of  the  Feeble-minded. 

At  the  Annual  Meetings  and  stated  meetings  of  the  Managers  and  Board  of 
Guardians  of  Charitable  and  other  Institutions  which  had  any  relation  to  the  Feeble- 
minded, it  was  constantly  discussed  and  criticised  and  reviewed,  and  efforts  have 
been  made  to  secure  legislation  founded  upon  it.  An  abstract  of  it  has  been  pub- 
lished with  comments  by  Francis  Galton,  F.E.S.,  Miss  Mary  Dendy,  and  other 
experts. 

With  one  or  two  exceptions  the  recommendations  of  the  Eoyal  Commission 
have  been  generally  approved,  and  some  steps  have  been  taken  to  carry  them  into 
effect.  An  important  instance  of  this  is  the  action  of  the  Lord  Chancellor  of  Eng- 
land, as  follows :  The  Eoyal  Commission  recommended  that  there  should  be  one  cen- 
tral authority  only  for  the  general  protection  and  supervision  of  all  mentally  de- 
fective persons,  and  for  the  regulation  of  the  provision  made  for  their  accommodation 
and  maintenance,  care,  treatment,  education,  training  and  control. 

In  the  63rd  Eeport  of  the  Commissioners  in  Lunacy  to  the  Lord  Chancellor, 
recently  issued  as  a  Blue-book,  reference  is  made  to  the  suggestions  in  the  Eeport 
of  the  Eoyal  Commission  on  the  Care  and  Control  of  the  Feeble-minded  issued  last 
year.  They  call  the  attention  of  the  Lord  Chancellor  to  certain  reforms  in  respect 
of  the  care  of  the  insane  which,  on  the  lines  laid  down  by  the  Commission,  and  with 
only  slight  amendment  of  existing  Acts,  might  be  adopted  with  advantage.  The 
points  to  which  they  more  especially  refer,  in  this  connection,  are  the  segregation 
or  restraint  of  certain  classes  of  persons  of  defective  intellect,  especially  of  weak- 
minded  women  and  girls,  in  such  a  way  as  to  prevent  them  from  becoming  parents, 
and  the  provision  of  proper  care  and  restraint  for  the  large  number  of  persons  who 
commit  acts  which  in  the  eye  of  the  law  are  criminal  and  entail  punishment,  but 
whose  mental  condition  is  not  such  as  to  render  punishment  a  suitable  method  of 
treating  them. 

The  Lord  Chancellor  has  resolved,  as  a  first  step  in  that  direction,  that  the 
duties  of  the  Lord  Chancellor's  Visitors  in  Lunacy  shall  be  transferred  to  the  Lunacy 
Commissioners,  and  that  for  this  purpose  the  present  Visitors  shall  be  added  to  the 
Board. 

In  the  words  of  Dr-  Dawson,  of  Dublin : — 

"The  recommendations  of  the  Eoyal  Commission  are,  as  we  have  seen,  not 
perfect — indeed,  such  perfection  would  be  impossible.  But,  when  all  has  been  said 
their  report  remains  a  monument  of  industry  and  a  mine  of  information,  and  con- 
stitutes the  only  serious  attempt  to  deal  with  the  problem  of  mental  defect  as  a 
whole  and  with  a  view  to  prevention  as  well  as  cure.  Not  the  least  important  of 
its  services  will  be  rendered  if  it  forces  on  the  attention  of  the  nation  the  existence 
of  unpalatable  facts  to  which  most  wilfully  prefer  to  remain  blind." 

Deputation  to  the  Home  Secretary. 

Perhaps  the  most  important  public  action  taken  in  regard  to  the  Eeport  of 
the  Eoyal  Commission  was  the  deputation  to  the  Secretary  of  State,  Mr.  Herbert 
Gladstone,  received  by  him  in  September,  1909.  The  representative  character  of 
the  organization,  as  well  as  its  personelle,  entitled  it  to  great  consideration.  It  is 
fully  described  in  the  British  Medical  Journal : 


1910  FEEBLE-MINDED  IN"  ONTARIO.  41 

Mr.  W.  H.  Dickinson,  M.P.,  in  introducing  the  deputation,  said  its  object  was 
to  urge  the  necessity  for  early  legislation  in  order  to  carry  out  the  recommendations 
contained  in  the  Report  of  the  Royal  Commission  upon  the  Care  and  Control  of  the 
Feeble-minded. 

The  study  of  the  proper  method  of  dealing  with  the  Feeble-minded  had  begun 
some  twenty-five  or  thirty  years  ago,  and  the  movement  had  grown  rapidly.  Those 
who  were  engaged  in  the  work  of  the  Charity  Organization  Society  had  become  con- 
vinced that  there  was  hardly  a  branch  of  its  labours  which  was  not  complicated  by 
the  problem  of  the  unrestrained  and  unprotected  Feeble-minded.  The  result  had 
been  a  national  movement,  ultimately  of  sufficient  strength  to  induce  Mr.  Balfour 
to  appoint  a  Royal  Commission.  Anyone  who  had  studied  the  report  of  that  Com- 
mission and  the  evidence  must  come  to  the  conclusion  that  it  accurately  represented 
the  facts.  The  evil  was  a  sore  in  the  national  life  which  had  been  festering  for 
many  years.  It  was  easily  curable,  for  all  that  was  wanted  was  that  some  body 
or  some  authority,  should  have  power  to  do  away  with  the  evil  caused  by  the  neglect 
of  the  Feeble-minded  and  mentally  defective.  Hitherto  such  persons  had  only  been 
brought  under  control  for  reasons  other  than  their  feeble-mindedness — either  be- 
cause they  were  paupers,  or  prisoners,  or  inebriates,  or  had  become  in  other  ways 
chargeable  to  the  public  or  brought  under  the  notice  of  philanthropic  associations. 
If  there  were  one  body  whose  duty  it  was  to  deal  with  such  people,  a  very  great 
deal  of  the  evil  could  be  removed.  The  deputation  was  very  anxious  that  the  Gov- 
ernment should  legislate  on  the  subject  as  early  as  possible,  and  suggested  that,  as 
the  matter  was  one  involving  social  welfare,  there  would  be  no  difficulty  in  the  way. 

Mr.  C.  S.  Loch,  of  the  Charity  Organization  Society,  and  one  of  the  members 
of  the  Royal  Commission,  thought  the  report  showed  that  opinion  on  the  subject 
was  unanimous,  and  it  was  indeed  astonishing  that  people  gathered  from  so  many 
quarters  were  able  to  speak  with  such  unanimity  on  the  absolute  necessity  of  some 
action  being  taken-  The  segregation  proposed  was  greatly  in  the  interests  of  the 
Feeble-minded  themselves;  they  would  live  under  such  circumstances,  happier  lives, 
would  be  better  cared  for,  and  all  that  was  good  in  them  would  be  brought  out.  Con- 
tinuous supervision  was  the  key  to  the  whole  problem.  While  every  effort  was 
being  made  by  philanthropic  associations  and  individuals  to  deal  with  the  subject, 
it  was  felt  that  the  aid  of  the  Government  was  absolutely  necessary,  and  he  there- 
fore most  earnestly  asked  the  Secretary  of  State  to  press  forward  legislation. 

Dr.  Ramsay  gave  some  statistics  proving  to  how  large  an  extent  habitual  in- 
ebriates were  mentally  defective.  In  the  Lancashire  Inebriate  Reformatory  at 
Langho,  since  the  opening  of  that  Institution  five  years  ago,  273  females  had  been 
admitted,  of  whom  165  were  mentally  defective  in  some  degree;  130  of  them  were 
married,  106  single,  and  33  widows.  The  system  at  Langho  was  to  make  everyone 
work  who  was  physically  fit,  and  so  successful  had  that  been,  that  the  charge  to  the 
committing  authority  had  been  reduced  from  10s.  6d.  to  5s.  3d.  a  hfad;  and  while 
the  percentage  of  cures  had  not  been  raised  so  much,  that  of  improved  cases  had. 
The  great  difficulty  was  after-care,  and  the  Lancashire  justices  were  waiting  for 
greater  facilities  for  sending  people  to  inebriate  institutions.  Ee  pleaded  that  the 
mentally  defective  should  not  go  at  large,  populating  the  country  with  feeble- 
minded children.  He  gave  figures  in  support  of  his  argument,  and  said  that 
statistics  showed  that  many  of  the  people  with  whom  the  police  had  to  deal,  and 
who  made  repeated  appearances  in  the  police  courts,  would  he  effectively  dealt 
with  under  the  legislation  recommended  by  the  Royal  Commission. 

Dr.  R.  C.  Buist  (British  Medical  Association)  emphasized  the  urgency  of  leg- 
islation.      Speaking  from  his  own  experience  and   from   enquiries   made   by  the 


42  REPORT  OF  THE  No.  23 

British  Medical  Association  as  to  the  opinion  of  the  medical  profession  with  regard 
to  the  report  of  the  Royal  Commission,  he  was  able  to  assure  Mr.  Gladstone  of  the 
practical  unanimity  with  which  it  had  been  received,  not  only  from  the  point  of 
view  of  the  profession  generally,  whose  experience  went  to  the  detail  of  cases,  but 
also  from  the  expert  view  of  psychologists;  he  was  therefore  perfectly  safe  in 
saying  the  problem  was  ripe  for  solution. 

Mr.  C.  N.  Nicholson,  M.P.,  pointed  out  that  whilst  there  was  legislation  to 
deal  with  mentally  deficient  people  possessed  of  property  and  mentally  deficient 
people  who  committed  crimes,  there  was  no  means  of  dealing  with  the  intermediate 
class.  He  instanced,  as  within  his  experience  when  guardian  at  Shoreditch,  the 
case  of  a  half-witted  woman  who  passed  in  and  out  of  the  workhouse,  and  gave 
birth  to  no  less  than  seven  illegitimate  children.  Probably  there  were  at  least 
a  thousand  such  offspring  of  feeble-minded  people  born  every  year  in  London,  and 
it  was  necessary  that  something  should  be  done  to  check  such  an  ever-increasing 
burden. 

The  Home  Secretary  said  he  had  listened  with  very  great  interest  to  the  speeches 
which  had  been  made  on  a  most  important  subject,  and  made  with  undeniable 
knowledge  and  authority.  He  recognized  that  the  deputation  included  those  who 
had  by  long  practical  experience  acquired  practical  knowledge  of  the  various  rami- 
fications of  the  great  subject-matter  which  was  committed  to  the  Royal  Commission 
for  investigation.  He  was-  glad  to  think  that  there  was  complete  agreement  with 
regard  to  the  questions  that  had  been  raised.  The  present  lunacy  law  was  in  many 
respects  very  good,  but  in  other  respects  it  was  archaic.  The  deputation  had  given 
examples  which  showed  that  in  many  directions  the  labour  and  energy  entailed  by 
the  present  system  did  not  give  adequate  returns,  and  had  shown  that  there  were 
anomalies  and  deficiencies,  and  a  necessity  for  reform  in  organization  which  ought 
to  be  dealt  with  at  the  earliest  possible  date.  On  all  those  matters  there  was 
general  agreement.  Speaking  quite  generally,  he  gathered  that  there  were  two  main 
objects  present  to  the  members  of  the  deputation :  First,  the  many  classes  of  weak- 
minded  people  who  were  now  outside  the  unamended  lunacy  law;  and,  secondly, 
that  there  should  be,  by  reorganization,  a  concentration  of  authorities  dealing  with 
weak-mindedness  in  order  to  produce  not  only  a  more  uniform  system,  but  a  better 
and  completer  system  throughout  the  country.  The  matter,  of  course,  was  one  of 
great  difficulty ;  its  difficulties  were  in  proportion  to  its  scope,  which,  unfortunately, 
was  very  widespread;  it  touched  the  special  difficulties  connected  with  the  ine- 
briate question  and  also  the  general  question  of  criminality — two  subjects  in  them- 
selves very  large  and  very  important,  which,  therefore,  complicated  to  a  considerable 
extent  what  he  might  call  the  main  issue.  There  was  difficulty  by  reason  of  the 
number  of  public  authorities,  and  also  in  the  immense  number  of  private  interests 
concerned,  and  the  difficulty  was  further  increased  by  the  ever-present  question 
of  cost.  However,  there  was  general  agreement  that  early  legislation  was  the  only 
remedy,  and  the  earlier  it  came  the  better.  The  Royal  Commission  had  issued  a 
most  admirable  report,  and  he  took  the  opportunity  of  expressing  to  that  Commis- 
sion, in  the  presence  of  some  who  served  on  it  for  so  long  a  time,  his  sense  of  the 
patience,  care,  and  ability  which  for  long  years  were  brought  to  bear  on  such  diffi- 
cult problems,  and  of  the  very  admirable  report  which  was  the  result  of  those 
labours.  It  was  one  thing  to  be  in  general  agreement,  however,  on  the  main  lines 
of  the  report,  but  experience  always  showed  that  as  soon  as  a  bill  was  introduced, 
difficulties,  expected  and  unexpected  as  well,  arose.  Such  difficulties  were,  how- 
ever involved  more  or  less  in  every  attempt  at  legislation,  and  they  were  difficulties 
which  had  to  be  overcome.    It  was  a  matter  of  very  great  satisfaction  and  import- 


1910  FEEBLE-MINDED  IN  ONTARIO.  43 

ance  that  the  Lunacy  Commissioners  were  in  general  agreement  with  the  report  of 
the  Royal  Commission.  Further,  he  thought  it  might  he  said  that  responsible 
people  throughout  the  country  were  similarly  in  general  agreement  with  the  views 
of  the  Commission.  So  far  as  his  department  was  concerned,  it  was  ready  to  do  all 
it  could  to  meet  the  wishes  of  the  deputation.  The  report  of  the  Commission 
touched  his  department  very  directly;  crime  in  relation  to  weak-mindedness  was  a 
constant  problem,  and  he  and  those  associated  with  him  were  all  aware  of  the  close 
connection  there  was  between  crime  and  weak-mindedness,  and  were  also  painfully 
aware  of  how  entirely  inadequate  was  the  present  system  of  treating  crime,  having 
regard  to  its  due  relation  to  the  question  of  feeble-mindedneess  as  a  cause  of  crime. 
Therefore  the  Home  Office,  being  directly  interested  would  be  only  too  glad  to  do 
everything  possible  to  hasten  forward  any  improvement-  But  the  Home  Office 
was  not  the  only  department  concerned.  He  had  regretfully  abandoned  the  hope 
that  it  would  be  possible  to  introduce  a  bill  in  the  present  session.  The  reason  was 
painfully  apparent  to  every  one  now  serving  in  the  House  of  Commons,  and  he  was 
not  sure  that  it  would  be  wise  to  bring  in  a  bill  at  a  time  when  there  was  no  chance 
of  making  any  progress  with  it.  His  own  opinion  was  that  it  would  encourage  every 
sort  of  person  to  put  forward  useless  opinions  and  to  confuse  issues,  and,  if  he 
might  use  the  expression,  "to  queer  the  pitch"  for  a  more  practical  effort  the  fol- 
lowing year.  In  conclusion,  he  said  he  was  in  complete  agreement  with  the  desires 
of  the  deputation,  and  recognized  that  in  the  views  of  those  who  had  spoken  and 
who  were  present,  representing  not  only  philanthropic  organizations  throughout 
the  country,  with  practical  experience  in  dealing  with  the  feeble-minded,  but  also 
of  the  British  Medical  Association,  must  carry  great  weight ;  and  he  was,  therefore, 
all  the  more  encouraged  to  believe  that  with  such  authoritative  agreement  with  the 
Royal  Commission's  proposals  a  practical  effort  could  be  made  next  year,  and  that 
the  Government  in  any  action  it  might  take  on  the  lines  of  the  report  of  the  Royal 
Commission  would  have  the  energetic  support  and  encouragement  of  all  those  best 
entitled  to  speak  on  that  most  important  question. 

Questions  in  the  House  of  Commons. 

Another  significant  indication  of  the  course  of  public  opinion  is  to  be  seen 
in  the  repeated  questions  asked  about  the  care  of  the  Feeble-minded,  in  the  House 
of  Commons.  These  have  been  addressed  to  the  Prime  Minister,  to  Mr.  John 
Burns,  President  of  the  Local  Government  Board,  and  to  other  members  of  the 
Government  in  the  House  of  Commons. 

The  Feeble-minded  in  Poor  Law  Institutions. — In  April,  in  the  House  of 
Commons,  Mr.  A.  H.  Scott  asked  the  President  of  the  Local  Government  Board  if 
he  could  issue  an  order  upon  all  Poor  Law  authorities  to  remove  or  isolate  when 
possible  all  feeble-minded  epileptics,  inebriates,  imbeciles,  and  lunatics  from  other 
inmates  of  the  workhouses,  as  recommended  in  the  recent  reports  of  the  Royal  Com- 
mission on  Poor  Law,  and  also  in  the  reports  of  the  Royal  Commission  on  Aj-i 
Poor  in  1895-  Mr.  Burns  said  that  to  the  extent  to  which  existing  accommodation 
or  additions  to  existing  accommodation  in  Poor  Law  institutions  might  suffice  for 
the  modification  of  present  arrangements  affecting  the  classes  to  which  the  question 
referred,  the  powers  of  the  Local  Government  Board  and  of  the  Poor  Law  authori- 
ties could,  no  doubt,  be  exercised  in  the  direction  indicated  in  the  question.  But 
for  any  such  comprehensive  treatment  of  the  matter  as  appeared  to  be  contem- 
plated in  the  Reports  of  the  Royal  Commissions,  legislation  would  almost  cer- 
tainly be  needed. 


44  EEPOET  OF  THE  No.  23 

Care  of  Feeble-minded  {Royal  Commission). — In  October,  in  the  House  of 
Commons,  Mr.  Henry  Walker  asked  whether  any  legislation  was  being  prepared  to 
give  effect  to  the  recommendations  of  the  Eoyal  Commission  on  the  Care  and  Control 
of  the  Feeble-minded,  with  particular  reference  to  the  removal  of  mentally  defective 
persons  from  the  workhouses.  Mr.  Burns  replied  that  the  initiation  of  legislation 
affecting  the  methods  of  dealing  with  mentally  defective  persons  in  public  institu- 
tions would  not  be  a  matter  primaiily  for  his  department;  but  the  recommendations 
of  the  Eoyal  Commission  on  the  particular  matter  referred  to  in  the  question  would 
not  be  lost  sight  of  when  any  such  legislation  was  proposed. 

Care  of  Feeble-minded. — In  the  House  of  Commons  in  November,  Mr.  Henry 
Walker  asked  the  Prime  Minister  whether,  in  view  of  the  unanimous  recommenda^ 
tion  of  the  Eoyal  Commission  on  the  Care  and  Control  of  the  Feeble-minded  in 
favour  of  taking  out  of  the  Poor  Law  all  classes  of  mentally  defective  persons  and 
of  removing  the  feeble-minded  from  the  workhouses,  steps  were  now  being  taken 
for  the  preparation  of  legislation  on  the  subject;  and  whether,  in  the  meantime, 
care  would  be  taken  not  to  give  the  sanction  of  His  Majesty's  Government  to  any 
schemes  of  local  authorities  which  would  involve  in  any  Department  expenditure 
in  a  direction  contrary  to  the  recommendations  of  the  said  Eoyal  Commission.  Mr. 
Asquith  replied  that  the  Government  were  alive  to  the  importance  of  this  matter, 
and  he  would  refer  to  a  statement  of  the  Home  Secretary,  made  on  August  31st 
last,  in  reply  to  a  deputation.  The  Home  Secretary  on  that  occasion  said  that, 
though  there  might  be  considerable  difficulties  in  the  way  of  legislation,  he  was  in 
agreement  with  the  deputation  as  to  the  importance  of  the  subject,  and  that  he  had 
ascertained  that  the  Lord  Chancellor  was  of  the  same  opinion;  and  he  added  that 
he  hoped  to  be  able  to  make  a  practical  effort  next  session  in  the  direction  of  legis- 
lation. In  answer  to  the  latter  part  of  the  question,  he  would  refer  to  an  answer 
given  on  August  27th  by  the  President  of  the  Local  Government  Board,  in  the  course 
of  which  he  gave  an  assurance  that  he  would  bear  in  mind  the  recommendations  of 
the  Eoyal  Commission,  but  that,  pending  legislation,  he  was  not  prepared  to  under- 
take that  his  sanction  should  be  withheld  in  all  cases  in  which  proposals  for  new 
buildings  for  inmates  of  the  class  described  might  be  brought  before  him. 

Finally,  in  the  "Children's  Charter,"  an  Act  introduced  by  the  Eight  Hon- 
ourable Herbert  Samuel,  MP.,  and  now  upon  the  Statute  Book  of  Great  Britain, 
we  have  in  Section  58,  and  Section  62 :  2,  definite  provision  that  the  police  shall 
take  action  in  the  case  of  mentally  defective  children  living  under  unsuitable  con- 
ditions, and  magistrates  are  required  to  commit  them  to  suitable  schools  for  De- 
fective Children. 

In  the  words  of  Mrs.  Inglis,  commenting  on  the  Children's  Charter: 

"Yet  another  natural  outcome  of  this  measure  will  be  to  force  upon  the  State 
the  care  of  the  defective  after  he  has  ceased  to  be  a  child.  As  with  the  matter 
touched  upon  in  the  last  paragraph,  public  opinion  is  coming  to  see  more  and  more 
clearly  the  truth  of  those  who  say  that  the  battalions  of  our  idle  and  vicious  loafers 
are  recruited  largely  from  the  class  who  spring  from  the  defective  or  deficient  child. 
To  safeguard  the  nation  and  to  give  these  poor  wastrels  a  chance  in  life,  they  must 
be  kept  from  the  dangers  and  perils  of  freedom,  and  especially  from  the  chance  of 
bringing  families  into  the  world.  .  The  Children's  Charter  says  good-bye  to  the 
child  at  nineteen,  but  some  children  remain  children,  or  are  physically  deficient,  all 
their  lives.  A  Government  Bill  empowering  the ,  State  to  undertake  the  per- 
manent charge  of  these  grown-up  children,  and  of  those  who,  from  physical  or  moral 
defect  or  weakness,  cannot  hope  to  battle  with  the  world,  would  be  a  natural  com- 
panion to  the  Bill  already  suggested." 

All  these  things  show  that  legislation  cannot  be  much  longer  delayed. 


1910  FEEBLE-MINDED  IN  ONTARIO.  45 


Report  of  Dr.  James  Kerr,  Chief  Medical  Officer  to  the  Education  Com- 
mittee of  the  London  County  Council. 

No  one  who  knows  anything  about  this,  or  any  other  subject  connected  with  the 
Medical  Inspection  of  Schools,  or  the  welfare  of  school  children,  needs  to  be  told 
that  in  the  Reports  of  Dr.  James  Kerr  (The  First  School  Doctor),  Chief  Medical 
Officer  to  the  Education  Committee  of  the  London  County  Council,  is  to  be  found 
a  never-failing  source  of  information  and  inspiration. 

Presented  to  the  London  County  Council  on  May  11th,  1909,  and  covering  the 
twenty-one  months  ended  31st  December,  1908,  Dr.  Kerr's  latest  report  deals  with 
the  London  Special  Schools  and  Special  Classes,  with  the  welfare  of  Defective 
Children  generally,  and  with  certain  difficult  problems  requiring  research,  such  as 
Word-Deafness  "and  Psychopathic  Deafness,  in  a  masterly  way.  Statistics  may 
perhaps  better  be  omitted.  What  in  Ontario  is  seen  writ  small  is  seen  in  London 
writ  large  as  follows : 

The  Intermediate  Class. 

Are  there  any  children  who  are  not  really  Feeble-minded  and  so  not  fit 
for  a  special  class,  but  are  yet  unable  to  make  progress  at  an  elementary  school 
and  would,  therefore,  be  better  in  an  Intermediate  Class  ?  In  the  Special  Classes 
in  London  five  thousand  children,  about  whom  this  question  was  raised,  were  exam- 
ined and  in  five  hundred  and  twenty  cases  the  answer  was,  Yes.  They  would  be 
better  in  an  "Intermediate  Class." 

The  Special  Class  a  Clearing  House. 

The  real  use  and  chief  function  of  a  Special  Class  for  mentally  Defective  Chil- 
dren is  that  of  a  Clearing  House. 

In  such  special  classes  there  are  a  few,  from  five  to  ten  per  cent.,  who  may 
and  do  improve  so  much  that  they  can  go  back  to  the  ordinary  class.  These  are  at 
the  upper  end  of  the  scale.  They  are,  or  may  become,  normal,  or  so  nearly  normal 
that  they  can  take  their  place  in  the  world. 

At  the  other  end  of  the  scale  are  those  who  are  soon  seen  to  be  fit  only  for 
permanent  custodial  care,  and  to  that  permanent  care  they  should  be  removed  in 
order  to  do  the  best  for  them.  And  these  again  number  about  ten  per  cent.,  and 
they  can  do  a  little  useful  work,  but  not  much-  Under  supervision  they  can,  per- 
haps, pick  stones  off  a  field.  And  of  the  remaining  eighty  per  cent.,  about  half  can 
do  manual  work  well,  and  have  fair  intelligence,  and  the  other  half  are  capable 
of  doing  a  certain  amount  of  work  under  constant  supervision.  Bui  supervision, 
and  that  of  a  permanent  character,  is  required,  as  will  be  seen  by  nearly  all. 

Special  Class  of  Children  Who  do  not  Improve. 

This  is  another  problem  which  the  experience  of  Dr.  Kerr  and  the  large 
number  of  children  studied  enables  him  to  deal  with.  It  will  be  one  of  the  prob- 
lems which  the  establishment  of  Special  Classes  in  this  I  will  bring  to  our 
notice. 

The  children  who  are  pupils  of  Special  Schools  for  the  mentally  defective  arc 
defined  by  section  1  (a)  of  the  Elementary  Education  (Defective  and  Epileptic  Chil- 
dren) Act,  1899,  as  being  those  who,  not  bein^  imbecile,  and  nut  being  merely  dull 
and  backward,  are  defective,  that  is  to  say.  children  who  b]  reason  of  mental  or 
physical  defect  are  incapable  of  receiving  proper  benefit    from   the  instruction   in 


46  BEPOBT  OF  THE  Xo.  23 

( 
the  ordinary  public  elementary  schools,  but  are  not  incapable,  by  reason  of  such 
defect,  of  receiving  benefit  from  instruction  in  such  Special  Classes  or  Schools  as  are 
in  this  Act  mentioned. 

It  is  very  difficult  to  say  how  far  a  child  who  is  not  imbecile,  is  yet  incapable 
of  receiving  benefit.  The  following  are  notes  of  certain  children  formerly  in  the 
Leo  Street  Special  School: — 

1. — When  examined  in  October,  1903,  this  boy's  articulation  was  very  defective. 
June,  1904,  be  was  unintelligible,  bad  no  idea  of  calculation  and  bad  made  practically 
no  improvement.  June,  1905,  be  was  doing  nothing,  was  in  tbe  lowest  grade,  constantly 
smiling.  June,  1906,  bis  mechanical  work  was  not  better  than  the  tbree  R's.  March, 
1907,  be  could  not  count  beyond  four,  hopeless  intellectually.  January,  1908,  be  could 
count  up  to  10.    He  is  now  12  years  of  age  and  bis  speech  is  unintelligible  to  strangers. 

2. — Tbis  girl  was  examined  in  January,  1903.  She  could  not  articulate  plainly,  was 
said  to  be  quick  at  housework,  but  educationally  "  nil."  Said  she  had  two  fingers,  three 
heads,  but  one  nose.  In  September,  1904,  she  could  not  step  in  line.  Was  of  the  poorest 
mental  stuff  in  the  centre,  was  malodorous.  June,  1905,  very  unintelligent.  June,  1906, 
a  very  low  type  of  intellect  not  making  any  improvement  in  any  subject.  Was  absent 
at  each  subsequent  visit  of  the  doctor.     Reported  as  making  practically  no  advance. 

3. — This  girl  was  examined  in  September,  1904.  She  was  a  tiny,  undergrown  little 
girl  who  knew  nothing.  In  June,  1905,  she  was  aged  10,  had  only  two  teeth  in  the  top 
jaw,  her  mental  capacity  was  nil;  has  had  operation  for  tubercular  bone.  Now  over  12 
years  of  age;   has  to  be  frequently  sent  home  owing  to  verminous  condition. 

4. — This  boy  was  examined  in  June,  1904,  when  &y2.  Very  weak-minded,  no  power 
of  calculation.  June,  1906,  power  of  grasping  any  point  so  limited  that  be  will  not  be 
equal  to  an  infant  within  3  or  4  years.  Manual  work  bad.  January,  1908,  no  advance 
mentally;  now  aged  12. 

5. — This  boy  was  examined  in  January,  1905.  A  defective-looking  boy.  Said  his  age 
was  12;  it  was  only  9.  Could  not  write  figure  3.  June,  1906,  knew  a  few  monosyllables 
in  book.  March,  1907,  articulation  very  poor,  improvement  slight.  January,  1908;  now 
12  years  old  and  his  mental  capacity  shows  no  advance. 

In  April,  1908,  these  cases  were  submitted  to  the  Special  Schools  Sub-Com- 
mittee as,  although  they  could  not  be  certified  as  incapable  of  being  educated,  yet 
they  had  made  practically  no  advance  in  knowledge  for  many  months.  The 
Council  ultimately  decided  in  June  to  exclude  these  children,  as  they  were  appar- 
ently incapable,  by  reason  of  their  defect,  of  receiving  benefit  from  the  instruction 
given  in  the  school :  and  further  that  particulars  of  the  cases  should  be  sent  to  the 
Local  Government  Board  and  to  the  Board  of  Education  for  their  observations. 
The  Local  Government  Board  replied  that  they  had  no  jurisdiction  in  regard  to 
children  not  chargeable  to  the  Poor  Bates.  The  first  of  the  cases  was  subsequently 
readmitted  on  the  request  of  his  parents,  but  later,  after  careful  consideration, 
excluded  on  a  medical  certificate  as  ineducable.  As  he  is  not  a  pauper  he  will 
now  run  the  streets  uncontrolled- 

Moral  Defectives  and  Permanent  Custodial  Treatment. — This  is  still  another 
problem.  The  necessity  for  compulsory  powers  of  detention  in  custodial  schools 
till  16,  and  later  for  the  rest  of  life,  of  certain  moral  defectives  is  a  most  pressing 
matter.  For  instance  just  as  we  find  in  cases  of  pure  word-blindness  a  defect  of 
a  particular  region  of  the  brain,  sometimes  as  a  hereditary  failing  which  may 
occur  in  children  normal  in  other  respects,  or  combined  with  any  amount  of  other 
defect,  from  mere  dulness  to  low  -grade  mental  defect,  imbecility,  or  idiocy,  so 
cases  are  found  of  morally  defective  children,  who  vary  in  mental  capacity  from 
some  cases  which  are  exceedingly  clever  in  other  respects,  to  children  who  are  so 
bad  as  to  be  classed  as  imbecile.  Very  commonly  through  such  individuals  being 
on  what  might  be  considered  as  a  lower  scale  of  mental  development  than  normal 
the  emotions  are  much  more  developed  relatively  than  the  intellectual  qualities 
which  give  restraint,  so  that  they  are  exceedingly  plausible  in  speech,  and  have  a 
peculiarly  attractive  gift  of  adapting  themselves,  smiles  or  tears  being  available 


1910  FEEBLE-MINDED  IX  ONTARIO.  47 

with  equal  ease  according  to  their  environment.  There  are  great  differences  in 
the  way  the  defect  is  manifested.  It  is  almost  impossible  yet  to  classify  them,  but 
a  provisional  arrangement  might  be  made  into   (a)   Passive,   (b)   Active. 

(a)  Passive  cases  (only  passive  trouble  in  school  conduct). 

I.  Children  who  have  irregular  but  recurrent  outbursts  showing  moral 
defect  in  slight  degrees  amounting  to  uncontrollable  bad  temper;  often  with  a 
complete  heedlessness  of  all  correction  or  advice,  and  very  often  a  tendency 
to  roam  or  wander  away.  These  cases  are  probably  of  an  epileptic  nature  and 
require  detention  and  are  to  be  regarded  as  cases  of  disease. 

II.  Children  who  seem  merely  not  to  be  amenable  to  discipline.  This  is  a 
large  class  and  I  think  a  very  large  proportion  would  be  taught/  habits  of 
obedience  by  regular  and  inflexible  corporal  punishment.  Most  of  them  are 
subjects  for  industrial  training  later  on,  but  they  often  present  other  defects, 
e.g.,  wordblindness. 

(b)  Active  cases  (active  troubles  to  the  teachers). 

I.  Children  who  are  only  differentiated  from  the  first  of  the  class  above 
by  their  violence  and  destructiveness  in  their  outbursts  of  rage  almost  un- 
provoked at  times  and  quite  irregular.  For  the  greater  part  of  their  time 
such  children,  are  inoffensive,  sometimes  clever,  often  dull,  stupid  or  even  sul- 
len, but  in  a  rage  behave  as  uncontrollable  lunatics.  They  are,  however,  com- 
paratively rare. 

II.  Murderous  tendencies  from  pure  cruelty.  Quarrelling,  pinching,  bit- 
ing others.  Infliction  of  cruelty  on  young  children  or  killing  of  animals.  In 
particular  cases  these  children  are  very  objectionable  in  school.  Manslaugh- 
ter has  been  committed  by  children  of  innocent,  pleasant,  and  in  one  case 
almost  angelic  appearance.  There  is  every  grade  of  mental  attainment 
among  these  children  afflicted  with  this  lust  of  cruelty. 

III.  Interference  with  the  opposite  sex  shows  itself  in  boys,  but  most 
objectionably  in  girls.  Tbere  is  every  grade  from  the  natural  attraction  of 
the  sexes  to  the  most  flagrant  and  offensive  behaviour  requiring  the  attention 
of  the  police-  Here  again,  mental  capacity  may  vary  from  children  who  are 
quite  normal  in  school  work  to  those  who  are  low  grade  mental  defectives. 
This  particular  type  of  girl  is  most  difficult  to  deal  with.  It  is  of  vital  im- 
portance to  place  them  in  residential  schools  and  separate  them  from  other 
children  of  the  same  age,  because  though  numerically  few,  they  constitute  a 
most  vicious  element,  a  leaven  of  evil  among  the  girls  with  whom  they  are  com- 
pelled to  mix.  It  is  principally  for  the  sake  of  others  that  this  policy  is  pro- 
posed. 

In  the  case  of  the  low  grade  girl  it  s'eems  a  pressing  question,  whether  with  her  de- 
fects and  her  tendencies,  she  is  not  likely  to  become  a  mother  in  an  exceedingly 
short  time,  and  this  is  very  probable.  There  is  also  the  other  question  that  very 
many  of  these  children  live  in  bad  homes,  and  in  some  case?  may  be  expected  not 
to  be  shielded,  if  they  are  not  even  abetted  by  their  friends.  The  question  of 
saving  the  last  class  of  children  from  what  is  called  moral  contamination  is  hardly 
worth  consideration.  Apart  from  their  bad  school  influence  the  case  of  the  low 
grade  girl  with  strongly  marked  sexual  tendencies  can  scarcely  be  separated  from 
the  case  of  any  other  defective  child.  Many  of  them  are  good  looking,  apparently 
healthy  children,  but  all  are  likely  in  early  adult  life,  within  a  comparatively  short 
range  of  time,  to  propagate  their  defects,  some  classes  perhaps  earlier  than  the 
others,  but  for  this  particular  reason  there  is  hardly  any  ultimate  benefit  from 
segregating  one  class  more  than  the  others.     Any  segregation  is  therefore  really  on 


48  EEPORT  OF  THE  No.  23 

account  of  mental  defect,  not  on  account  of  purely  moral  defect ;  otherwise  the  stand- 
ard VII.  girl  with  immoral  tendencies  would  also  want  segregation,  which  no  one 
would  propose.  Moral  defect,  as  pointed  out,  may  exist  with  comparatively  good 
mental  development,  and  there  is  no  suggestion  of  segregating  such  individuals 
although  they  may  be  just  as  likely  as  others  to  add  to  the  unsociable  elements  of 
the  future  population.  It  might  also  be  suggested  that  in  this  particular  class 
with  very  strong  desires  and  passions  for  the  other  sex,  exclusion  from  the  satis- 
faction of  these  desires  and  passions  by  segregation  would  be  an  injustice  which 
they  have  not  deserved. 

A  much  more  humane  and  scientific  idea  than  mere  segregation  and  more  eco- 
nomical to  the  State  would  be  to  deprive  such  individuals  of  the  objectionable 
powers  and  capacities,  at  the  same  time  relieving  them  of  the  passions  and  desires, 
before  the  time  at  which  these  develop. 

Dr-  Kerr's  comments  on  the  report  are  in  part  as  follows: 
The  Commissioners  recommend  that  all  mentally  defective  children  should 
be  taken  from  the  care  of  the  Board  of  Education  and  placed  under  the  Board  of 
Control.  Such  proposals  would  lead  to  great  difficulties  in  practice  which  may  be 
mentioned  here.  There  is  no  hard  and  fast  line  between  the  borderlands  of  nor- 
mal mental  conditions  and  feeble-mindedness,  and  to  say  that  a  doubtful  case  must 
pass  under  the  authority  of  the  Board  of  Control  with  all  that  implies  would  in 
very  many  cases  be  a  great  injustice  which  would  be  successfully  resisted  in  the 
courts.  It  is  almost  impossible  to  make  anything  like  a  correct  diagnosis  at  early 
ages;  even  in  the  infant  department  the  diagnosis  of  feeble-mindedness,  if  at- 
tempted, would  be  wrong  in  a  large  proportion  of  cases.  The  proposals  of  the  Com- 
missioners would  lead  to  a  double  set  of  medical  officials  invading  the  schools. 
The  school  doctors  associated  with  the  sanitary  service,  and  an  entirely  different  set 
with  different  training  and  experience,  e.g.,  the  doctors  under  the  Board  of  Control 
associated  with  lunacy.  The  same  officials  could  not  serve  in  a  double  capacity,  on 
account  of  the  quite  different  work  in  other  respects  required  from  them.  There 
would  be  frequent  conflict  of  opinion  and  certificates.  As  has  been  elsewhere 
pointed  out,  the  tendency  of  legislation  has  been  in  accordance  with  the  doctrine 
that  any  interference  on  the  part  of  the  State,  through  the  local  authority  or  other- 
wise, with  a  child  between  the  ages  of  3  and  16  is  interference  for  the  purpose  of 
promoting  the  development  of  the  child,  mental,  moral,  or  physical,  and  that  what- 
ever may  be  the  mental  condition  of  the  child,  such  promotion  comes  fairly  within 
the  scope  of  education. 

The  Good  Citizen  and  the  Feeble-minded. 

Long  before  our  own  time,  the  dangers  of  the  Feeble-minded  have  been  re- 
cognized by  all  good  citizens.  They  are  touchingly  expressed  in  a  prayer  of  the 
seventeenth  century : — 

A  Prayer  to  be  used  in  behalf  of  Fools  or  Changelings. 

By  Jeremy  Taylor. 

1613-1667. 

0  Eternal  and  most  blessed  Saviour  Jesus,  who  art  the  wis- 
dom of  the  Father,  and  art  made  unto  us  wisdom,  righteousness, 
sanctification,  and  redemption,  have  pity  upon  the  miserable 
people  to  whom  Thou  hast  given  life  and  no  understanding. 


1910  FEEBLE-MINDED  IX  ONTARIO.  49 

Thou  didst  create  us  of  nothing,  and  gavest  us  being  when  we 
were  not,  and  createdst  in  us  capacity  of  blessings  when  we 
had  none,  and  gavest  us  many  when  we  did  not  understand 
them;  Thou  bringest  infants  from  the  womb,  and  from  the 
state  of  nature  to  the  state  of  grace,  and  from  their  mother's 
breasts  Thou  dost  often  convey  them  to  the  bosom  of  Jesus, 
and  yet  they  do  nothing,  but  Thou  art  glorified  in  Thy  free 
gift-  0  be  gracious  to  all  natural  fools  and  innocents,  for 
Thou  hatest  nothing  which  Thou  hast  made,  and  lovest 
every  soul  which  Thou  hast  redeemed;  we  that  have  reason 
can  deserve  heaven  no  more  than  these  can;  but  these  do  not 
deserve  hell  so  much  as  we  have  done.  Impute  not  to  them 
their  follies  that  are  unavoidable,  nor  the  sins  which  they 
discern  not,  nor  the  evils  which  they  cannot  understand;  keep 
them  from  all  evil  and  sad  mischances,  and  make  supply  of 
their  want  of  the  defences  of  reason  by  the  special  guard  of 
angels;  and  let  Thy  obedience  and  Thy  sufferings  be  accepted, 
and  Thy  intercession  prevail  for  them;  that  since  they  cannot 
glorify  Thee  by  a  free  obedience,  Thou  mayest  be  glorified  by 
Thy  free  gifts  and  mercies  to  them;  and  for  their  destitution 
of  good  in  this  world,  let  them  receive  eternal  blessings  in  the 
world  to  come,  through  Thy  mercies,  0  eternal  and  most 
blessed   Saviour  Jesus.     Amen. 

Modern  Christianity  and  citizenship  grows  more  practical  as  the  world  grows 
better.  What  we  can  and  should  do  ourselves  for  the  Feeble-minded  we  must  not 
now,  in  the  Twentieth  Century,  pray  for  "the  special  guard  of  angels"  to  do. 

The  Mother  of  Us  All. 

And  who  will  mother  these  weak  and  helpless  children  ?  Who  but  that  Parent 
State,  whom  the  Greeks  endowed  in  their  classic  imagination  with  some  of  the 
attributes  of  Deity,  and  whom  Christian  statesmen  and  citizens  rejoice  to  s.'e 
slowly  acquiring  through  long  years  some  far-off  resemblance,  at  least  in  its  ideals, 
to  that  Jerusalem  from  above  which  is  the  Mother  of  us  all.  Among  ourselves, 
among  our  English-speaking  kindred  about  the  Seven  Seas,  and  over  the  inter- 
national boundary  line  of  this  continent,  and  in  almost  all  civilized  countries,  we 
have  already  state  institutions  where  devoted  men  and  women  help  to  fulfil  the 
duties  of  Christian  citizenship  by  parental  care  of  just  these  weak  and  hel] 
children. 

We  have  printed  the  words  of  Dr.  Fernald.  Let  us  set  beside  them  the  words 
of  the  Editor  of  The  Survey,  speaking  of  the  work  of  Mrs.  Fannie  F.  Morse, 
Superintendent  of  the  Industrial  School  for  Girls  at  Lancaster,  Mass.,  another 
good  authority  on  the  feeble-minded. 

"The  border  line  cases  of  defectiveness  among  v:'w\<  ((institute  the  greatest 
danger  in  the  way  of  increasing  numbers  of  degenerates,  li  is  one  of  the  impera- 
tive duties  of  the  mother  state  to  care  for  these,  her  weaker  children,  who  are  so 
unable  to  care  for  themselves. 

"Here  is  the  story  of  cases  of  'successful'  placing  out  of  such  girls  from  one 
of  the  best  institutions  in  the  world  for  delinquent  girls,  the  Industrial  School  for 
Girls  at  Lancaster,  Mass.  Is  there  need  of  argument  to  convince  every  intelligent 
citizen  that  these  poor  creatures  should  be  safely  mothered  as  long  as  they  live? 


50  EEPORT  OF  THE  -FEEBLE-MINDED  IN  ONTARIO.         Xo.  23 

"Twenty-one  of  those  whose  capacity  for  self-direction  and  self -support  is  a 
question,  are  'paroled  and  successes' : 

"But  how  pitiful  has  been  the  success  of  those  classed  above  as  'successes/ 
Two  of  them  have  had  an  illegitimate  child,  but  have  since  married  and  are  good 
though  not  efficient  mothers;  one  has  married  a  wretchedly  poor  widower  with  a 
family  for  whom  she  has  neither  the  willingness  nor  the  ability  to  care ;  eight  were 
practically  never  let  out  of  sight,  and  it  is  hard  to  believe  that  they  will  not  go 
wrong  when  looking  out  for  themselves;  nine  others  were  kept  safe  with  a  degree 
less  of  care,  but  the  outlook  for  them  is  not  bright;  one  has  been  four  times  re- 
turned to  the  school  and  has  had  fourteen  different  places.  Among  the 
thirty-nine  classed  as  'failures  in  various  degrees'  are  twenty-one  who  are 
now  of  age,  of  whom  four  have  each  had  two  illegitimate  children; 
three  have  each  had  one  illegitimate  child,  and  ten  have  been  unchaste,  of  whom 
two  have  been  in  Sherborn  prison.  Three  of  the  above  girls  are  married — all 
wretchedly.  Of  the  remaining  seventeen  who  are  still  on  parole,  one  has  two  ille- 
gitimate children  and  five  have  one  each." 

The  only  present  refuge  is  the  school  for  the  feeble-minded  at  Waverly.  There 
they  are  happy  with  scarcely  any  restraints.  The  life  there  is  wholesome  and  keeps 
them  straight,  and  so  long  as  they  are  so  environed  it  is  well.  But,  says  the  report : 
"The  point  of  interest  for  the  future  to  develop  will  be  whether  these  girls  will 
ieally  be  detained  through  the  child-bearing  period  of  their  lives.  .  .  .  The  question 
of  the  ability  of  a  Feeble-minded  School  to  handle  girls  of  this  class  has  been 
demonstrated;  and  their  fate  if  sent  out  into  the  world  has  been  demonstrated, 
too,  beyond  a  peradventure."     And  this  the  deduction  of  experience. 

Conclusion. 

The  previous  Reports  of  this  Department  on  this  important  subject 
have  met  with  support  from  the  citizens  of  this  Province  and  from 
other  Canadians,  as  well  as  from  fellow-workers  in  other  countries. 
This  question  of  the  welfare  of  the  Feeble-minded  is  not  the  only  question,  nor 
at  present  the  most  important  question  with  which  this  Department  is 
at  present  concerned.  The  question  of  Prison  Reform,  the  question  of  Modern 
Methods  for  studying  and  caring  for  psychiatric  patients,  the  whole  direction  of 
Charitable  and  Philanthropic  Institutions  in  the  Province,  and  the  direction  and 
fostering  of  Preventive  Efforts  for  the  benefit  of  the  neglected  children  of  the  Pro- 
vince must  have  a  first  place.  But  the  question  of  the  Feeble-minded  is  in  direct 
and  partly  causal  relation  with  every  one  of  the  above  mentioned  questions,  and  it 
is  recognized  as  such  by  you,  Sir,  and  by  the  officials  of  your  Department. 

I  venture  to  express  the  hope,  Sir,  that  your  wish  to  deal  with  this  question 
at  an  early  date,  as  expressed  to  His  Worship,  the  Mayor  of  Toronto,  and  the  large 
and  influential  deputation  which  accompanied  him  last  year,  may  be  realized,  and 
I  desire  to  thank  you  for  the  opportunity  to  work  at  this  problem,  and  to  lay  the 
results  before  you. 

I  have  the  honour  to  remain, 

Sir, 

Your  obedient  servant, 

Helen  MacMurchy. 
December  31st,  1909. 


Feeble-Minded  in  Ontario 

FIFTH    REPORT 

FOR   THE   YEAR 

1910 


BY 

DR.  HELEN  MacMURCHY 

TORONTO 


PRINTED  BY  ORDER  OF 

THE  LEGISLATIVE  ASSEMBLY  OF  ONTARIO 


TORONTO: 
Printed  and  Published  by  L.  K.  CAMERON,  Printer  to  the  King's  Most  Excellent  Majesty 

19  11. 


Printed  by 

WILLIAM    BRIGGS, 

29-37  Richmond  Street  West, 

TORONTO. 


FIFTH  REPORT 

OF  THE 

FEEBLE-MINDED  IN  ONTARIO 

1910. 


To  The  Honoueable  W.  J.  Hanxa, 

Provincial  Secretary  for  Ontario. 

Sir, — I  have  the  honour  to  present  a  Fifth  Report  on  the  Care  of  the  Feeble- 
Minded  in  this  Province,  being  for  the  year  1910. 

The  history  of  this  question  in  Ontario  during  the  present  year  is  marked  by 
an  important  advance  in  public  interest,  in  public  opinion,  and  in  the  action  of 
public  bodies,  especially  that  of  the  Board  of  Education  in  the  City  of  Toronto. 
It  was  formerly  difficult  to  obtain  a  hearing  for  the  Case  of  the  Feeble-Minded,  but 
now  people  come  to  the  officials  of  this  Department,  either  of  set  purpose,  or  fortuit- 
ously, and  ask  what  is  being  done,  or  what  should  be  done,  or  what  is  going  to  be 
done  for  the  welfare  of  the  Feeble-Minded.  Once  we  had  to  endeavour,  by  approach- 
ing benevolent  individuals,  capable  officials,  or  public-spirited  citizens,  to  awaken 
a  little  interest  in  the  poverty  of  the  poorest  of  our  citizens,  for  poverty  of  the  mind 
is  the  most  desperate  poverty  of  all;  but  now  people  in  Ottawa,  London,  Halifax, 
Montreal,  and  elsewhere,  apply  to  officials  of  this  Department  for  information  and 
help  in  regard  to  a  policy  that  shall  at  once  provide  for  the  needs  of  these  poor 
citizens  and  relieve  the  public  puree  and  the  purse  of  private  individual-,  by  enabl- 
ing those  wbo  can  work  to  maintain  themselves,  partly  or  wholly,  but  always  and 
only  under  supervision.  Once,  a  smile,  or  a  stray  thought,  was  the  limit  of  public 
interest,  but  now  the  Care  of  the  Feeble-Minded  is  within  the  region  of  practical 
politics  and  is  being  considered  by  Boards  of  Trustees  and  others,  upon  whom  rests 
the  responsibility  of  initiating  reforms  desired  by  the  citizen-  whom  they  represent. 

The  Press. 

Again  the  Press  has  been  foremost  in  lending  aid,  by  good  reports  of  meetings 
at  which  the  matter  was  discussed,  as  well  as  editorially.  For  example,  the  Montreal 
Star  and  the  Montreal  Herald  both  gave  prominence  to  a  public  meeting  held  und  u 
the  auspices  of  the  Montreal  Women's  Club,  where  reference  was  made  to  back- 
war,!  nr  mentally  defective  school  children  in  connection  with  the  subject  of  Medi- 
cal Inspection  of  Schools.  And  in  Ottawa,  both  the  Ottawa  Citizen  and  the  Oftauct 
Evening  Journal  devoted  a  large  amount  of  space  to  two  addressee  siven  on  the 
afternoon  and  evening  of  December  17th.  The  first  was  on  Medical  Inspection  of 
Schools,  and  the  importance  of  the  Cue  of  Mentally  Defective  Children  was 
plained.  An  interesting  discussion  followed,  in  which  the  Chairman,  Dr.  P.  IT. 
Bryce,  Chief  Medical  Officer  to  the  Immigration  Department,  Dr.  TTodgett-s,  Medical 
Officer  to  the  Conservation  Commission,  the  Mayor  of  Ottawa.  Mr.  Hopewell,  the 

[3] 


REPORT  OF  THE  No.  23 


City  Medical  Health  Officer,  Dr.  Law,  Mrs.  Shortt,  M.D.,  Dr.  McDougal  King,  and 
others,  expressed  'their  views,  the  Chairman  especially  alluding  in  appreciative  terms 
to  the  work  of  this  Department.  The  second  address  was  on  the  Care  of  the  Feeble- 
Minded,  before  the  University  Women's  Club,  who  not  only  turned  out  in  large 
numbers  but  showed  great  interest,  both  by  discussing  the  subject  and  otherwise. 
The  President,  Mrs.  S.  J.  McLean,  B.A.,  spoke  with  marked  approval  of  the  work 
of  this  Department  for  the  Feeble-Minded,  and  alluded  to  the  present  situation  of 
the  Problem  of  the  Feeble-Minded  in  Ottawa,  which  was  further  dwelt  upon  by  Mr. 
John  Keane  of  the  Children's  Aid  Society,     (vide  seq.) 

The  Press  have  also  dealt  with  the  Problem  of  the  Feeble-Minded  editorially. 
The  Kingston  Whig  (May  3,  1910)  predicts  that  some  day  the  Government  will 
adopt  an  advanced  and  progressive  policy  in  this  matter,  and  says: 

"The  feeble-minded  women  should  (become  the  wards  of  the  state,  and  as  such 
should  be  saved  from  the  social  conditions  that  are  sometimes  forced  upon  them, 
to  the  injury  of  themselves  and  others.  There  are  laws  which  prevent  the  mar- 
riage of  persons  under  age.  There  should  be  laws  to  prevent  the  marital  union  of 
all  incompetents,  and  these  include  the  criminals  and  imheciles." 

The  Montreal  Gazette  devotes  its  leading  editorial  of  a  column  (August  2'), 
1910)  to  this  subject,  and  says  that  the  reports  of  this  Department  are: 

"Strong  in  the  facts  and  in  the  presentation  of  the  claim  the  unfortunates  have 
on  the  public.  Where  they  are  circulated  and  read  there  will  be  created  a  new 
sense  of  duty  towards  those  who  are  among  the  most  helpless  of  God's  creatures." 

The  Evening  Telegram  (Toronto)  and  The  Neivs  (Toronto)  both  make  ex- 
tended references  of  a  similar  character  to  the  question.    The  News  (May  17,  1910) 
states  that  "Public  control  and  supervision  of  these  unfortunates  seems  to  be  a 
necessity." 

The  Medical  Press, 

Some  attention  has  also  been  given  to  the  report  by  the  Medical  Press,  notably 
The  British  Journal  of  Children's  Diseases,  which  publishes  an  extended  account 
of  it. 

Words  from  Fellow-Workers. 

With  characteristic  generosity  fellow-workers  in  this  field  at  home  and  abroad 
have  appreciated  the  efforts  made  by  this  Department,  and  have  been  good  enough 
to  communicate  with  the  Department  to  that  effect,  Dr.  Walter  E.  Fernald  of 
Waverley,  himself  second  to  none  as  an  authority,  whose  work  lias  been  crowned 
with  such  great  success,  is  one  of  these.  Another  is  Dr.  W.  A.  Potts  of  Birming- 
ham, Special  Investigator  to  the  Royal  Commission  on  the  Care  and  Control  of  the 
Feeble-Minded.  Others  write  from  Clark  University,  from  Chicago,  from  Vic- 
toria, Melbourne,  and  Sydney  in  Australia,  and  from  Tasmania.  Dr.  G.  E.  Shut- 
tleworth,  the  Nestor  of  the  movement  in  England,  writes  as  follows: 

"Your  excellent  report  on  the  Feeble-Minded  in  Ontario  is  so  full  of  interest- 
ing matter  that  I  am  sorry  that  I  did  not  receive  it  a  little  earlier,  so  that  I  could 
have  quoted  from  it  in  the  third  edition  of  my  book,  which  is  just  about  to  appear. 
If  you  could  favour  me  with  a  couple  more  copies  I  should  find  them  very  useful 
for  the  information  of  various  inquirers  who  come  to  me  to  be  posted  up  in  what 
is  being  done  in  different  parts  of  the  world.  I  had  two  such  ladies  from  New 
York  State  yesterday,  who  seemed  to  know  little  about  what  is  doing  in  Canada, 
though  they  are  on  the  Board  of  a  proposed  New  Colony  for  the  Feeble-Minded 
in  their  own  State." 


1911  FEEBLE-MINDED    IN    ONTARIO. 


These  kinds  words  encourage  us  to  think,  in  the  words  of  a  member  of  the 
medical  profession  in  Ottawa  who  has  long  taken  an  interest  in  this  question, 
that  "the  only  way  to  get  the  country  to  see  these  great  economical  facts  and  do 
something  is  to  keep  hammering  away — and  I  wish  you  continued  courage." 

Nova  Scotia. 

Inquiries  have  come  from  Quebec,  Alberta,  and  elsewhere,  especially  from 
Nova  Scotia,  where  (vide  Third  Report)  a  league  of  upwards  of  one  hundred 
and  fifty  members  has  been  formed  to  care  for  the  Feeble-Minded.  The  first 
step  taken  by  the  league  was  to  appoint  a  delegation  to  wait  upon  the  Govern- 
ment of  Nova  Scotia.  This  delegation  were  cordially  received  by  the  Govern- 
ment, and  the  Premier,  the  Hon.  Mr.  Murray,  stated  that  if  the  members  of  the 
deputation  would  arouse  public  opinion  in  favour  of  the  movement,  the  Govern- 
ment would  be  ready  to  do  its  part,  and  further  said  that  there  was  land  near 
the  Nova  Scotia  Hospital  which  could  be  used  for  the  purpose  in  view.  The  Pre- 
mier instructed  Dr.  A.  H.  McKay,  Superintendent  of  Education,  Mr.  A.  S.  Barn- 
stead,  Secretary  of  Industries  and  Immigration,  and  Dr.  W.  H.  Hattie  to  col- 
lect information  as  to  the  number  of  Feeble-Minded  persons  in  Nova  Scotia,  and 
to  confer  with  members  of  the  delegation  and  with  the  officers  of  the  Society  for 
the  Protection  of  the  Feeble-Minded. 

During  the  present  year  the  league  has  been  endeavouring  to  influence  pub- 
lic opinion  and  formulate  a  plan  to  lay  before  the  Government.  On  March  23rd, 
1910,  a  public  meeting  was  held  under  the  joint  auspices  of  the  League  and  the 
Nova  Scotia  Branch  of  the  British  Medical  Association  to  hear  a  lecture  by  Dr. 
W.  B.  Caley  on  the  Classification  and  Education  of  the  Feeble-Minded.  It  was 
well  attended,  and  reached  a  still  laTger  audience  through  the  excellent  report 
in  the  Halifax  Herald,  which  has  given  great  support  and  service  to  the  work  of 
the  League.  Dr.  Fraser  occupied  the  chair,  and  among  those  who 'were  in  sym- 
pathy with  the  meeting  and  desirous  of  being  present  but  unavoidably  prevented 
were  His  Honour  the  Lieutenant-Governor  of  Nova  Scotia  and  His  Grace  the  Arch- 
bishop. Dr.  Sinclair,  the  Inspector  of  Humane  and  Penal  Institutions  for  Nova 
Scotia,  who  may  be  said  to  be  the  pioneer  of  this  movement,  and  Mrs.  William 
Dennis,  President  of  the  Local  Council  of  Women,  to  whom  the  movement  owes 
so  much,  were  present,  and  a  large  number  of  influential  people  of  real  public 
spirit.     As  the  Herald  remarks: 

Educating  Publtc  Opinion. 

"Such  lectures  as  these,  indeed,  are  to  be  welcomed  as  admirable  means  of 
educating  public  opinion.     Thorough  knowledge  must  precede  action. 

The  Crying  Need. 

"But  the  community   in  general  have  no  idea  whatever  of  the  crying 
for  the  custodial  care  of  this  most  pitiful  class,  to  what  extent  they  are  the  prey 
of  the  vicious  and  to  what  an  extent  also  this  fact  complicates  the  problem  for 
the  state  through  the  propagation  of  the  half-witted  ami  unfit. 

No  Stronger  Incentive  Wanted  than  ttif  Fa< 

"At  the  time  the  league  was  formed  Borne  startling  Tarts  were  stated  by  per- 
sons who  could  vouch  for  their  accuracy.  Could  the  whole  public  he  reached  with 
the  facts,  speedily  would  provision  for  the  care  of  the  fivhle-minded  be  forthcom- 
ing. No  ptronsror  incentive  than  the  facts  would  he  needed  to  stir  the  public  to 
duty." 


REPOET  OF  THE  No.  23 


Feeble-Minded  Children. 

The  Lecturer,  Dr.  W.  B.  Caley,  was  for  some  years  Medical  Officer  to  one  of 
the  Education  Authorities  in  Yorkshire,  and  during  that  time  made  a  special  study 
of  feeble-minded  children.  The  lecturer  was  practical,  and  showed  that  the  dull  or 
backward  child  must  not  be  placed  in  the  category  with  the  mentally  defective. 
The  difference  is  not  in  degree,  but  in  kind. 

Cases  were  described  of  children  who  were  classified  as  dull,  stupid,  mentally 
deficient,  but  were  found,  on  examination,  simply  to  need  a  pair  of  eye-glasses, 
when  they  showed  themselves  as  bright  as  others.  Sometimes  the  trouble  is  in 
the  hearing.     Sometimes  it  is  due  to  adenoids. 

Finally  the  lecturer  dwelt  on  the  large  number  of  Feeble-Minded  persons  in 
Great  Britain,  and  gave  a  description  of  the  way  in  which  they  are  being  cared  for 
and  the  results  secured,  and  pointed  out  the  moral  aspect  of  the  problem,  giving 
some  shocking  facts  to  illustrate  it. 

In  June,  the  Local  Council  of  Women  of  Halifax  showed  further  their  deep 
interest  in  the  Problem  of  the  Feeble-Minded  by  requesting  that  this  Department 
should  send  a  representative  to  Halifax  to  speak  on  the  question,  and  we  re- 
gretted greatly  that  it  was  not  possible,  at  that  time,  to  accede  to  the  request. 

Action  of  Dominion  Organizations. 

Dominion  organizations  are  also  beginning  to  take  up  this  matter.  Several 
of  the  leaders  of  political  opinion  have  signified  some  interest  in  it.  The  Social 
and  Moral  Reform  League  keep  it  in  mind,  and  frequently  allude  to  it,  and  at 
the  Seventh  National  Convention  of  the  Young  Women's  Christian  Associations 
of  Canada,  held  in  Ottawa  last  month,  the  following  resolution  was  unanimously 
passed : — 

"We  would  express  our  very  hearty  sympathy  with  the  efforts  that  are  being 
made  by  the  various  Provincial  Parliaments  to  care  for  the  Feeble-Minded,  and 
we  would  urge  an  extension  of  the  present  provision  for  them  in  and  by  the  Pro- 
vince of  Ontario,  where  the  urgent  need  for  such  extension  has  been  specially 
brought  to  our  notice." 

A  Present  Question. 

It  is  to  be  observed  that  now  the  question  of  the  care  of  the  feeble-minded 
seems  more  or  less  constantly  present  to  people's  minds.  The  two  following  in- 
stances may  serve  as  illustrations : — 

Mrs.  Boomer  Visits  Starcross. 

Mrs.  Boomer  of  London,  while  spending  some  months  in  England,  visited 
Starcross  in  Devonshire  (vide  Second  Eeport)  and  found  the  officials  not  odIv 
sympathetic,  but  well  informed  as  to  our  efforts  in  Ontario.  Mrs.  Boomer  con- 
tributed to  the  "Farmers'  Advocate"  two  illustrated  articles  on  Starcross  which 
must  have  done  not  a  little  to  form  public  opinion  on  this  important  subject. 

Annuities  for  the  Feeble-Minded. 

The  second  instance  occurred  in  connection  with  the  annual  meeting  of  the 
Ontario  Women's  Institutes  held  in  the  Convocation  Hall  of  the  University  of 
Toronto  in  November  1910.  The  question  of  Canadian  Government  Annuities 
was  presented  by  Mrs.  Willoughby  Cummings,  and  in  connection  with  the  address 


1911  FEEBLE-MINDED  IN   ONTARIO.  7 

the  following  suggestion  was  made.  Many  families  in  which  there  is  a  feeble- 
minded child  realize  the  necessity  of  providing  for  that  child's  future,  and  make  a 
great  effort  to  do  so.  It  is,  therefore,  probable  that  if  their  attention  were  directed 
to  the  small  cost  and  large  returns  of  a  Canadian  Government  Annuity,  especi- 
ally if  the  annuity  is  bought  when  the  child  is  young,  that  they  would  purchase 
such  an  annuity  for  this  feeble-minded  child.  Then,  if  and  when  the  Government 
takes  further  steps  to  care  for  the  Feeble-Minded  permanently,  the  possessor  of 
such  an  annuity  might  be  cared  for  free  of  all  cost  to  the  Province,  and  with  but 
a  very  small  cost  to  the  family.  One  case  is  quoted  by  an  English  authority,  in 
which  all  the  family  of  a  working  man  laid  aside  every  week  a  little  money  fro:n 
their  weekly  wage?  to  provide  for  the  future  of  the  little  sister  who  was  Feeble- 
Minded. 

Citizens  Speak. 

The  strongest  appeal  that  can  be  made  to  the  Government  comes  by  the  voice 
of  our  best  citizens.  For  example,  a  Justice  of  the  Peace  in  one  of  our  Eastern 
Counties  wrote,  when  the  first  report  was  being  prepared  in  1905  and  1906,  about 
a  respectable  widow  woman,  a  devoted  mother,  who  had  two  feeble-minded  daugh- 
ters, both  grown  up,  who  were  a  constant  source  of  anxiety  and  care  to  her.  At 
first  she  only  wished  to  make  some  provision  for  them  after  her  own  death,  but 
for  the  last  three  years  the  same  magistrate  has  written  every  year  to  say  that 
now  the  mother  realizes  she  cannot  care  for  them  any  longer — appealing  for 
help  before  some  catastrophe  makes  them  the  innocent  victims  of  some  evil  person. 
and  they  become  the  unfortunate  inmates  of  some  maternity  institution.  Then 
tbere  will  be  not  only  themselves  but  their  feeble-minded  children  to  be  a  burden 
to  private  charity  and  public  funds,  and  to  perpetuate  in  an  endless  series  the 
expense,  the  folly,  the  waste,  and  the  woe  of  the  neglected  feeble-minded.  And  the 
country  who  should  care  for  them  as  children,  and  could  care  for  them  and  pre- 
vent all  this  woe,  is  too  slow,  too  unprogressive,  too  inert,  too  poor  in  public  spirit 
and  in  political  wisdom  to  cause  to  arise  that  public  opinion  which  alone  can  do  it. 
Here  are  a  few  words  from  the  magistrate's  last  letter: 

The  Magistrate  Explains. 

"You  doubtless  remember    my    writing  you    respecting    two    feeble-minded 

daughters  of  Mrs.  whom  she  wishes  placed  somewhere  where  they  will  be 

cared  for  better  than  she  can  do  here Things  have  happened  which  have 

caused  her  to  change  her  mind  ....  it  is  of  no  use  naming  the  matter  ....  this 
outrage  against  public  morals  ....  She  lias  another  daughter  to  protect  besides 
these  two  girls,  and,  as  she  says,  she  cannot  watch  over  them  all,  hence  she  is  here 
to-day  to  get  me  to  write  this  to  you  for  aid  to  protect  the  defenceless.  Can  you 
help  her?  Let  me  know " 

The  Township  Clerk  and  the  Council  are  Willing  to  Help. 

Another  Letter,  from  the  Clerk  of  ;i  township  in  Ontario,  say-: 
"About  four  years  ago  T  reported  to  yon  that  one  family  in  our  township,  the 
family  of  an  industrious,  sober  and  respectable  farm  labourer,  included  two  or  three 
feeble-minded  children,  and  the  Council  at  that  time  wanted  to  Icuoav  what  could  be 
done  for  these  children.  At  that  time  I  received  from  you  a  very  kind  letter,  savin g 
that  such  children  as  these  were  the  ones  you  had  been  enquiring  about,  but  as  yet 
no  School  had  been  provided  by  the  Government  for  such  children,  nor  could  you 
give  us  any  practical  direction  as  to  what  could  be  done  in  the  matter. 


REPORT  OF  THE  No.  23 


"Again  I  have  been  directed  by  the  Council  to  inquire  whether  anything  can 
yet  be  done  for  this  family.  Two  of  the  children  have  now  grown  up  to  be  strong 
healthy  boys  and  the  father  appears  to  be  doing  all  he  can  to  train  them  aright. 
He  is  able,  sometimes,  to  get  them  to  help  with  such  work  as  hoeing  corn  and 
l>otatoes  or  other  such  work,  but  is  very  discouraged  because  they  learn  so  little  of 
what  is  necessary  to  make  them  useful  or  safe  members  of  society. 

"  The  Council  are  willing  to  help,  and  the  father  also  is  willing.  Kindly  let  us 
know  if  anything  can  be  done." 

"P.S. — From  your  Report,  1909,  we  know  what  you  have  been  doing  and  are 
trying  to  do.    Accept  our  thanks." 

The  Institution  Indispensable. 

There  could  not  be  a  better  spirit.  Such  a  letter  as  this  is  very  encouraging  to 
this  Department.  The  Municipal  Authorities  are  willing  to  help,  the  father  is 
willing  to  help,  and  the  need  is  recognized.  This  is  a  long  step  forward.  In  fact, 
but  one  more  thing  is  necessary,  to  establish  the  School.  To  the  increase  of 
Institutions  no  progressive  Government  is  friendly.  No  man,  woman  or  child  who 
is  normal  enough  to  get  on  in  the  world,  or  to  have  a  home  with  any  advantage 
to  himself  or  herself  or  others,  should  ever  be  institutionalized.  But  where  a  man 
woman  or  child  ruins,  degrades  and  makes  useless  his  life,  and  is  an  expense,  a 
danger  and  a  degradation  to  the  community,  and  needs  constant  care,  then  his  be=t 
and  only  home  is  the  Institution. 

The  Feeble-Minded  in  Ottawa. 

Another  recent  communication  comes  from  the  Capital  City  of  Canada,  re- 
ported to  this  Department  by  Mr.  John  Keane,  Secretary  of  the  Children's  Aid 
Society  and  of  the  Associated  Charities  for  the  City  of  Ottawa : — 

A  rather  startling  condition  of  affairs  and  one  that  emphasizes  the  need  for 
immediate  action,  is  reported  by  Mr.  Keane,  who  has  just  prepared  a  statement 
which  shows  that  there  are  in  the  City  of  Ottawa  at  the  present  time  twelve  per- 
sons who  are  feeble-minded,  weak-minded,  or  imbecile,  who  should  be  sent  to 
Orillia  at  once,  but  for  whom  it  is  reported  there  is  no  room  in  that  Institution. 

The  most  serious  aspect  of  the  case  is  that  of  the  twelve,  only  four  are  under 
the  custody  of  the  local  institutions,  eight  being  practically  at  large — that  is  to 
say,  merely  in  the  custody  of  friends  or  relatives.  Four  of  these  are  idiots,  with 
a  tendency  to  violence. 

"There  is  absolutely  no  place  to  put  these  people,"  said  Mr.  Keane  in  discussing 
the  matter.  "They  have  been  reported  to  us,  and  we  have  applied  to  the  Asylum 
for  entrance  to  that  Institution.  The  answer  is  that  there  is  no  room.  The  build- 
ing is  taxed  to  capacity  now.  I  do  not  advocate  a  new  building;  but  I  certainly 
think  there  should  be  an  addition  to  the  present  one.  There  is  plenty  of  land 
surrounding  the  Institution  at  Orillia,  and  an  addition  could  easily  be  made. 
There  is  no  doubt  as  to  the  necessity  for  it." 

Mr.  Keane  states  that  the  twelve  persons  of  whom  he  has  the  names  are  only 
those  who  have  been  reported  to  him.  Ho  states  that  he  is  convinced  that  there 
are  at  least  twice  that  number  in  Ottawa  who  should  be  under  custodial  care. 
They  could  be  found  if  they  were  looked  for  by  an  Inspector  for  that  purpose. 

"This  matter  of  housing  the  imbecile  and  weak-minded  has  been  under  con- 
sideration by  the  Ontario  Government  foT  a  long  time,"  said  Mr.  Keane.     "They 


1911  FEEBLE-MINDED    IN    ONTARIO.  9 

have  a  great  mass  of  data,  some  of  the  most  painful  character,  pointing  to  the 
strong  necessity  of  having  Inspectors  who  will  examine  and  report  on  cases  all 
over  the  country,  and  of  having  places  where  these  people  can  be  kindly  taken 
care  of  and  thus  kept  out  of  harm's  way.  Erom  time  to  time  there  occur  serious 
crimes,  committed  by  weak-minded  people  supposed  to  be  harmless,  who  suddenly 
become  acutely  homicidal  or  violent.  This  is  particularly  true  of  epileptics.  It  is 
quite  possible  that  just  such  an  event  might  occur  in  Ottawa  at  any  time  with 
one  of  these  cases  which  have  been  reported  to  us.  It  is  a  matter  that  surely  re- 
quires immediate  attention.  I  do  hope  that  something  can  be  done  immediately 
to  relieve  the  situation.  We  have  children  here  and  young  persons  coming  before 
the  Juvenile  Courts  on  various  delinquent  charges,  who  are  irresponsible  and 
should  not  be  allowed  at  large. 

"  Probably  some  kind  of  legislation  will  have  to  be  initiated  to  meet  the  case 
of  those  who  are  proper  subjects  for  custodial  care.  We  have  the  names  and 
addresses  of  a  dozen  who  from  our  actual  knowledge  should  receive  custodial 
attention,  but  for  whom,  owing  to  the  congested  state  of  Orillia  Institution,  no 
place  can  be  found.  I  do  not  know  that  Ottawa  is  in  a  worse  condition  than  many 
other  parts  of  tJhe  Province,  but  would  presume  that  such  conditions  prevail  more 
or  less  ali  over  for  which  at  present  there  is  no  remedy." 

The  Question  Will  Not  Down. 

Almost  every  day  we  hear  of  new  cases,  and  where  once  (but  a  few  experienced 
officials  or  thoughtful  voluntary  workers  on  the  Board  of  some  Charitable  Insti- 
tution raised  the  voice  of  protest,  now  we  have  such  protests  from  every  part  of 
the  Province.  What  could  not  be  said  before  may  now  be  said  with  confidence, 
that  not  only  would  the  general  support  of  the  citizens  be  given  to  any  reason- 
able plan  for  Government  care  of  the  feeble-minded,  but  that  such  a  plan  would 
meet  with  little  or  no  opposition. 

The  question  will  not  down.  The  Executive  Committee  of  the  Canadian 
Conference  of  Charities  and  Correction  left  it  off  the  programme  for  the  annual 
meeting  at  Guelph.  It  got  there  just  (the  same.  It  came  to  Guelph  on  the  first 
train  with  the  first  delegate  and  it  stayed  to  the  end  of  the  meeting.  Everybody 
knows  that,  as  a  rule,  someone  carefully  writes  out  beforehand  the  apparently  ex- 
tempore and  on-the-spur-of-the-moment  resolutions  by  which  things  are  done,  and 
committees  formed,  etc.,  etc.  No  one  did  that  at  Guelph,  and  yet  this  matter  of 
the  Feeble-minded  is  felt  so  much  by  the  community  that  without  any  previous 
arrangement  it  was  moved,  and  carried  unanimously,  that  a  committee  wait  upon 
the  Government  in  regard  to  it.  (See  below.)  Mr.  Herbert  J.  Bowman,  County 
Clerk  of  Berlin,  Ontario,  was  asked  to  speak  on  Commitments  to  Houses  of  Refuge. 
and  pointed  out  the  need  of  legislation  so  that  "weak-minded  women  should  not 
be  allowed  to  roam  about  the  country,  the  prey  of  evil  men."  hi  the  very  next 
discussion,  on  the  Protection  of  Women  and  Girls,  Miss  Brookim:.  of  The  Haven, 
Toronto,  said : 

"During  the  last  threo  years  30?  mntm-iiih  i-ases  have  been  sheltered,  and 
'.65  or  over  one4mlf  of  these  cases  were  recently  from  the  <>M  World  about  one- 
half  being  from  Great  Britain. 

From  the  200  cases  of  illegitimate  motherhood  were  born  fully  90  defective 
and  diseased  children.  Of  the  200  mothers,  132,  or  nearlj  three-fourths,  were 
feeble-minded,  and  137,  or  about  the  Bame  proportion,  were  absolutely  alone  and 
friendless. 


10  REPORT  OP  THE  Xo.  23 

Two-thirds  of  our  maternity  cases  are  decidedly  feeble-minded.  Physically  they 
are  women,  mentally  they  are  children,  morally  they  are  degenerates.  An  Ameri- 
can authority  has  said :  'In  the  feeble-minded  person  the  animal  passions  are  usually 
present,  and  are  often  abnormally  developed,  while  will  and  reason,  which  should 
control  and  repress  them,  are  absent.  The  feeble-minded  woman,  thus  lacking  the 
protection  which  should  be  her  birthright,  falls  easily  into  vice/ 

In  many  cases,  even  where  they  have  relatives,  these  are  unable  adequately 
to  protect  them.  If  they  are  trained  and  cared  for  they  can  become  partially,  if 
not  altogether,  self-supporting;  if  they  are  left  at  large,  they  are  an  ever-increas- 
ing menace  to  the  community.  One  poor  girl,  innocent  and  kind  in  disposition, 
but  very  deficient  mentally,  unable  even  to  tell  her  own  name,  when  she  came  to 
as  was  twice  a  victim,  although  the  constant  care  of  a  poor  but  faithful  mother. 
Her  two  little  babies  were  both  defective,  and  if  she  were  not  permanently  shelt- 
ered this  thing  would  go  on  indefinitely  adding  to  the  total  sum  of  human  misery 
and  vice. 

Another  girl,  the  youngest  child  in  a  poor  butt  cultured  home,  was  watched 
like  a  baby,  first  by  her  mother,  then  by  a  devoted  elder  sister,  yet  became  a  victim 
while  on  a  short  visit  to  a  relative.  Still  another,  watched  for  twenty-nine  years 
'oy  mother  and  sisiter  in  turn,  was  found  to  be  pregnant.  Nothing  was  ever  known 
of  the  circumstances,  but  the  poor  soul  was  happy  and  safe  with  us  until  she  died, 
while  an  almost  intolerable  burden  was  lifted  from  the  family  life. 

Murder. — The  Case  of  the  Josie  Carr  Family. 

Everyone  will  remember  the  case  of  a  young  girl  taking  the  life  of  a  baby, 
which  had  been  left  outside  one  of  our  large  stores,  some  few  years  ago.  The  story 
of  that  family  has  been  under  my  immediate  notice  for  some  time,  and  is  one  more 
illustration  of  the  desperate  need  of  some  control  over  the  increase  of  degenerates. 
Shortly  after  that  tragedy  this  home — if  it  could  be  called  a  home — was  broken  ud. 
This  girl  being  sent  to  Kingston,  the  other  two  elder  children  of  the  first  marriage 
\vere  taken  charge  of  by  the  Children's  Aid  Society,  as  was  also  the  wife's  illegiti- 
mate child.  The  husband,  a  confirmed  inebriate,  and  the  wife,  a  moral  degenerate 
and  the  victim  of  an  almost  insane  temper,  separated.  The  wife,  with  two  infant 
children,  came  to  us.  After  some  months  she  decided  to  hand  these  little  children 
also  over  to  the  Children's  Aid  Society,  and  to  go  into  service.  One  child  was 
adopted  and  one  child  died  at  the  Haven.  As  he  was  the  inheritor  of  various  family 
traits,  notably  the  mother's  insane  temper,  we  were  thankful. 

Where  Our  Degenerates  Come  From. 

The  mother  now  being  unencumbered,  went  into  a  situation  in  the  country, 
but,  as  soon  as  possible,  was  back  as  a  maternity  case.  In  time  the  husband 
turned  up  again.  They  mutually  forgave  each  other,  and  having  successfully 
turned  six  children,  all  more  or  less  degenerate,  over  to  the  care  of  the  Province, 
have  set  up  shop  again,  and  no  doubt  will  shortly  be  replenishing  hospitals,  insti- 
tutions and  gaols. 

What  Our  Degenerates  Could  Do. 

It  must  be  remembered  that  these  poor  derelicts  of  humanity,  when 
under  kind  and  protective  and  expert  care,  are  not  .only  safe,  but  far,  far 
happier,  and  that  their  latent  abilities  can  be  so  far  developed  as  to  make  them  of 


1911  FEEBLE-M1XDEL)   IX   ONTARIO.  11 


use  in  the  world.  We  have  in  the  Haven  several  who  iron  beautifully,  several  who 
sew  beautifully,  one  who  is  a  passable  machinist,  two  or  three  exceptionally  good 
at  housework,  one  an  expert  stoker — all,  of  course,  under  constant  direction,  but 
all  leading  fairly  useful  and  very  happy  lives. 

How  Long? 

"How  long,  0  Lord,  bow  long  shall  these  things  be?"  How  Jong  before  our 
Legislature  rouses  to  the  duty  of  protecting  these  poor  weak  ones  from  the  horrors 
to  which  they  are' exposed  in  this  Christian  Canada,  and  of  protecting  the  country 
from  the  horrible  danger  of  such  an  increase? 

In  the  good  days  to  come,  when  our  Government  at  last  recognizes  and  lifts 
the  burden  of  its  duty  in  protecting  the  feeble-minded  as  well  as  the  insane ;  and 
especially  in  that  Golden  Age  ahead,  when  no  double  standard  of  morality  will  be 
tolerated,  we  shall  look  back  upon  the  early  days  of  the  poor,  benighted  twentieth 
century  as  to  the  darkness  of  the  Middle  Ages.  But  it  will  be  remembered  that 
even  then  Love  Divine  stirred  in  the  hearts  of  men  and  women,  causing  them 
to  make  a  noble  fight  against  these  evils,  and  for  the  purification  and  right  develop- 
ment of  the  sources  of  humanity.  So  let  us  work  and  hope  and  trust,  and  put 
a  cheerful  courage  on. 

Parental  Responsibilities. 

Rev.  Father  Minehan,  of  Toronto,  said  there  were  people  undertaking  parental 
responsibility  who  were  not  capable  of  assuming  that  responsibility  and  we  do 
nothing  to  prevent  it.  "  Surely  hemp  is  not  so  dear  that  these  fathers,  who  betray 
their  own  daughters,  should  escape  their  just  deserts." 

What  are  We  Doixg? 

Dr.  Charteris,  of  Chatham,  thought  this  subject  the  most  important  on  the 
programme.  What  are  we  doing,  and  what  are  the  people  doing,  to  prevent  this 
terrible  condition,  the  uncared-for  condition,  the  spread  of  the  feeble-minded? 
If  the  public  came  more  directly  into  contact  with  the  spread  and  the  increasing 
numbers  of  these  feeble-minded,  then  they  would  probably  take  more  stringent 
measures  and  be  more  active  in  asking  the  Legislature  to  do  something  along  this 
line.  A  committee  should  be  appointed  to  wait  upon  the  Government  and  bring 
this  matter  to  their  attention. 

As  stated  above,  the  Committee  was  then  appointed,  and  waited  upon  the 
Hon.  W.  J.  Hanna  on  October  19th.  There  were  present  the  Convener,  Dr. 
Charteris,  Sheriff  Magwood,  of  Stratford,  Rev.  PatheT  Minehan,  of  Toronto, 
and  Mr.  Xceley  of  Middlesex.  The  Convener  briefly  laid  the  facta  before  the 
Minister,  and  concluded  as  follow-:  ""We  think  such  information  as  we  produce 
before  you  to-day  must  convince  you  that  something  must  be  done  toward  increasing 
the  accommodation  for  the  Care  of  the  Feebli  Minded,  and  that  at  an  early  date. 
It  has  been  suggested  that  the  County  Bouses  of  Refuge  be  utilized  for  this  purpose. 
But  it  is  obvious  that  this  is  impracticable  and  dangerous. 

Other  gentlemen  present  then  gave  the  Ministi  account  of  cases  which 

had  come  under  their  personal  observation.  Sheriff  Magwood  instanced  one  feeble- 
minded woman  who  was  able  to  do  good  work  as  a  cook  and  was  able,  under  direc- 


]■>  liEPOPT  OF  THE  No.  23 

tion,  to  earn  good  wages  in  a  hotel.  To  the  shame  and  scandal  of  the  com- 
munity, she  had  never  been  cared  for,  and  therefore  was  the  mother  of  eight  ille- 
gitimate children — most  of  whom  would  probably  be  feeble-minded. 

Begin  in  the  School-room. 

There  is  a  great  tendency  in  Canada  at  present  towards  the  more  careful 
study  and  classification  of  the  School-Child.  Profesor  Lightner  Witmer,  Ph.D., 
Professor  of  Psychology  in  the  University  of  Pennsylvania,  lectured  in  December, 
1910,  before  the  Local  Council  of  Women  in  Montreal  on  Retarded  Mental  De- 
velopment in  Children.  He  described  the  advanced  work  done  in  the  Psychological 
Clinic  of  the  University  of  Pennsylvania,  which  has  been  established  to  help 
children  sent  there  from  the  Public  Schools  and  from  the  Juvenile  Courts,  etc.  The 
results  obtained  in  some  of  these  cases  show  in  a  wonderful  way  what  can  be  done 
for  these  children  if  the  causa  of  their  condition  can  be  ascertained  and  anything 
Hone  to  remove  it. 

The  greatest  evil  that  society  suffers  from  the  feeble-minded  is  that  they 
should  be  allowed  to  reproduce  their  kind,  said  the  lecturer.  Only  6  per  cent,  of  the 
feeble-minded  children  of  the  United  States  were  being  cared  for  in  institutions, 
while  the  rest  grew  up  at  home  and  married. 

Not  a  few  other  places  in  Canada  are  beginning  to  consider  establishing  Special 
Classes  for  Backward  and  Feeble-Minded  Children,  and  indeed  this  has  already 
been  done  in  Toronto.  (See  below).  In  Sault  Ste.  Marie  such  a  class  was  in  exis- 
tence in  1908  and  1909,  but  the  experiment,  though  successful,  was  perhaps  a  little 
in  advance  of  the  conditions.  One  or  two  Canadian  teachers  have  gone  to  New 
York  for  the  express  purpose  of  fitting  themselves  to  take  charge  of  Special  Classes 
for  Backward  and  Mentally  Defective  Children.  Miss  Elizabeth  Farrell,  the  In- 
spector of  these  Classes,  is  greatly  interested  in  such  work,  and  has  made  an  ex- 
ceptionally generous  offer,  through  this  Department,  to  Canadian  teachers  who 
may  wish  to  train  for  this  work.  There  are  not  wanting  indications  that  such 
t  aehers  will  soon  be  needed  in  Canada. 

The  Parent's  Plea. 

The  hardest  task  which  this  department  has  is  to  answer  the  heartbreaking 
letters  of  Ontario  parents  appealing  for  help.  Here  are  three  hard  letters  to 
answer  when  our  only  answer  is  "No." 

Needs  Permanent  Care, 

"My  young  son  is  fourteen  years  of  age.    While  in  England  a  year  ago  I  took 
him  to  a  brain  specialist,  Dr.  Shuttleworth,  who  told  me  he  ought  always  to  be 
at  a  special  school.     I  am  very  anxious  to  get  him  to  a  school;  if  you  could 
arlvise  or  help  me,  I  would  be  so  grateful,  for  I  feel  he  is  getting  beyond  me." 

A  Boy  of  Twelve. 

"I  have  a  boy  of  twelve  years  of  age,  of  weak  intellect,  and  will  have  to  put 
him  into  a  home  to  be  taken  care  of.     His  father  was  instantly  killed  one  year 
ago.  and  I  have  four  girls  and  we  could  not  stay  on  the  farm.     I  find  it  is  im- 
■vi-sible  to  keep  him  with  us.    May  just  say  at  present  I  could  not  pay  very  much, 


1911  FEEBLE-MINDED    IX    ONTARIO.  13 


I  have  a  farm  but  there  will  be  very  little  coming  out  of  it,  and  at  present  we  are 
working  for  our  living  at  very  small  pay,  but  after  the  farm  is  sold  this  boy's 
share  will  be  in  trust,  and  I  suppose  wherever  he  is  it  will  be  applied  to  that 
purpose." 

Wearing  on  the  Family. 

"  Four  years  ago  I  was  in  London  and  heard  an  address  given  by  yourself  on 
Backward  Children.  I  read  with  pleasure  that  you  are  still  working  to  get  that 
School,  and  I  thought  I  would  just  write  a  few  lines  to  say  that  I  am  still  very 
anxious  to  hear  of  your  success,  especially  so  on  account  of  my  son,  as  it  just 
seems  I  do  not  know  what  to  do  with  him.  He  is  nearing  on  to  seventeen  years 
now,  and  under  present  circumstances  it  seems  to  be  wearing  on  the  whole  family.'' 

Care  Would  Cost  Less  Than  the  Consequences  of  Neglect. 

It  would  save  the  Province  money  to  say  "Yes,"  and  establish  such  a  school 
for  permanent  care.  Each  one  of  these  boys  will  cost  us  a  lot  of  money  before 
we  are  through  with  them.  They  do  not  earn,  and  they  cost  high.  They  are  all 
going  to  be  unemployed  and  perhaps  criminals.  Under  care,  they  would  earn  and 
would  not  be  law-breakers. 

The  Little  We  Have  Done. 

What  we  have  accomplished  so  far  is  to  care  permanently  for  a  few  of  the 
worst  and  most  needful  cases  among  the  girls  and  women  that  have  come  to  our 
notice,  especially  in  Toronto.  But  these  are  as  nothing  to  the  case?  that  we  have  had 
the  misery  of  seeing  slip  through  our  fingers  because  we  had  no  power  to  detain 
them,  though  everybody  who  knew  them  knew  they  were  irresponsible  and  should 
be  cared  for  permanently,  and  besides  we  had  no  place  at  all  to  put  them  if  we 
had  the  necessary  power.  There  is  a  vacancy  at  the  Industrial  Refuge  about  once 
a  year,  and  then  we  think  and  think  which  of  all  the  terrible  cases  we  know  would 
be  the  best  to  place  in  that  vacant  bed. 

The  Cases  That  Disaptkak. 

But  the  cases  tint  disappear  are  the  ones  that  work  the  most  evil.  Down 
under  the  surface  the  subterranean  river  runs  which  will  re-appear  at  no  distant 
day  much  larger  than  when  it  disappeared.  There  are  three  eases,  all  of  whom 
have  recently  disappeared  from  view,  about  which  one  always  had  the  instinctive 
feeling  that  something  very  wrong  was  going  on  that  could  only  he  cured  by  placing 
the  feeble-minded  woman  who  was  probably  the  centre  of  it,  where  she  could  not 
be  the  prey  of  evil  persons.  One  such  had  a  mother  so  plausible  that  one  could 
not  believe  her.  she  lived  in  one  of  the  lowest  city  haunts  in  a  quarter  inhabited 
by  Bulgarian  and  Galician  men. 

Another  was  in  a  Hospital,  in  tin  Easi  End  of  Toronto  eight  months  and 
was  at  last  cured  of  a  disreputable  disease  by  unremitting  medical  and  nursing 
care.  She  certainly  cosi  Toronto  aboul  $200.00.  Then,  though  she  came  from 
an  institution,  she  $ei  out  advice  at  defiance,  as  she  can  do  in  the  present  state 
of  the  law,  and  departed  in  September,  I'.Mo.  I<>  cosl  some  other  confiding  com- 
munity another  $200,  for  her  ways  of  life  were  such  that  she  probably  has 
traeted  that  shameful  disease  again  bv  this  time. 


14  REPORT  OF  THE  No.  23 


We  Pay  The  Bill. 

Some  other  community  ? perhaps  not.    She  is  just  as  likely  in  a  Hospital 

in  the  West  End  of  Toronto  instead  of  the  East  End,  and  Toronto  stands  to  spend 

another  $200.00  on  her  and  the  rest  of  us  work  hard  to  pay  the  bill.     It 

is  hardly  fair.  And  if  it  were  fair,  it  would  not  be  wise,  for  she  is  a  source  of 
temptation  and  evil  to  others,  as  well  as  quite  irresponsible.  And  then  there  again 
is  the  problem  carried  on  double — treble — quadruple  perhaps,  to  the  next  genera- 
tion. The  children  of  that  woman,  and  such  as  she,  fill  the  Charitable  Institutions 
of  the  country. 

Another  Family  Evaporates. 

The  third  poor  girl,  a  maternity  case,  when  last  heard  of,  was  said  to  be 
working  in  a  factory  and  living  with  a  married  sister.  The  married  sister  belonged 
to  the  class  whose  background  of  life  is  unsatisfactory.  She  had  a  new  tale  to 
tell  every  time  one  saw  her.  Then  the  whole  connection  suddenly  "evaporated/* 
as  Dickens  says,  and  the  police  could  not  trace  them. 

Some  Men's  Sins  Go  Openly  Before  Them  Into  Judgment  and  Some  They 

Follow  After. 

On  the  other  hand  there  are  those  who  never  disappear,  but  are  forever 
forcing  their  evil  ways  on  this  Christian  community.  Of  such  a  one  writes  a  cor- 
respondent from  a  town  in  the  Northern  part  of  the  Province.  The  particulars 
are  unfit  for  publication — but  the  question  asked  by  the  writer  is: — 

"What  could  be  done  for  a  character  like  that?  Is  there  no  Home  or  Pefuge 
where  such  a  person  could  be  kept,  it  is  too  bad  to  have  her  at  large.  She  had 
a  daughter  about  nine.  The  Children's  Aid  Society  will  look  after  her,  if  we  could 
get  the  mother  away  first  we  thought  it  would  be  better.  The  mother  is  still  able 
to  work,  though  she  is  feeble-minded,  is  said  to  be  clean,  but  no  one  wants  to  take 
her  into  a  home.     Will  you  kindly  let  me  know  what  you  think  could  be  done." 

Darker  Records  Still. 

And  there  are  darker  records  still.  In  a  far  away  part  of  Ontario,  one  of 
the  members  of  the  Legislative  Assembly  heard  of  such  a  dreadful  case  that  he 
requested  a  special  investigation,  and  it  was  made  by  one  of  the  officials  of  this 
Department.  The  family  in  question  was  found  to  consist  of  a  father  and  mother 
and  thirteen  children,  six  of  whom  were  either  feeble-minded  or  idiots. 

In  another  part  of  the  Province  a  similar  investigation,  made  by  other  Pro- 
vincial officials,  discovered  a  very  low  state  of  public  morality  and  several  of  the 
families  investigated  had  one  or  more  neglected,  feeble-minded  children. 

The  Evil  To  Come. 

These  children  are  growing  up.  They  are  citizens  of  this  Province  and  most 
of  them  native-born.  If  we  shut  our  eyes  and  let  things  go  the  problem  of  the 
Feeble-Minded  will  assume  greater  and  greater  dimensions  until  it  becomes  the 
gigantic  evil  that  it  has  become  in  Great  Britain,  where  the  enormous  number  of 


1911  FEEBLE-MINDED  IN  ONTARIO.  15 

125,000  persons  are  Feeble-Minded.  Can  even  a  Nation  like  Great  Britain  super- 
vise, care  for  and  control  125,000  Feeble-Minded  ?  And  yet  they  must — they  must 
— they  cannot  escape  from  it  because  the  solution  of  other  problems  demands  it, 
and  every  year  the  number  of  the  Feeble-Minded  grows  ever  greater  and  greater. 

We  Have  Our  Chance. 

But  we  are  not  in  that  position  yet  in  Ontario.  An  adequate,  energetic,  econo- 
mical policy  this  year — one  straight  effort  to  face  the  question  will  do  ten  times 
as  much  as  the  same  effort  ten  years  hence.  Now  is  the  time.  These  people  can 
be  dealt  with.  We  can  restrict  the  numbers  for  next  year  greatly  if  we  act  this 
year.  But  if  we  do  not  act,  not  only  do  we  fail  to  restrict,  but  we  suffer  an  increase 
of  our  difficulties. 

'    Public  Decency. 

It  is  not  only  that  we  could  save  money  and  suffering  and  crime,  but  we  could 
raise  the  standard  of  public  morality  if  we  acted  about  the  Feeble-Minded.  At  least 
three  cases  of  the  most  nameless  of  all  crimes  (referred  to  by  Father  Minehan — 
See  above),  have  come  directly  under  the  notice  of  this  Department  this  year. 
One  of  these  was  particularly  distressing.  It  was  reported  to  us  through  a  hospital 
Maternity  Department.  The  father  was  in  the  Penitentiary  serving  a  term  of 
five  years.  His  victim — his  own  daughter — with  her  baby  of  two  weeks'  old  was 
in  the  Maternity  Ward.  The  mother  and  several  younger  children  were  at  home 
with  no  visible  means  of  support,  struggling  with  poverty  and  starvation.  The  poor 
baby,  at  once  the  proof  and  the  chief  victim  of  the  crime  was  for  that  reason 
hateful  to  everyone  concerned,  and  if  the  Hospital  authorities  kept  to  their  usual 
rule  of  insisting  on  the  mother  leaving  the  Hospital  with  the  child,  would  probably 
have  perished  almost  at  once.  Under  the  circumstances,  the  poor  infant  was 
placed,  with  the  assistance  of  the  police,  in  a  charitable  institution.  No  one  had 
taken  thought  even  to  give  him  a  name.  He  was  in  a  very  poor  state  of  health, 
and.  though  he  was  well  cared  for  there,  he  did  not  survive  more  than  about  two 
months.  And  one  of  the  officials  of  this  Department  was  the  only  mourner  that 
stood  at  the  foot  of  the  tiny  grave  in  the  cemetery  under  the  softly  blue  October 
sky.  The  white  surplice  and  black  stole  of  the  officiating  clergyman,  and  the 
beautiful  words  of  the  Burial  Service,  beautifully  said,  summoned  the  mind  to  con- 
sideration and  remembrance. 

The  Voice  From  That  Little  Grave. 

The  whole  question  of  the  Feeble-Minded  cries  against  us  from  that  little 
grave.  The  child  that  never  should  have  been  born  is  a  witness  against  us.  The 
mother  unable  to  protect  herself  claims  our  protection,  and  so  long  as  we  refuse 
it,  so  long  will  she  bring  evil  upon  us  and  upon  our  country.  The  generation  yet 
unborn  has  a  right  to  ask  of  us  that  we  transmit  to  them  their  Canadian  birthright 
at  least  as  good,  in  respect  to  the  character  of  our  citizens,  as  we  found  it.  and 
therefore  we  must  not  permit  the  Feeble-Minded  to  be  mothers  of  the  next  genera- 
tion. 


10  REPORT  OF  THE  No.  23 


A  Prediction  Fulfilled  to  the  Letter. 

Reference  has  been  made  to  the  cases  which  disappear  for  long  periods,  and  to 
other  cases  which  are  always  to  be  seen.  There  is  a  third  class  who  appear  at  short 
intervals,  especially  where  some  crisis,  such  as  arrest,  admission  to  some  charitable 
institution,  etc.,  brings  them  to  the  surface  again.  Two  such  cases  are  referred 
to  as  follows  in  the  Report  for  1907,  pp.  13,  14. 

"The  life  history  of  the  mentally  defective  children  in  our  Public  Schools 
to-day  may  be  written  down  in  outline  just  as  soon  as  their  mental  defect  has  been 
accurately  recognized,  or  to  speak  medically,  diagnosed.    It  may  be  predicted  what 

will  become  of  them,  as  in  the  following  cases :    A  boy  M and  a  girl  N 

who  had  been  in  our  public  schools  up  to  the  age  of  14.     M was  a  boy  of 

sixteen,  small  for  his  age,  not  at  all  a  bad  boy,  but  showing  marked  mental  defect. 
He  could  not  write,  he  could  read  a  little,  he  could  not  make  change  for  a  dollar. 
He  had  been  in  one  place  as  an  errand  boy  since  leaving  school,  but  his  employer 
discharged  him  at  the  end  of  a  week  because  he  brought  back  the  parcels,  saying 
the  people  did  not  want  them,  etc.,  etc.  He  got  his  week's  wages,  but  assured  his 
mother,  first  that  he  had  not  received  the  money,  and  then  that  he  had  lost  it. 
His  father  had  beaten  him  repeatedly  and  severely,  hoping  thus  to  make  him  a 
good  boy.  He  had  already  begun  to  get  into  trouble  with  the  police  through 
doing  things  at  the  bidding  of  other  boys  (very  characteristic  of  the  Feeble- 
Minded).  His  mother  assured  me  that  neither  she  nor  his  father  had  ever  been 
told  by  the  school  authorities  that  he  was  mentally  defective.  Xor  had  they  thought 
so  themselves.    If  we  had  a  farm  colony  for  boys,  such  as  the  one  at  Sandlebridge 

in  England,  M would  "fit"  there.     He  is  fond  of  such  things.     He  could 

do  a  good  deal  of  work,  under  constant  supervision.  As  it  is,  he  will  remain  un- 
employed. Nor  is  that  the  worst.  He  will  commit  or  get  the  blame  for  some 
petty  offence.  At  the  age  of  18  or  &0  he  will  be  a  "Jail-Bird.'"  And  from  that 
his  career  will  be  downward.  It  will  cost  us  a  good  deal  of  money  to  secure  his 
conviction,  to  pay  the  policeman,  the  magistrate,  the  crown-attorney,  the  jailer, 
the  jail-van,  and  all  the  rest,  and  to  keep  him  in  Jail,  or  in  some  House  of  Refuge, 
or  House  of  Correction,  or  as  a  tramp.     And  then  we  shall  have  no  reason  to  be 

proud  of  our  handiwork,  when  we  are  through.     M will  be  a  spoiled  citizen 

and  a  spoiled  man — a  bad  product.  Instead  of  being  nearly  or  quite  self-support- 
ing on  a  farm  colony  and  being  happy  and  useful  and  decent,  what  a  failure  his 
life  will  be ! 

"  I  saw  the  girl  1ST ,  on  the  same  day.    Her  home  was  with  her  married 

brother,   about  two  miles  northwest  of  the  house   where   M lived,  in  the 

same  city.  She  was  fifteen  years  old.  She  was  alone  in  the  house,  her  brother's 
children  being  at  school,  and  her  sister-in-law  out  at  work.  She  could  not  read 
or  write  at  all,  or  make  change  for  a  dollar.  Yet  she  was  not  without  a  certain 
intelligence.  She  had  been  getting  into  trouble.  She  was  apparently  not  un- 
kindly treated  and  was  evidently  attached  to  her  sister-in-law.  But  she  belonged 
to  a  class  that  simply  cannot  get  on  in  the  world.  They  must  have  a  sheltered 
corner,  a  back-water  of  life  to  themselves  where  they  are  shielded  from  all  the 
difficulties  and  temptations  of  life,  except  those  easy  ones  which  can  be  met  and 
couquered  by  a  child  of  eight  or  nine  years.  Someone  must  always  be  at  hand  to 
"help  them  out,*'  to  exercise  judgment  and  self-control  and  the  power  of  in- 
hibition for  them.  The  poor  girl,  simple  and  silly,  is  already  showing  signs  that 
she  is  going  to  follow  the  path  so  familiar  to  all  who  know  anything  about  the 


1911  FEEBLE-MINDED    1\    ONTARIO.  17 


history  of  such  cases.  Left  to  herself,  she  will  soon  be  an  inmate  of  some  in- 
stitution, having  lost  her  character  and  having  before  her  an  unhappy  and  harmful 
life." 

"At  the  age  of  18  or  20  he  will  be  a  Jail  bird."  Three  years  after,  when 
he  was  19  years  old,  in  May,  1910,  these  words  came  true.  We  saw  him  in  the 
hands  of  the  policeman;  the  Crown-Attorney  spent  some  time  over  his  case,  the 
Jailer,  the  Jail-van,  and  the  Magistrate,  all  played  their  part  and  we  paid  for  it. 
He  was  different  from  the  boy  I  had  seen  three  years  before.  Then  he  was  not 
a  bad  boy.  He  stood  straight  and  he  had  good  legs  and  he  could  look  me  in  the 
eye.  But  now  the  furtive  hang-dog  look  and  the  shambling  gait,  and  the  weak- 
kneed  posture  were  signs  of  a  downward  career. 

The  Boy's  Story. 

During  the  three  years  he  was  first  sent  to  his  uncle  in  the  country.  The 
uncle  was  a  peddler  and  the  boy  could  help  him  and  be  very  useful,  if  only  the 
uncle  always  kept  him  in  sight,  and  told  him  what  to  do.  Then  "his  aunt  told 
him  to  go  home"  and  he  went  home  and  has  been  at  home  ever  since,  in  many 
situations,  but  never  keeping  any.  Once  he  worked  for  a  hardware  merchant  for 
$3.50  a  week,  and,  as  his  mother  said.  "He  was  pleased  to  get  $3.50  a  week,  but 
then  he  would  have  been  just  as  pleased  with  five  cents."  He  committed  several 
petty  thefts.  Once  he  stole  his  mother's  watch  and  pawned  it.  Finally  he  stole 
a  bicycle  which  he  found  on  the  street,  and  brought  it  home,  saying  that  his 
master  had  bought  it  for  him.     It  was  for  this  theft  that  he  was  arrested. 

This  Boy's  Fate. 

The  authorities  took  the  view  that  since  there  was  no  other  place  for  him  he 
should  be  sent  to  Orillia,  and  he  was  sent  back  to  the  cells  to- wait  his  turn  for 
admission.  But  the  normal  capacity  of  the  Orillia  Institution  is  732.  Its  present 
population  is  786.  It  is  therefore  crowded  far  beyond  its  normal  capacity.     And 

there  is  now  a  waiting  list  of  239.     And  poor  M was  waiting  his  turn — Xo. 

240 — in  the  cells,  and  that  240th  chance  was  a  chance  to  live  with  idiots  and 
imbeciles.    M is  not  an  idiot  nor  an  imbecile. 

Summer  came.  Did  any  one  who  reads  this  Report  ever  watch  the  drama 
of  dune  days  from  a  cell  window?     What  would  it  be  like! 

"  O  what  is  so  rare  as  a  day  in  June, 
Then,  if  ever,  come  perfect  days, 
Then  Heaven  tries  the  Earth  if  it  be  in  tune, 
And  over  it  gently  her  soft  ear  lays." 

M.  watched  May  go  and  June  come  from  a  cell  window.  Hi-  sister  brought 
him  his  dinner  every  day,  by  permission,  And  then  his  younger  brother  came  to  the 
rescue.  His  mother  and  he  came  to  say  this  younger  brother  was  apprenticed  to 
a  manufacturing  jeweller.  That  his  master  hail  consented  to  give  M.  the  next  seat 
to  his  brother  at  the  work-bench.  That  the  brother  would  go  down  ami  hack 
with  M.  every  day  and  would  take  care  of  him  and  sec  that  he  did  not  do  anything 
wrong.  The  authorities  were  appealed  to.  and  after  many  interview-,  and  much 
thinking,  a  way  was  found  to  do  if,  and  when  vacation  came  to  many  of  us  in 
July,  M.  was  free  and  has  got  along  fairly  well  since.  But  it  will  all  happen 
2  P.M. 


18  REPORT  OF  THE  No.  23 

again,  and  the  next  time  it  will  likely  be  worse !  In  three  years  more  we  may  find 
that  M.  is  married,  and  this  history  will  repeat  itself  to  the  discredit  and  danger 
of  this  Province  of  Ontario. 

The  Giri/s  Fate. 

The  story  of  N.  is  just  the  opposite.  With  the  consent  of  her  relatives  we  found 
a  "Sheltered  Corner"  for  her  in  an  institution.  She  has  been  happy  ever  since. 
Then  she  was  depressed  and  unhappy-looking.  Now,  she  looks  self-respecting, 
respectable  and  clean,  and  is  very  pleased  with  herself,  especially  as  she  has  made 
friends  with  the  other  inmates  and  they  have  a  real  home  life  and  feel  that  they 
own  the  house,  the  grounds  and  all.  She  will  go  up  to  the  Matron  at  times  and 
put  her  arm  around  her.  Shielded  from  temptation,  and  not  expected  to  do  what 
she  cannot  do,  she  makes  a  success  of  life.  If  the  boy  had  only  been  given  the 
same  chance,  he  would  have  done  as  well,  and  even  better ! 

Why  Don't  We  ? 

Dr.  Fernald,  in  Massachusetts,  or  Miss  Dendy,  in  Manchester,  would  have 
made  a  .great  success  out  of  M.  Why  don't  we  ?  We  are  acting  against  our  own 
interests,  as  well  as  against  M.'s  interests,  in  delaying.  A  calculation  at  the  end 
of  our  Second  Report,  for  1907,  shows  that  the  people  of  the  Province  of  Ontario 
pay  about  $50,000.00  every  year  for  the  maintenance  of  Feeble-Minded  inmates 
in  charitable  institutions,  in  County  Houses  of  Refuge,  in  Jails,  and  elsewhere. 
Why  not  make  a  better  use  of  that  $50,000.00  in  cutting  off  the  supply  of  Feeble- 
Minded  inmates? 


THE  SALVATION  ARMY. 

The  Salvation  Army  has  afforded  us  every  assistance  possible  to  them  in  deal- 
ing with  this  class.  The  late  Brigadier  Stewart  had  a  practical  grasp  of  the 
problem  and  repeatedly  told  us  that  she  recognized  Feeble-Minded  men  and  women 
every  day  in  the  Police  Court  of  Toronto.  Some  of  them  she  had  known  for 
years.  Very  shortly  before  her  death  she  spoke  to  me  again  about  making  renewed 
attempts  to  lay  the  facts  before  the  Government  so  clearly  that  action  would 
follow.  Brigadier  Stewart  was  a  person  of  remarkable  influence  and  character 
and  a  great  help  to  us  in  this  work. 

Adjutant  Beeson,  and  other  Officers  have  kept  and  cared  for  many  Feeble- 
Minded  girls,  especially  those  for  whom  we  can  find  no  other  shelter.  One  of 
our  worst  cases,  F.  L.,  only  18  years  old,  a  very  Feeble-Minded  girl  and  the  mother 
of  two  illegitimate  children,  is  now  under  their  care.  The  other  day  a  sister  of 
this  girl,  (whose  husband  has  just  finished  a  term  in  gaol,  and  to  whom  she  had 
protested  she  never  would  return  on  account  of  his  wickedness),  telephoned  me 
to  say  she  would  like  to  get  her  sister  "out."  We  have,  of  course,  no  legal  power 
to  detain  her.  So  I  inquired  where  they  were  living  and  found  that  she  and  her 
husband  had  set  up  housekeeping  again  ( !),  and  her  husband  thought  they  could 
"  all  live  together  "  and  that  F.  L.  could  "  work  out."  We  reminded  her  that  our 
united  efforts  had  never  succeeded  in  getting  one  cent  of  wages  for  F.  L.  when 
she  "worked  out"  before;  and  that  the  case  of  F.  L.  had  been  reported  to  the 


1911  FEEBLE-MIXDED   IN   OXTABIO.  11) 


Government  officials,  and  that  we  would  not  like  their  feelings  to  be  hurt  by  the 
fact  coming  out  that  her  husband  had  been  in  trouble  himself  and  could  not  be 
trusted  to  care  for  F.  L.  These  arguments  proved  too  much  for  the  sister.  She 
hastily  remarked  that  she  "guessed  she  better  not  say  anything  more  about  it." 
Such  influence  is  our  best,  and  is  indeed  our  only,  means  of  keeping  the  few 
Feeble-Minded  women  we  can  provide  for,  under  proper  care  and  protection. 
If  there  is  any  chance  of  their  earning  money,  and  most  of  them  can,  some  relative 
wants  tVm  "out,"  no  matter  what  the  consequences  may  be. 


THE  CHILDBED'S  AID  SOCIETY. 

The  Children's  Aid  Societies  are  well  aware  of  the  urgency  of  this  problem. 
Mr.  Kelso,  the  Provincial  Superintendent,  renders  valuable  aid,  and  the  work  Of 
Mr.  John  Keane  in  Ottawa,  has  already  been  referred  to.  Mr.  S.  M.  Thomson  of 
Brantford,  whose  sudden  death  has  left  a  blank,  both  in  the  Children's  Aid  of 
Brantford,  and  in  many  other  organizations,  always  took  a  great  interest  in  this 
question.  Wherever  he  travelled  in  the  Province  he  kept  it  in  mind,  and  we  have 
frequently  had  from  him  detailed  reports  of  cases  that  he  had  personally  investi- 
gated, as  they  were  brought  to  his  notice  in  his  work.  Mr.  Thomson  was  faithful, 
enetgetic  and  intelligent,  as  well  as  enthusiastic,  and  his  death  is  a  loss  to  philan- 
thropic and  social  service  in  Ontario. 

Some  of  the  cases  investigated  by  the  Children's  Aid  Society  are  in  remote 
parts  of  Ontario,  and  without  this  organization  we  would  be  still  more  unable 
to  cope  with  them  than  we  are.  One  such  case  was  traced  out  at  some  distance 
from  a  town  in  the  North  country.  She  was  living  in  a  shack  six  feet  square, 
with  no  article  of  furniture  that  could  be  called  a  seat,  except  a  stump,  and  she 
had  an  eight-months'  old  baby  ! 

It  must  always  be  remembered,  however,  that  by  the  nature  of  this  work,  and 
by  their  rules,  the  Children's  Aid  Society  cannot  and  should  not  be  expected  to 
care  for  any  mentally-deficient  child. 


THE  HAVEN. 


This  Institution  continues  to  do  so  much  for  the  Feeble-Minded .  that  a  visit 
to  it  at  the  beginning  of  every  month  is  at  once  encouraging,  because  the  results 
are  so  good  and  so  much  is  done,  and  discouraging  because  the  Institution  is  over- 
crowded, and  there  are  so  many  others  who  cannot  be  admitted.  The  limited 
capacities  of  the  Feeble-Minded  are  studied  here  and  the  most  made  of  them. 
For  example,  the  Superintendent,  Miss  Brooking   (S  \w),  lias  kindly  given 

nie  much  information  from  time  to  time  about  each  individual  case  on  admission 
and  what  she  can  do.  One  often  makes  up  somewhat  for  the  deficiencies  of 
another. 

Two  New  Inmates. 

Some  of  those  admitted  are  very  bad  cases.  The  Haven  not  only 
does  a  great  deal  of  good  but  prevents  a  great  deal  of  harm.  On 
one    monthly    visit    I    saw    two    new    inmates,    sisters,    A.    and    B.      A.    was 


•-J"  REPORT  OF  THE  No.  23 

29  and  B.  was  27.  The  father  worked  as  a  gardener,  and  judging  from  informa- 
tion received,  was  probably  somewhat  defective  mentally.  Ont  of  a  family 
of  four  children,  three  are  defective  mentally,  the  third  being  about  19,  who  is  now 
in  Orillia  Asylum,  and  the  fourth  a  railway  employee,  whose  appearance  certainly 
does  not  indicate  mental  robustness.  The  father  died  recently,  and  the  poor 
mother,  from  whom  these  two  poor  Feeble-Minded  daughters  had  never  been  absent 
one  night  in  their  lives,  and  who  had  cared  for  them  like  little  children,  could 
only  manage  to  live  by  taking  a  place  as  housekeeper.  She  thought  perhaps  she 
could  place  A.  and  B.  in  the  County  House  of  Refuge,  but  when  she  took  them  there 
and  saw  men  in  the  house  as  well  as  women,  she  saw  she  would  have  to  take  them 
away  again,  and  she  did.  In  her  distress  she  heard  of  the  Haven  and  brought 
them  there.  A.  and  B.  can  wash  oilcloth  and  wash  dishes.  They  are  happy  and 
affectionate,  quite  as  much  so,  however,  to  a  stranger  as  to  any  one  they  know. 
They  have  no  idea  of  time  or  number,  although  after  three  Kindergarten  lessons 
it  seemed  to  dawn  on  them  what  colour  meant,  and  how  to  distinguish  colours. 
Here,  too,  are  to  be  found  some  of  the  persons  captured  in  the  notorious 
"Kaladar  Raid"  of  April  21st,  1910.  Eleven  children  were  sent  to  the  Children's 
Aid  from  that  raid  for  good  and  sufficient  reasons.  Some  of  the  parents  are 
Feeble-Minded.  And  Kaladar  is  probably  not  the  only  place  in  Ontario  where  such 
a  "Raid"  is  required. 

We  Knew  What  Would  Happen — But  Could  Not  Prevent  It. 

Another  inmate  at  the  Haven  was  discharged  from  a  charitable  institution  in  the 
City  a  little  over  a  year  ago,  much  against  the  will  and  wish  of  this  Department. 
We  have  not  the  needed  legislation  to  detain  her — nor  any  place  for  her  to  be  cared 
for.  As  a  direct  consequence,  she  is  back  again  at  the  Haven,  soon  to  be  sent  to 
the  Maternity  Department  of  the  Hospital  again.  She  is  only  about  17,  and  this 
is  her  second  (illegitimate)  child. 

The  Youngest  Inmate. 

The  youngest  inmate  at  the  Haven  is  a  little  girl  of  five — referred  to  in 
previous  Reports  as  the  Feeble-Minded  child  of  a  Feeble-Minded  father  and  a 
Feeble-Minded  mother.  At  the  Orphans  Home,  the  Board,  who  kindly  took  her 
at  our  urgent  request,  could  not  keep  her.  She  was  doing  harm.  Her  Feeble- 
Mindedness  was  becoming  more  marked,  and  her  bad  habits  were  a  detriment  to  the 
Home.  Once  more  we  begged  the  Haven  to  receive  her.  Where  the  women  were 
older  there  would  be  less  objection  to  care  for  her  than  where  there  are  other  little 
children.     So  she  is  here  too.    This  Institution  is  truly  called  a  Haven. 

Cases  for  Permanent  Care. 

E.  C,  42  years  old,  a  faithful  and  efficient  worker  in  her  own  narrow  routine 
could  not  bring  correct  change  for  ten  cents  and  could  not  find  a  number  half  a 
block  away:  but  M.  C,  50  years  old,  who  has  a  perfect  instinct  for  location  could 
find  an  unknown  street  and  number  anywhere  in  the  City — though  she  could  not 
carry  a  correct  message  to  the  next  room ! 

Another,  A.  L.,  22  years,  cannot  be  taught  to  read,  but  takes  great  pleasure 
in  arithmetic  (of  course  simple  combination  of  figures).  A.  Ix.  does  ironing 
beautifully,  also  housework,  and  keeps  her  own  wardrobe  in  a  state  of  perfect 
neatness. 


1911  FEEBLE-MINDED   IX   ONTARIO.  21 

P.  K.,  30  year?,  who  is  like  a  child  of  three  in  conversation  and  manner — 
being  continually  in  childish  pranks,  has  yet  some  understanding.  For  example, 
when  rallied  by  another  girl  on  the  extent  of  her  appetite  she  replied  instantly: 
"Do  you  have  to  pay  for  it?'*' 

J.  W.,  21  years,  who  can  cook  a  good  meal,  will  probably  set  the  house  on  fire 
if  left  to  tend  the  range.  Another,  who  will  do  dainty  and  neat  work  when  alone, 
will  become  absolutely  useless  if  any  one  else  is  in  the  room:  and  still  another, 
who  will  drop  the  most  important  task  in  the  middle  if  left  alone,  will  work  beauti- 
fully if  some  one  is  near  by  to  put  in  an  occasional  word.  Most  cases  are  inveterate 
and  incessant  talkers.  There  are  other  cases  whose  only  desire  seems  to  be  to 
sit  absolutely  still,  staring  into  vacancy,  or  lying  in  bed  with  the  clothes  drawn 
up  over  their  heads — not  really  asleep,  but  hibernating  apparently! 

There  are  those  who  make  the  most  intense  mental  effort  over  trivial  accom- 
plishments— as  the  woman  of  50  years,  who  has  learned  to  read  nicely  at  the 
expense  of  intense  application  and  effort,  suggesting  unusual  capacity  spoiled  by 
some  slip  of  nature,  as  a  shrewd  Scotch  friend  put  it — "  She  would  have  been  a 
clever  woman  if  she  had  been  all  right." 

There  is  the  class  who  may  be  led  on  to  better  things  by  words  of  commenda- 
tion and  praise,  and  the  kind  who  are  so  possessed  by  a  spirit  of  colossal  self- 
conceit  that  one  scarcely  dare  venture  a  word  of  encouragement. 

Xearly  all  are  affectionate,  fond  of  children,  animals,  flowers  and  music. 
Some  have  refined  artistic  tastes,  and  some  tendencies  of  the  lowest,  and  this  not 
by  any  means  as  a  result  of  their  heredity  or  environment,  so  far  as  is  known. 

Xearly  all  are  more  or  less  imitative,  taking  great  delight  in  anything  drama- 
tic, and  often  showing  considerable  ability  in  imitation,  though  of  little  original- 
ity. In  preparing  for  our  entertainment  last  year  all  took  keen  delight  in  the  little 
scenes  and  plays — often  earning  off  their  parts  quite  well.  We  had  two  short  plays, 
in  one  of  which  four  girls  and  in  the  other,  eight  girls  took  part.  Fully  half  of 
these  were  defective,  and  some  of  these  acquitted  themselves  better  than  those  of 
normal  intelligence,  throwing  themselves  more  entirely  into  the  personification. 
In  character  songs,  this  was  especially  noticeable,  but  the  reverse  could  be  noticed 
in  training  them  for  motion  songs  and  drills,  it  being  almost  impossible  to  get 
uniformity  of  motion,  owing  to  the  lack  of  control  over  physical  movements.  Pro- 
ject them  info  another  personality  Mini  they  would  almost  instinctively  imitate 
their  teacher's  idea  of  that  personality,  but  try  t<>  gel  concerted  motion,  and  the 
right  hand  certainly  would  not  know  what  the  left  hand  did!  This  aptitude  at 
imitation  i-  also  noticeable  in  their  preferences.  Very  few  wish  for  clothing 
different  from  the  others:  whatever  the  first  one  supplied  chooses,  nearly  everyone 
wishes  to  copy.  This  is  noticeable  in  our  sewing  cla>s.  the  pattern  chosen  by  one 
i-  almost  ^uvo.  to  become  the  prevailing  Fashion.  Bui  this  seems  a  characteristic 
of  eternal  childhood,  the  same  thing  occurring  in  any  Kindergarten. 

Fashions  in  ailments  are  distinctly  marked.  If  one  gets  a  stiff  neck,  there 
is  a  visitation  of  stiff-neckedness,  etc..  etc. 

The   hoarding   instinct    is   strongly    marked    in    nearly   all   grade-,    the   most 
worthless  trash  is  often  piled  up  and  kept.     One  girl  who    was    supposed    t< 
penniless  w&S  found  to  have  $1T.00  in   -mall   pieces  tied  up  in  odd  corners  of  her 
clothing. 

Tn  spite  .»!'  many  difficulties  and  discouragements,  there  is  much  progress  and 
development,  I.  E.,  who  four  years  ago  sal  in  a  corner  and  nursed  a  doll,  or 
cried  with  fingers  in  mouth,  now  can  read   and  write,  has  committed  to  memory 


22  REPORT  OF  THE  Xo.  23 

three  chapters  of  Scripture,  can  sew  very  nicely,  both  plain  work  and  embroidery, 
made  herself  a  really  handsome  embroidered  blouse  this  season,  works  at  the  mangle, 
tends  a  coal  fire,  can  wash  and  iron  nicely,  as  well  as  sweep,  dust  and  scrub !  Is 
usually  bright  and  happy  having  too  much  of  real  interest  in  her  life  for  tears  or 
tempers. 

Another,  M.  M.,  who  could  not  be  kept  in  decent  clothing,  because  her  princi- 
pal occupation  was  to  deliberately  pick  and  tear  holes  in  her  clothing  and  shoes, 
only  learned  neatness  and  efficiency  through  persistently  having  to  mend  and  keep 
in  order  These  same  clothes.  Xow  the  bump  of  order  is  somewhat  conspicuously 
developed ! 

L.  D.,  22  years,  who  was  noted  for  quarrelsome  disposition  and  dictatorial 
''upsetting"  ways,  has  only  been  in  one  fit  of  temper  during  the  past  year,  and  is 
usually  helpful  and  kind.  Does  housework  beautifully,  or  washing  or  ironing  for 
about  four  days  out  of  the  week.  At  other  times  she  is  incapacitated  by  various 
imaginary  ailments !  These  spasms,  however,  are  not  nearly  so  frequent,  and  of 
shorter  duration.  She  sews  well,  and  has  learned  to  read  and  write  quite  nicely. 
Is  still  given  to  relating  the  wonderful  experiences  she  has  had  in  every  country 
on  the  globe,  and  is  sure  to  remark  on  seeing  or  hearing  of  any  new  thing,  however, 
rare  or  wonderful,  that  they  had  one  just  like  that  (or  more  so),  out  in  Haliburton, 
her  native  heath. 

Among  the  new  cases  admitted,  Miss  Brooking  gives  following  cases  as  typical 
of  those  needing  permanent  custodial  care : — 

M.  W. — 15  years,  gentle,  obedient,  simple.  Whole  family  below  the  average 
intelligence.  Rescued  from  adverse  conditions  by  Children's  Aid  Society.  Placed 
in  farm  home,  decent  people.  Ruined  by  hired  man  before  the  age  of  13.  Had 
deformed  baby,  died  shortly  after  birth.  Is  learning  to  read  and  write  and  sew. 
Is  taking  an  innocent  child's  delight  in  her  new  life. 

M.  M. — 32  years.  Vastly  immoral.  Physically  strong  and  capable,  but  loathes 
work.  Reckless  with  no  wish  to  do  better.  If  taken  in  charge  during  youth  might 
have  been  made  useful  and  self-supporting. 

B.L. — 38  years.  Physically  and  mentally  degenerate.  Very  deaf.  Gentle 
and  obedient.  Absolutely  and  hopelessly  immoral.  Fifth  pregnancy.  Has  been 
for  some  years  in  one  of  our  County  Houses  of  Refuge.  During  her  residence  there 
pregnant  firice.  Particulars  unfit  for  publication.  County  Houses  of  Refuge, 
however  well-managed,  are  no  place  for  the  Feeble-Minded.  Absolute  segregation 
only  safety ! 

A.  W. — 22  years.  Bright,  capable,  attractive.  Sensible  and  willing  in  daily 
life.  Without  moral  sense  of  truth  or  purity:  will  tell  the  most  bare-faced  lies 
with  frankest  appearance  of  innocence,  even  when  sure  her  audience  know  the 
contrary !  When  reproved  gets  no  further  that  she  thought  it  was  true !  Xot  only 
absolutely  incapable  of  protecting  herself,  but  is  the  aggressor !  At  sight  of  a  man, 
old  or  young,  black  or  white,  filthy  or  clean,  becomes  instantly  excited.  Talks  rapid- 
ly and  in  a  high  pitched  unnatural  voice,  in  every  way  seeking  to  attract  attention. 

L.  P. — 21  years.  Much  the  same  type.  Bright,  attractive,  capable,  but  never 
waits  for  temptation,  is  the  tempter:  (This  brighter  but  more  loathsome  type  is 
always  most  impatient  of  any  restraint,  and  naturally  most  dangerous  to  the  com- 
munity, becoming  perfect  plague  spots  if  unrestrained). 

S.  C. — 22  years.  Same  type.  Also  a  kleptomaniac  and  victim  of  drug  habit. 
Comes  of  a  family  where  there  has  been  much  intermarriage.  Appears  on  the 
road  to  insanity,  and  a  desperate  menace  to  the  community,  being  able  to  deceive 


1911  FEEBLE-MINDED  IN   ONTARIO.  23 

all  not  thoroughly  understanding  her  ease  by  an  innocent  and  attractive  manner 
and  pitiful  stories,  entirely  imaginary! 

S.  H. — 17  years.  Same  type.  Respectable  family.  Cannot  be  restrained. 
Very  desperate  and  reckless,  as  well  as  hopelessly  immoral.  Twice  pregnant  under 
age  of  16. 

H.  T. — 25  years.  Same  type.  "  Border-line "  case,  but  morally  very  low. 
Nothing  but  segregation  will  protect  community.  Had  three  children  and  is  preg- 
nant again.  No  moral  sense.  Is  a  distant  perpetration  of  immoral  type,  grand- 
mother, mother,  self  and  child,  all  showing  same  characteristics.  Her  whole  family 
connection  noted  for  immorality. 

M.  W. — 19  years.  Brought  up  in  hovel,  most  immoral  family  conditions. 
Twice  pregnant  before  19  years.  In  good  situation  under  every  possible  care,  but 
incapable  of  protecting  herself.  Gentle  and  amenable.  Is  neat  and  clean,  and 
has  learned  to  sew  beautifully. 

S'.  N. — 19  years.  Simple-minded.  Incessant  talker  and  poor  worker.  Has 
Feeble-Minded  sister.  Has  had  every  care  and  with  good  mistress,  but  could  not 
be  protected :     brought  here  as  a  maternity  case. 

M.  L. —  Feeble-Minded  and  deformed.     Has  two  children  and  is 

of  restless  vagrant  tendency.    Gentle  and  amenable  and  very  kindhearted. 

L.  D. — 30  years.  Very  deficient  mentally  and  extremely  incapable.  Nice 
family.  Has  had  two  children.  Is  gentle,  obedient  and  kind,  not  of  evil  mind, 
but  simply  incapable  of  protecting  herself. 

M.  C. — 21  years.  One  of  three  children  rescued  from  desperate  conditions  by 
Children's  Aid  Society.  Home  little  better  than  a  hole  in  the  ground.  Parents 
dissolute  and  immoral.  Was  taken  in  charge  by  decent  kind-hearted  people  who 
succeeded  with  the  other  children,  but  could  do  little  with  this  one.  Had  wild 
and  restless  ways,  more  like  caged  wild  animal  than  human  being.  When  first  taken 
in,  would  roam  the  house  from  top  to  bottom,  aimlessly,  up  one  staircase  and  down 
another.  Was  thievish.  Has  vastly  improved.  Is  affectionate  and  extremely  fond 
of  nature.    Have  hope  for  future ! 

M.  W. — 23  years.  Feeble  in  mind  and  body.  Syphilitic,  victim  of  her  own 
father.  Would  be  easily  led,  but  not  naturally  immoral.  Gentle  and  obedient.  A 
discouraging  case,  as  she  is  becoming  more  idiotic  instead  of  improving.  Think 
this  is  because  she  is  physically  unfit  for  work,  and  therefore  misses  the  stimulus 
of  effort.  Has  been  such  a  sufferer  and  required  so  much  treatment  that  she  is 
growing  morbid  upon  her  ailments.  Is  never  happy  unless  receiving  medical  treat- 
ment or  talking  about  symptoi 

A.  M. — 34  years.  Very  simple.  Physically  defective  and  of  vagrant  immoral 
tendencies.  Is  always  complaining  of  some  ailment,  though  apparently  well. 
Fairly  gentle  and  obedient. 

H.  G. — 25  years.  Gentle,  kindly,  willing  ami  very  affectionate.  Was  starved 
and  abused  by  drunken  parents  up  to  12  years  of  age.  Then  placed  in  good  home 
by  Children's  Aid  Society.  At  23  was  ruined  by  stranger  whose  name  she  did  not 
know,  hut  who  chatted  with  her  and  invited  her  to  accompany  him  to  country 
1  otel. 

V.  M. — 20  years.  One  of  19  children,  mostly  illegitimate.  Is  mother  of  3  ille- 
gitimate children.  Presenl  bahy  deformed;  has  not  much  mother  love.  Is  a 
kleptomaniac  and  very  indolent,  never  trained  to  industry.  Fond  of  needlework 
and  has  quite  an  idea  of  colour  and  form.  Decidedly  artistic  tastes.  Very  ignorant, 
and  hopelessly  untruthful. 


U  REPOBT  OF  THE  No.  23 

E. — 35  years.  Most  respectable  family.  Perfectly  innocent  until  she  escaped 
family  control.  Soon  fell.  Became  stubborn  and  unmanageable  and  inclined  to 
immoral  life.  Very  affectionate,  and  on  this  account  less  able  to  face  world  alone. 
Incessant  talker,  and  will  repeat  same  story  every  five  minutes.  Loves  nature,  fond 
of  music,  flowers,  colour,  now  gentle  and  obedient.     Has  strong  maternal  instinct. 

J.  A. — 35  years.  Very  simple  and  very  limited.  Indolent,  but  gentle  and 
amenable.  If  not  watched  would  soon  develop  staying-in-bed  habit !  Absolutely  no 
idea  of  numbers. 

M.  W. — 20  years.  Has  two  defective  illegitimate  children.  Kindly,  but  lazy 
and  inveterate  talker.     Poor  walker.     Wants  to  sit  about  and  talk  the  whole  time. 

A.  N". — 20  years.  Simple-minded  and  easily  led.  More  capable  than  many  but 
unable  to  resist  circumstances.  Had  no  chance  as  a  child.  Was  said  to  be  stub- 
born and  ill-tempered  before  coming  here — but  has  shown  little  of  it  since.  Is  mak- 
ing great  effort  after  improvement.  Has  learned  to  iron  and  sew  beautifully,  and  is 
taking  charge  of  three  babies. 

M.  S. — 18  years.  Very  limited  and  very  emotional.  Always  either  laughing 
or  talking.  Could  not  protect  herself  for  one  week.  Is  clean  and  works  well  under 
continual  supervision. 

M.  E. — 34  years.  Of  very  respectable  family,  but  could  not  be  restrained,  of 
vagrant  tendencies  and  no  moral  sense.  Did  not  know  the  name  of  her  child's 
father,  and  when  applying  for  admission  as  a  maternity  case,  said  she  was  "  very 
much  put  out  about  it" — meaning  her  condition. 

L.  C. — 19  years.  Very  feeble,  mother  of  same  stamp.  Affectionate  and  will- 
ing, no  moral  back  bone  or  moral  sense.  Did  not  see  how  she  could  possibly  care 
for  her  child,  as  she  felt  called  to  the  Foreign  Mission  Field ! 

R.  C.  17  years.  Well  brought  up  and  fairly  educated.  Very  irresponsible. 
Bright  and  intelligent  in  some  ways.  Kind  and  affectionate  but  of  violent  tem- 
per. Refined  in  manner,  but  very  indolent.  Great  idea  of  her  own  powers  but 
most  incapable.  Had  contracted  run-away  marriage,  been  deserted,  and  had  il- 
legitimate child  before  16  years  of  age ! 

It  is  important  to  remember  that  Ottawa,  Hamilton,  London,  and  all  other 
cities  in  the  Province,  have,  in  proportion  to  their  population,  as  many  cases  just 
as  dangerous  to  the  community  and  to  our  national  welfare  as  these;  nor  is  it  only 
the  cities— the  towns,  villages  and  country  districts  have'  their  full  share.  Are 
these  to  be  the  mothers  of  no  inconsiderable  number  of  the  next  generation  ?  If  so, 
"Evil  is  the  root  and  bitter  is  the  fruit."  Time  passes  quickly.  How  soon  children 
grow  into  parents.  And  soon  we  shall  have  on  our  hands  not  an  evil  that  we  can 
face,  not  a  problem  that  we  can  solve,  but  a  number  of  feeble-minded  so  appalling 
that  no  Government  can  deal  with  it  successfully. 

The  Haven  is  a  happy  place  in  spite  of  the  awful  records  it  contains.  Like 
children  in  this  too,  they  forget  their  faults.  They  had  three  entertainments  which 
afforded  them  great  joy — at  Christmas,  Hallowe'en  and  Easter.  The  last  was  really 
a  masterpiece,  and  showed  what  a  genius  Miss  Brooking  has  in  dealing  with  these 
girls.  Free,  spontaneous  gayety  they  showed,  and  the  way  they  entered  into  the 
spirit  of  songs  and  dialogues — especially  the  little  play  they  acted — was  splendid. 
The  jokes  were  keenly  appreciated.  Protected  and  directed,  they  are  successful 
and  happy.  Clothed  in  clean  white  dresses,  which  their  own  hands  had  laundered, 
sometimes  had  .made,  too,  who  would  know  them  for  the  authors  of  all  the  shock- 
ing: wickedness  referred  to  above?  Thirty  of  them  opened  the  concert  by  singing 
Mie  "Maple  Leaf  For  Ever."  and  of  these  twenty-five  were  mentally  defective.     It 


1911  FEEBLE-MINDED   L\    ONTARIO.  2b 


was  a  good  concert.  I  have  often  attended  a  less  enjoyable  one  where  all  the 
performers  were  supposed  to  be  "all  there." 

The  following  is  an  outline  of  what  the  Feeble-Minded  girls  and  women  do 
at  the  Haven: — 

Outline  of  School  Work  Carried  on  at  Haven. — Reading,  writing  and  arith- 
metic as  far  as  Entrance  work.  A  little  geography  and  a  little  grammar.  Com- 
position exercises.     Kindergarten  exercises  for  the  most  limited. 

Sewing  Class: — Mending,  making  of  underclothing,  making  of  fancy  blouses. 
Hemstitching  and  embroidery.     Making  aprons,  bags,  and  fancy  articles  for  sale. 

Singing  Class: — Simple  exercises  and  scales.  Hymns  and  old-fashioned 
songs. 

Sunday  School: — Singing  of  hymns,  Bible  lessons,  committing  to  memory 
portions  of  Scripture,  for  which  prizes  are  given. 

The  Industrial  Refuge. 

Another  excellent  Institution,  doing  a  good  work  for  the  community,  is  the 
Industrial  Refuge.  The  population  here  is  more  permanent,  as  it  is  understood, 
when  any  inmate  is  fortunate  enough  to  be  placed  here,  she  will  always  be  cared  for. 
The  work  done  here  is  of  a  high  class  and  is  remunerative,  particularly  the  Laun- 
dry Work.  It  approaches  closely  one  desideratum  of  an  Institution  where  the 
Feeble-Minded  are  cared  for — viz.:  It  is  largely  self-supporting. 

Miss  Rankin,  the  Superintendent, 'has  a  warm  interest  in  her  charges.  She 
takes  them  all  out  for  "treats"  at  "Exhibition  time,"  at  Christmas,  and  in  mid- 
summer, etc.,  etc.  Taking  all  those  who  are  able  to  go  out,  down  to  do  Christmas 
shopping,  with  the  wonderful  fifty  cents  they  have  made  themselves,  (They  are 
allowed  to  do  drawn-work,  fine  needlework,  etc.  in  the  evenings,  and  any  money 
made  by  evening  work  is  their  own  pocket  money),  is  no  small  undertaking,  but 
Miss  Rankin  never  tires  of  it.     It  gives  the  girls  pleasure. 

There  are  72  inmates  in  the  Refuge  at  present,  and  about  45  are  Feeble- 
Minded.  There  are  necessarily  very  few  vacancies,  and  when  one  or  two  vacancies 
occurred  this  year,  we  thought  and  considered  very  carefully,  before  we  decided, 
which  of  all  the  Feeble-Minded  girls  we  knew,  had  the  best  right  and  the  most  I 
of  the  vacant  place,  and  which,  from  the  point  of  view  of  the  public  interest,  would 
be  the  best  one  to  safeguard. 

There  is  a  spirit  of  freedom  abroad  in  this  Institution  very  different  from  the 
idea  the  outsider  would  have  of  such  a  place.  For  instance,  once  when  making  an 
evening  visit,  I  heard  sounds  of  revelry,  and  Miss  Rankin  explained  thai  some  kind 
friend  had  sent  a  parcel  of  second-hand  clothing  to  them.  This  was  useful,  but 
when  the  bundle  came  to  be  opened,  to  the  delighl  of  the  girls  it  was  found  that  by 
some  mistake  certain  fashionable  articles  of  attire,  suitable  for  n  gentleman  on 
horseback  and  other  such  garments  had  been  included.  These  were  peized  upon, 
as  a  great  find  for  a  play  or  charade,  which  was  carried  out  forthwith  with  great 
spirit.  The  Superintendent  asked  if  T  would  like  to  see  them,  and  certainly  it 
was  enjoyable  to  see  what   fun  they  took  out  of  a  frolic  anion-  themselves. 

Each  one  of  these  inmates  has  her  own   story  and   her  own  -       Rere 

is  one  who  gave  much  trouble  outside,  but  now  has  made  herself  a  name  in  the 
Institution  by  ironing  children's  clothing  better  than  anyone  else.     Here  is  one 
who  makes  an  excellent  waitress,  and  keeps  her  violent  temper  well  under  control. 
though  she  did  find  it  necessary  this  year  to  break  a   silver  dish   into  four  p 
with  her  hare  fingers  in  the  process! 


26  REPORT  OF  THE  Xo.  23 

L.  G.  is  as  good  as  she  can  be — though  she  was  a  thorn  in  the  flesh  when 
she  came ! 

A.  A.  has  taken  a  turn  for  the  better,  S.  0.  is  much  steadier,  and  M.  B.  is  as 
clean  as  ever  and  very  careful  of  the  clothes  she  washes.  True,  she  has  terrible 
tendencies  to  cruelty  and  immorality,  but  there  she  has  few  temptations. 

J.  E.,  a  new  inmate,  came  from  near  Niagara  Falls — a  desperate  case.  The 
clergyman  who  wrote  to  this  Department  about  her  says — "Her  mother  is  dead. 
Her  father  is  now  under  a  five-year  sentence  in  the  Penitentiary  because  of  a 
crime  against  her.  To  let  this  girl  run  at  large  would  be  a  menace  to  Society. 
Is  there  any  chance  of  getting  her  into  a  home  for  defectives?  She  is  strong  and 
able  to  work,  but  of  course  no  one  would  take  her  and  teach  her."  J.  E.  is  tall, 
towering  over  most  of  the  otbers.  Looks  awkward  and  very  simple.  But  she  is 
learning  to  work  well — does  her  sewing  neatly  and  has  given  no  trouble.  She  is 
still  subject  to  attacks  of  thieving.  Every  few  weeks  the  girls  miss  this,  that,  and 
the  other  thing.  They  make  no  fuss,  but  go  and  take  all  quietly  out  of  J.  E.'s 
drawer,  where  they  may  always  be  found ! 

A  new  departure  has  occurred  at  the  Refuge  this  year.  Miss  Fox.  who  has 
long  taught  the  girls  herself,  ha?  now  got  five  University  students  to  help  her,  and 
these  young  ladies  teach  classes  in  the  dining  room  until  time  for  evening  prayers, 
every  evening  but  Thursday.  Another  inmate,  Mrs.  P.,  known  as  the  wife  of 
"The  Baby^s  Pa/'  (see  Fourth  Report),  takes  a  great  delight  in  arranging  the 
room  for  prayers.  She  has  earned  a  new  title  this  year.  Miss  Rankin  has  eight 
assistants,  called  Matrons  by  the  inmates,  and  Mrs.  P.  is  known  now  as  "Matron 
No.  10." 

The  Infants'  Home. 

Another  Institution  to  which  Feeble-Minded  women  with  their  children  some- 
times make  their  way,  is  the  Infants'  Home.  No  one  has  a  better  grasp  of  the  im- 
portance of  the  care  of  the  Feeble-Minded  than  the  President,  Mrs.  Boultbee,  nor 
is  there  any  one  who  is  more  anxious  that  some  effective  action  should  be  taken 
in  regard  to  them. 

From  the  beginning  of  this  work.  Mrs.  Jordan,  the  Superintendent  of  the 
Infants'  Home,  has  been  in  sympathy  with  it  and  has  been  of  great  assistance  in 
the  study  of  the  cases.  So  indeed,  have  been  the  officials  of  similar  Institutions  in 
Ottawa,  Hamilton,  London  and  elsewhere,  and  there  is  no  doubt  that  all  the  cases 
described  and  many  more,  could  be  paralleled  from  the  records  of  these  cities  and 
their  Institutions. 

Great  Britain. 

In  Great  Britain,  public  opinion  has  steadily  strengthened  on  the  question  of 
the  care  of  the  Feeble-Minded,  and  probably  nothing  but  the  political  unrest  which 
characterized  the  year  and  the  changes  inseparable  from  the  sorrow  and  loss  felt 
as  a  personal  grief  as  well  as  an  imperial  bereavement  when  His  late  Majesty,  King 
Edward  Seventh,  died,  prevented  actual  legislation  being  passed. 

The  prospect  of  Legislation  and  Permanent  Care  seemed  bright  again  in  mid- 
summer, 1910,  but  the  events  of  the  autumn  again  postponed  it.  We  remark  a 
steady  increase  in  the  opinion  that  permanent  care  is  the  only  provision  possible  for 
the  Feeble-Minded.  Many  of  those  who  formerly  were  uncertain  about  this  now 
hold  it  strongly. 


1911  FEEBLE-MIXDED   IX  OXTAEIO.  27 

Star  Cross. 

This  Institution,  (see  previous  reports),  it  will  be  remembered,  is  specially 
remarkable  for  the  large  number  of  trades,  from  shoe-making  to  lace-making,  that 
it  teaches  the  children.  The  products  of  the  Institution  bring  good  prices,  and 
materials  used  to  make  the  clothes  are  manufactured  on  the  premises.  They  sell 
things  to  customers  as  far  away  as  Xew  South  Wales,  and  this  year  have  not  only 
set  up  a  loom  for  weaving  blankets,  which  they  never  made  before,  but  one  for 
linens  also,  and  have  put  £5000  into  new  workshops  and  dormitories. 

Sandlebridge. 

In  Sandlebridge  Schools  and  Farm  have  also  had  a  very  successful  year,  and 
Miss  Dendy  is  now  raising  another  £1000  for  new  buildings.  The  number  of  in- 
mates is  now  225.  The  Farm  is  one  of  the  great  features  of  life  at  this  Institu- 
tion. It  is  the  property  of  the  Governing  Bodies  (Lancashire  and  Cheshire  So- 
ciety for  the  Permanent  Care  of  the  Feeble-Minded).  But  after  paying  back  to 
the  Society  a  rent  of  £170  for  the  year,  there  is  a  net  profit  from  the  farm  of 
£565,  of  which  the  chief  items  are — Pigs  £208,  Eggs  and  poultry,  £85  16s.  Id.,  and 
Pot-plants  £291.  9s.  3d.  Besides,  the  milk  sold  has  brought  an  income  of  £500.  An- 
other "farm  of  six  acres"  has  just  been  bought,  with  a  good  house. 

A  Happy  Home — Coming  of  Age. 

This  is  another  Institution  which  has  for  its  chief  ideal  a  happy  home.  Miss 
Dendy  writes  in  her  last  letter  about  the  fact  that  the  boys  they  took  at  eleven 
years  ago  are  now  grown  up.  "We  gave  them  a  coming-of-age  party  the  oihev 
night  with  a  turkey  and  sausage  and  plum-pudding  supper.  Three  of  them  are 
now  over  twenty-one  and  twelve  are  over  eighteen.  Soon  we  shall  be  having  thai 
same  ceremony  for  the  girls. 

Asks  About  Ontario. 

"Will  you  kindly  1ceep  me  informed  whai  steps  are  taken  for  the  Feeble- 
Minded  in  Ontario?  Canada  and  the  Mother-Country  are  bound  together  in  this 
matter  and  what  helps  one  will  help  the  other.*' 

Miss  Dendy  Honoured  by  the  University. 

More  and  more  general  appreciation  is  being  shown  of  the  work  of  those  who 
labour  for  the  Feeble-Minded.  It  is  felt  thai  this  matter  i-  of  vital  importance  to 
the  community  and  advances  the  general  welfare.  A  striking  evidence  of  this  is 
seen  by  the  fact  that  in  June,  1910,  the  University  of  Manchester  bestowed  upon 
Miss  Dendy,  the  Honorary  Degree  of  M.A.  of  the  University  for  the  "splendid 
work  which  she  had  done  as  a  member  of  the  old  School  Board  and  of  the  present 
Education  Committee  in  securing  the  Establishment  of  Schools  for  Defective 
Children  in  Manchester.  Every  citizen  of  Manchester  owes  a  debi  of  gratitude  t<> 
Miss  Dendy  for  the  caro  she  has  giver  to  the  afflicted  children  of  the  city.'* 

Birmingham. 

In  Birmingham,  where  much  attention  ha-  been  paid  i"  the  subject,  one  of 
the  most  valuable  features  of  the  work  of  the  City  of  Birmingham  Education  Com- 
mittee has  been  that  of  the  Special  Schools  After-Care  Sub-Committee,  the  chief  in- 


REPOKT  OF  THE  No.  23 


spiration  of  which  has  come  from  Mrs.  Hume  Pinsent  and  Dr.  George  Auden.  This 
Sub-Committee  has  been  at  work  since  May.  1901,  and  has  really  found  out  what 
became  of  the  children  who  had  attended  the  Special  Schools,  by  helping  them  to 
get  work.  Since  that  date  the  Committee  have  dealt  with  995  cases,  of  whom  113 
were  deaf.  232  were  seriously  defective  physically  and  650  were  feeble-minded. 

The  results  are  these. — 

36  per  cent,  of  the  Feeble-Minded  are  earning  "wages,"  but  only  6.6  per  cent, 
are  earning  as  much  as  $2.50  per  week,  and  less  than  1  per  cent,  are  earning  $3.75 
per  week.  The  Committee  has  also  proved  that  though  some  get  work  when  they 
leave  the  Special  Classes  they  never  keep  that  work.  As  they  get  older  they  do  not 
improve — they  are  useless  and  their  services  are  dispensed  with. 

The  Feeble-Minded  go  to  the  Workhouse. 

The  age  when  the  largest  number  of  Feeble-Minded  are  employed  is  16.  After 
16  the  number  of  workers  decreases  and  the  wages  go  down.  Dr.  Potts  has  pre- 
sented statistics  to  show  that  half  of  the  Feeble-Minded  in  England  are  in  the 
workhouse,  and  of  these  50  per  cent,  are  in  the  workhouse  before  they  are  45  years 
old,  while  25  per  cent,  are  there  before  they  are  30.  More  than  half  of  the  women 
enter  the  workhouse  before  they  are  45  and  30  per  cent,  drift  in  before  they 
are  30.  Sixteen  of  these  women  had  together  produced  116  children.  In  one  fam- 
ily of  14  children  only  4  had  been  able  to  work. 

Medical  Inspection  oe  Schools. 

A  modern  method  of  improving  the  race  is  Medical  Inspection  of  Schools.  And 
again  we  find  that  this  movement  has  a  bearing  on  the  mentally  deficient  child. 
It  may  truly  be  said  that  the  movement  for  Medical  Inspection  of  Schools  and  the 
Movement  for  the  Care  and  Special  Education  of  Feeble-Minded  Children  are  al- 
most in  the  relation  of  cause  and  effect.  Had  there  been  no  Medical  Inspection 
of  Schools,  perhaps  we  should  not  even  yet  have  had  any  Special  Classes  for 
Feeble-Minded  Children.  And  there  is  scarcely  a  Eeport  on  this  important  subject 
without  reference  to  mentally  defective  children.  This  attention  to  the  case  of  the 
feeble-minded  child  was  never  given  before. 

A  case  in  point  is  the  recent  Eeport  by  Dr.  George  Auden  of  Birmingham, 
Medical  Superintendent  to  the  City  of  Birmingham  Education  Committee,  in 
which  the  following  statements  occur : — 

The  problem  of  mental  deficiency  remains  one  of  the  most  pressing  and  urgent 
social  questions  which  demand  the  attention  of  the  community. 

So  far  as  the  problems  involved  are  touched  upon  by  the  provision  of  Mentally- 
Defective  Centres,  nothing  is  more  striking  than  the  frequency  with  which  more 
than  one  member  of  the  family  exhibits  mental  defect.  Out  of  1,500  (round  num- 
bers) children  who  have  passed  through,  or  are  now  attending  the  Mentally-Defec- 
tive Centres,  154  are  known  to  stand  in  the  relationship  of  brother  and  sister,  "> 
as  cousins,  and  4  as  uncle  and  nephew  (or  as  aunt  and  niece).  This  gives  a  total 
of  163  children  certified  to  be  mentally  defective  who  are  known  to  be  consanguin- 
ous  witih  other  mental- defectives,  more  than  10  per  cent.  In  other  words,  here- 
dity plays  a  great  part  in  (the  continuance  of  mental  deficiencv. 


1911  FEEBLE-MINDED  IN   ONTARIO.  29 


Ireland. 

In  Ireland  the  same  sad  facts  are  attracting  attention.  Miss  Buchanan,  P.  L. 
G.,  gave  a  lecture  before  the  Irish  Nurses'  Association  on  "The  Feeble-Minded  in 
Ireland'''  in  May,  1910,  in  which  after  reviewing  the  situation  she  states :  "It  fol- 
lows, then,  that  there  are  large  numbers  of  helpless  and  irresponsible  growing 
children  and  grown  people  at  large  throughout  Ireland,  where,  it  will  readily  be 
seen,  they  are  a  source  of  danger,  not  only  to  themselves,  but  to  the  community 
in  general.  Feeble-minded  girls,  unfit  to  work  and  unable  to  take  care  of  them- 
selves, have  constantly  to  be  admitted  to  the  maternity  department  of  the  work- 
houses, and,  owing  to  the  present  law,  which  gives  the  Guardians  no  power  to  de- 
tain inmates  against  their  will,  these  poor  creatures  take  their  discharge  as  soon 
as  they  are  able,  only  to  get  into  further  trouble  and  return  again  and  again.  In 
one  workhouse,  which  Miss  Buchanan  visited  a  short  time  ago,  there  were  eight 
young  women  of  this  class  who  had  no  less  than  twenty-two  illegitimate  children 
between  them,  all  more  or  less  defective. 

Scotland. 

In  Scotland  also  public  opinion  is  rapidly  advancing  in  regard  to  the  care  of 
the  Feeble-Minded.  Time  was  when  nowhere  except  perhaps  among  the  medical 
profession  was  there  a  word  said  of  the  Problem  of  the  Feeble-Minded.  Now  Uni- 
versities and  other  public  bodies  of  great  authority  and  influence  are  the  centres 
from  which  proceed  the  demand  for  legislative  and  executive  action.  In  Glasgow 
University  on  December  2nd,  1910,  Dr.  E,  D.  Clarkson,  of  Larbert,  delivered  a 
lecture  on  "The  Present  Treatment  of  the  Feeble-Minded,"  a  summary  of  which 
appears  in  the  British  Medical  Journal  as  follows: — 

Treatment  of  the  Feeble-Minded. 

Heredity,  he  said,  was  a  most  important  influence  in  bringing  aboul  feeble- 
ness of  mind,  but  a  great  many  of  the  people  who  were  stated  to  be  hereditarilv 
feeble-minded  went  wrong  not  so  much  from  anything  inherited  as  from  the  man- 
ner in  which  their  feeble-minded  parents  brought  them  up.  They  found  just  as 
many  feeble-minded  in  the  wealthy  parts  of  towns  as  in  the  slums,  and  rather  more 
in  the  country  than  in  towns.  He  urged  that  there  should  be  some  authority  to 
look  after  the  feeble-minded  children  of  the  well-to-do.  Tie  dealt  next  with  the 
treatment  of  the  feeble-minded  by  one  or  other  of  the  four  authority  -  school 

board,  the  Lunacy  Commission,  the  Prison  Commission,  and  the  parish  council — 
and  said  that  nearly  everyone  seemed  to  be  agreed  that  if  the  feeble-minded  were  to 
be  taken  proper  care  of  two  main  principles  must  be  followed  unity  of  control  and 
continuity  of  policy.  The  present  system  was  utterly  indefensible,  costing  a  vast 
amount  of  money  and  doing  incalculable  damage  to  the  nexi  generation.  The  feeble- 
minded ought  to  be  prevented  from  having  children,  and  that  could  be  done  only  bv 
segregation.  He  urged  thai  the  recommendations  of  the  Royal  Commission  which 
reported  in  1908  should  he  carried  ou  to  tin-  Statute  Bo  lie. 

Spec]  \i  ( Ilasses  in  London. 

During  the  second  and  third  week-;  of  July,  until  the  Lou,'. 
a  \isit  was  paid  to  the  schools  of  the  London  County  Council  Education  Commit- 


30  REPORT  OF  THE  No.  23 


tee,  and  it  would  not  be  easy  to  express  our  thanks  to  Dr.  James  Kerr,  the  Medical 
Officer,  for  all  the  time,  information,  and  opportunities  enjoyed  on  that  occasion. 
Everv  facility  was  afforded,  even  to  providing  sketch-maps  of  the  exact  location  and 
easiest,  route  to  the  schools  where  Dr.  Kerr's  assistants  were  doing  the  examining 
either  in  Special  Schools  or  for  Special  Schools,  or  in  the  ordinary  routine  Medical 
Inspection. 

Among  the  Assistant  School  Medical  Officers  whose  work  I  saw,  and  who  kindly 
allowed  me  not  only  to  see  the  examination  but  to  take  part  in  it,  were  Dr.  Flora 
Murray.  Dr.  Erie  Pritchard,  Dr.  Gowdy,  Dr.  Shrubsall,  and  Dr.  Johnson,  and 
among  the  schools  visited  were  the  Brecknock  County  Council  School,  the  York 
Eoad  School — the  Jews'  Free  School  in  Hanway  Place,  the  Edinburgh  Eoad  School, 
the  Faroe  Eoad  School,  the  Peterborough  School,  the  Open  Air  School  at  Birley 
House,  the  Bucks  Eoad  School,  etc.  Some  of  these  schools  were  in  East  London 
and  South  London,  where  the  unemployment  is  almost  beyond  our  conception  and 
where  a  large  criminal  population  is  to  be  found.  Here  may  be  seen  "writ  large" 
the  conditions  that  we  should  prevent  while  we  hnve  the  chance  to  prevent  them, 
and  School  Medical  Inspection  is  one  good  way  of  prevention. 

The  Superintendent  of  Nurses,  Miss  Pearce,  was  also  most  kind  and  helpful, 
and  some  time  was  spent  with  her,  particularly  in  visiting  and  inspecting  one  of  the 
"Cleansing  Stations"  which  have  been  such  a  help. 

There  are  something  like  1,000  schools  under  tihe  Education  Committee 
(L.C.C.),  and  the  staff  of  school  nurses  and  school  medical  officers  in  July  1910 
was  70  and  53  respectively.  Each  doctor  has  a  certain  district  and  each  nurse  a 
certain  number  of  schools.  The  Superintendent  of  Nurses  says  that  at  present 
each  nurse  has  approximately  10,000  children.  She  thinks  that  about  5.000  chil- 
dren could  be  managed  by  a  school  nurse.  The  difficulties  of  organizing  a  School 
Medical  Service  in  London  are,  of  course,  enormous,  and  a  large  addition  to  the 
staff  of  doctors  and  nurses  has  been  made  since  July. 

In  December,  1910,  the  London  County  Council  sanctioned  the  provision  of 
610  additional  permanent  places  for  mentally  defective  children,  at  an  expenditure 
of  about  £27,450  on  buildings.  The  estimated  net  expenditure  for  maintenance 
works  out  at  £7  lis.  6d.  a  child.  On  this  basis  the  cost  of  maintenance  of  610  ad- 
ditional children  would  be  about  £4,620  a  year.  These  proposals  are  based  upon 
the  demand  which  actually  exists  at  the  present  moment. 

This  seems  a  large  expenditure,  but.  as  Dr.  Foggin.  the  Principal  Medical 
Officer  to  the  Education  Committee,  Newcastle-upon-Tyne,  says : — 

"It  is  cheaper  to  pay  early  than  to  pay  late,  as  we  must,  in  the  later  harvest  of 
incapacity,  mental,  moral,  and  physical  degeneracy,  and  untold  misery,  accumulated 
and  transmitted." 


SPECIAL  CLASSES  AND  THE  TEACHERS'  CONFERENCE. 

The  London  County  Council  Education  Committee  held  under  its  auspices  the 
twelfth  Annual  Conference  of  Teachers  in  the  London  Schools  on  January  7th,  8th 
and  9th,  1910.  The  programme  was  attractive  and  the  meetings  were  of  uncom- 
mon' interest  and  value.  One  of  the  topics  was  Methods  of  Teaching  in  Schools 
for  the  Mentally  Defective.  And,  perhaps,  the  most  significant  address  was  the 
closing  address  by  Mrs.  Burgwin,  Superintendent  of  Schools  for  the  Mentally  and' 
Physically  Defective  under  the  London  County  Council. 


1911  FEEBLE-MINDED  IN   ONTARIO.  .  31 

The  Feeble-Minded  Girl. 

Mrs.  Burgwin  takes  up  the  problem  of  protection  for  the  pretty,  attractive, 
feeble-minded  girl.  And  that  is  the  first  step— the  first  step  that  would  count  so 
much — in  any  scheme  for  the  Care  of  the  Feeble-Minded.  She  illustrates  it  by  re- 
calling, as  follows,  an  incident  when  the  kind  and  beloved  King  Edward  (how 
little,  on  January  8th,  1910,  did  one  dream  of  the  nearness  of  the  great  monarch's 
death!)  opened  a  Special  School.  No  one  commands  more  attention  than  Mrs. 
Burgwin  about  Permanent  Care  for  the  Feeble-Minded.  She  has  been  in  this  work 
since  1894  at  least.  And  at  first  she  hoped  that  care  and  training  could  make  citi- 
zens out  of  these  children.    Now  she  sees  it  is  not  so,  and  she  says  of  that  idea : — 

It  is  FOLLY— -It  is  WASTE— It  is  CRUEL. 

"Someone  comes  into  a  school  and  says,  looking  at  a  particularly  nice-looking 
girl,  "'Oh,  there  is  nothing  wrong  with  that  girl."  Well,  take  the  girl  from  day 
to  day,  and  see  whether  there  is  not  something  wrong. with  her.  You  will  soon 
find  out  if  you  have  to  deal  with  her.  I  remember  Avhen  the  King,  then  the  Prince 
of  Wales,  opened  the  special  school  at  Clerkenwell.  I  can  see  a  girl — Alice — we 
were  very  fond  of  her,  sitting  there  doing  some  very  pretty  needlework  with  coloured 
silks,  and  the  Prince  turned  to  me  and  said,  "But  now,  Mrs.  Burgwin,  that  girl 
is  quite  all  right."  So  I  looked  at  her  and  said,  "Alice" — mind,  we  had  been  drill- 
ing them  for  months  as  to  who  was  coming  to  see  them — "Alice,  who  is  coming  to 
see  you  to-day?"  She  stopped  her  needlework  and  paused,  came  to  the  conclusion 
that  she  did  not  know,  and  went  on  with  her  needlework.  I  said,  "Look  at  me, 
who  is  coming  to  see  you  to-day?"  It  had  all  passed  away.  It  had  been  written 
upon  the  blackboard  and  done  and  done  again  and  again.  The  Prince  looked  very 
sorrowful  at  her  because  he  thought  she  looked  so  comely  and  handsome  until  the 
vacant  stare  came  into  her  eyes,  and  I  was  going  on  to  show  him  some  more  work, 
and  when  we  had  gone  a  little  bit  farther  on  a  gleam  of  intelligence  came,  and 
she  said  "Wales."  Of  course,  we  find  that  characteristic  of  the  children.  The  last 
word  they  hear  they  will  often  repeat. 

Permanent  Care  Imperative. 

We  must  not  forget  that  the  special  school  child  comes  from  a  home  where  his 
brother  and  sister  go  to  the  normal  school.  That  is  sometimes  forgotten.  After  we 
have  had  the  children  some  time  in  the  school,  very  rarely  will  you  sec  a  child  with  n 
dirty  face.  We  think  as  much  of  a  pocket  handkerchief  as  of  sums  marked  with  an 
"R,"  and  so,  day  by  day,  hour  by  hour,  as  the  readers  of  the  three  papers  have  told 
us,  we  are  building  up  the  character  of  the  child,  and  after  all,  what  is  education 
if  it  does  not  make  character?  My  hope  is  that  if  the  Government  will  take  up 
the  Royal  Commission  Report  and  deal  with  it  there  will  he  a  further  division, 
and  the  day  special  schools  will  only  have  the  top  division,  which  we  have  now,  and 
the  lowest  division,  the  one  that  you  can  hardly  ever  hope  to  send  out  info  the  worid 
able  to  take  care  of  itself  will  be  passed  on  to  the  working  colonies,  where  they  can 
Tead  useful  lives  so  long  as  they  are  under  supervision.  We  who  call  ourselves 
normal  have  no  right  to  expose  both  the  boys  and  the  girls  to  a  life  of  shame,  to  a 
life  where  they  are  able  to  reproduce  even  a  lower  grade  than  they  are  themselves. 
It  is  folly,  it  is  waste,  it  is  cruel  to  the  child.  I  should  only  hope  to  see  before 
my  working  day  is  over  that  we  shall  have  permanent  care  for  the  lower-grade 
child." 


32  REPORT  OF  THE  No.  23 


And  again,  " institution  cases"  should  not  be  left  even  in  the  "Special 
Classes.'"  "  If,  after  a  fair  chance,  backward  children  fail  to  respond  to  Special 
Class  instruction,  they  should  be  placed  in  institutions  and  places  given  to  others 
who  might  profit  by  the  opportunity.  In  order  to  make  a  success  of  Special 
Classes,  there  must  be  room  enough  in  institutions  to  accommodate  those  who 
cannot  be  kept  in  the  Classes." 

"  If  a  child  is  really  an  institution  case,  there  is  no  use  attempting  to  educate 
him  as  if  lie  were  to  live  out  in  the  world.  Left  in  the  class  he  is  as  much  out  of 
place  as  the  ordinary  backward  child  is  in  the  class  of  normal  children." — Prof. 
Mangold,  of  St.  Louis. 

Permanent  Care  eor  Permanent  Children. 

Miss  Elizabeth  Farrell,  the  Superintendent  of  Special  Classes  in  the  City  of 
^ew  York,  says  the  same  thing.  (See  below.)  Everybody  does  who  knows  the 
A  B  C  of  this  work.  The  only  objection  to  Special  Classes  is  that  if  we  do  not 
provide  permanent  care  for  50  per  cent,  at  least  of  those  who  find  their  way  into 
Special  Classes,  perhaps  our  Special  Classes  and  their  work  are  doing  more  harm 
than  good.  Now  that  Toronto  is  beginning  Special  Classes,  the  time  has  surely 
come  when  we  should  provide  permanent  care  for  those  who  are  permanent  children. 

Emigrant  Children  kn  route  fob  Canada. 

On  July  18th,  at  the  request  of  the  officials  of  the  Ontario  Government  office 
in  London,  an  inspection  was  made  of  a  party  of  104  boys  and  girls  about  to 
embark  for  Canda.  There  were  51  boys  and  53  girls,  and  while  this  party  had 
evidently  been  both  specially  selected  and  well  cared  for,  the  sight  of  them  proved 
once  more  the  great  necessity  for  careful  Medical  Examination  at  least  10  days 
before  emigrants  embark  for  Canada,  and  particularly  the  necessity  for  obtaining 
some  family  history,  and  some  previous  history  of  the  child.  This  is  of  great 
importance,  and  the  necessity  is  abundantly  evident  both  to  our  officials  in  Lon- 
don and  in  Ontario,  and  indeed  to  us  all.  Even  among  these  104  children  there 
were  some  about  whom  I  felt  uneasy,  lest  they  were  mentally  unfit. 

Legislation. 

An  unprecedcnt°d  demand  for  legislation  in  regard  to  the  Feeble-Minded  has 
arisen  in  Great  Britain  in  1910.  even  though  it  was  a  year  marked  by  national 
bereavement  and  great  political  unrest.  Probably  nothing  but  a  General  Election 
would  have  deferred  legislation,  and  the  demand  will  not  down,  but  will  soon  re- 
appear. 

In  December,  1910,  the  London  County  Council  passed  a  Report  of  their  Gen- 
eral Purposes  Committee,  being  the  work  of  four  or  five  of  the  Council's  Standing 
Committees,  re  the  Report  of  the  Royal  Commission  on  the  Care  and  Control  of 
the  Feeble-Minded,  stating  that  the  Council  "welcomes  the  proposals"  of  the 
Royal  Commission  for  legislation,  and  agreeing  that  the  Education  Committee 
should  keep  a  register  of  mentally  defective  children,  who  should  be  under  the  same 
central  authority  as  mentally  defective  adults. 

The  Times  has  published  a  remarkable  series  of  appeals  for  legislation,  of 
which  the  following  letter  is  an  example : 


1911  FEEBLE-MIXDED  IN  ONTARIO.  33 

CARE  OF  THE  FEEBLE-MINDED. 

To  the  Editor  of  the  Times: 

Sir, — It  is  now  nearly  two  years  since  the  Royal  Commission  on  the  Care  and 
Control  of  the  Feeble-Minded  issued  its  Report  urging  the  necessity  for  compulsory 
supervision  and  care  of  the  feeble-minded  under  a  central  authority;  and  the 
recommendations  of  this  Commission  have  been  unreservedly  supported  by  both 
the  reports  of  the  Poor  Law  Commission.  Moreover,  the  Majority  Report  of  the 
Poor  Law  Commission  expressed  the  opinion  that  the  adoption  of  the  recommenda- 
tions of  the  Royal  Commission  on  the  Care  and  Control  of  the  Feeble-Minded 
would  free  the  Poor  Law  Administrator  from  one  of  his  greatest  difficulties.  We  are 
convinced  that  not  only  is  no  subject  of  more  immediate  urgency,  but  on  no  sub- 
ject is  there  more  universal  agreement  among  thinking  men  and  women. 

We  cannot  but  believe  that  the  change  in  the  political  situation  consequent 
upon  the  death  of  King  Edward  gives  an  opportunity  for  some  one  great  measure 
of  social  reform  being  given  an  immediate  place  in  the  attention  of  Parliament. 
Such  immediate  prominence  given  to  a  measure  of  social  well-being  would  be 
thoroughly  agreeable  to  public  sentiment  at  the  moment;  and  we  believe  that  there 
is  literally  no  matter  at  once  so  urgent  and  so  ripe  for  treatment  as  the  care  of 
the  feeble-minded. 

We  are,  Sir,  your  obedient  servants, 

C.  Birmingham: 

W.  H.  Bowater,  Lord  Mayor  of  the  City  of  Birmingham. 

Oliver  Lodge.,  Principal  of  the  University  of  Birmingham. 

Geo.  H.  Kenrick,  Chairman  of  the  Education  Committee  of  Birmingham. 

J.  H.  Jowett,  President  of  the  Free  Church  Council. 

Hy.  Lloyd  Wilson,  Clerk  of  the  Yearly  Meeting  of  the  Society  of  Friends. 

David  Davis,  Chairman  of  the  Birmingham  Asylums  Committee  of  Visitors. 

John  Robertson,  M.D.,  B.Sc.,  Medical  Officer  of  Health  of  the  City  of  Birming- 
ham. 

George  A.  Auden,  M.D.,  M.R.C.P.,  Medical  Superintendent  Education  Committee, 
Birmingham. 

Birmingham,  May  30. 

The  Spectator  on  June  11th  thus  draws  attention  to  this  series  of  letters: 
We  earnestly  hope  that  the  Government  will  take  note  of  the  remarkable 
appeals  which  have  appeared  in  successive  issues  of  the  Times  for  immediate  legis- 
lation to  carry  out  the  recommendations  of  the  Royal  Commission  on  the  Care  of 
the  Feeble-Minded.  These  appeals  were  signed  by  the  Lord  Mayors  of  Birming- 
ham, Liverpool  and  Leeds,  by  numerous  University  and  education  authorities,  by 
prominent  medical  officers  of  health,  and  by  the  Chairmen  of  various  Asylums 
Boards.  No  Government  ought  to  disregard  such  a  petition  as  this  on  a  matter 
which  everybody  who  has  given  any  attention  to  the  quest  ion  admits  to  be  of 
national  importance. 

This  latter  is  perhaps  the  most  important  aspect  of  the  whole  problem.  The 
Royal  Commission  wenl  very  carefully  into  the  causes  of  mental  defieiencv,  and, 
after  collecting  all  the  most,  important  facts  and  best  opinions  available,  came 
emphatically  to  the  conclusion  that  mental  disease  was  mainly  hereditary.  S 
of  the  witnesses  went  far  beyond  this  cautious  judgment,  and  facts  were  produced 
which  are  startling  in  their  seriousness.  For  example,  the  Director  of  Education 
in  Bolton  stated  that   in  almost   every  case  where  parents  of  mentally  defective 

3    F.M. 


^  REPORT  OF  THE  No.  23 

children  appeared  before  the  Committee  or  before  magistrates,  it  was  found  that 
the  parents  themselves  were  similarly  afflicted.  Thus  by  neglecting  this  problem 
we  are  preparing  further  trouble  for  future  generations,  and  every  year's  delay  is 
a  serious  national  evil.  There  remains  the  absolutely  indisputable  fact  that  feeble- 
minded parents  cannot  bring  up  their  children  to  be  satisfactory  members  of  the 
community.  In  the  words  of  the  Report,  the  children  of  such  parents  "  are  often 
familiar  from  infancy  with  drink,  crime,  and  all  sorts  of  sexual  vice.  Neglect 
and  ill-treatment  often  render  them  physically  infirm,  and  eventually,  either  as 
criminals  or  as  paupers,  they  have  to  be  supported  by  the  community." 

The  Royal  Commission  lay  down  in  their  Report  the  sound  principle  "  that 
persons  who  cannot  take  a  part  in  the  struggle  of  life  owing  to  mental  defect 
should  be  afforded  by  the  State  such  special  protection  as  may  be  suited  to  their 
needs."  They  lay  down  the  further  proposition  "  that  the  mental  condition  of 
these  persons,  and  neither  their  poverty  nor  their  crime,  is  the  real  ground  of  their 
claim  for  help  from  the  State."  Both  these  propositions  ought  to  command  a 
universal  assent.  Our  workhouses  and  gaols  are  filled  with  people  whose  minds 
were  either  never  complete  or  have  become  unhinged.  Both  the  pauperism  and 
the  crime  are  due  to  one  cause — mental  deficiency — and  that  being  so,  it  is  obviously 
convenient  that  people  suffering  from  this  calamity  should  be  specially  dealt  with. 
There  is  no  general  system  of  dealing  with  the  mentally  deficient  as  a  class  apart, 
and  no  general  power  vested  in  the  State  to  compel  their  segregation. 

The  Commission  proposes  that  "  the  State  should  have  authority  to  segregate 
and  to  detain  mentally  defective  persons  under  proper  conditions  and  limitations, 
and  on  their  behalf  to  compel  the  payment  of  contributions  from  relations  who 
are  able  to  pay  for  their  support."  In  order  to  carry  out  this  recommendation  it 
is  proposed  to  create  a  central  authority  to  be  called  the  Board  of  Control,  which 
would  exercise  a  general  supervision  over  the  local  authorities.  These  local  authori- 
ties would  be  statutory  Committees  of  County  Councils,  who  would  deal  with  all 
classes  of  the  mentally  defective. 

A  study  of  the  Report  of  the  Royal  Commission  will  convince  any  careful 
reader  that  if  these  recommendations  were  carried  out  there  would  be  a  very 
appreciable  reduction  both  in  our  prison  and  in  our  workhouse  population.  It  is 
therefore  quite  conceivable  that  the  cost  of  the  machinery  proposed  by  the  Royal 
Commission  would  be  more  than  paid  for  by  the  saving  effected  in  the  upkeep  of 
prisons  and  workhouses.  Even  if  this  were  not  so,  a  duty  rests  upon  this  genera- 
tion to  face  without  flinching  whatever  expenditure  may  have  to  be  incurred  in 
order  to  relieve  future  generations  from  a-  recurring  and  extending  evil.  By  suit- 
able methods  it  ought  to  be  possible  in  a  few  generations  to  get  rid  almost  entirely 
of  our  mentally  defective  population.  By  neglecting  these  precautions  we  are  per- 
mitting it  to  expand. 

It  is  worth  while  to  note  that  both  the  Majority  and  the  Minority  of  the 
Royal  Commission  on  the  Poor  Law  heartily  endorse  the  recommendations  of  the 
Royal  Commission  on  the  Feeble-Minded.  We  therefore  earnestly  join  in  the 
appeal  which  has  been  made  to  the  Government  to  deal  in  the  present  Session  of 
Parliament  with  this  nationally  important  subject. 

The  British  Medical  Journal  of  July  2nd,  1910,  relates  that  before  "a  num- 
erous audience  of  members  of  the  House  of  Commons,  Mr.  Masterman  presiding" 
certain  experts  spoke  and  urged  early  legislation  for  the  Feeble-Minded.  Dr. 
Whetham  laid  stress  upon  the  necessity  in  future  legislative  measures  of  consid- 
ering not  merely  the  improvement  of  environment,  but  the  problem  of  selection 


1911  FEEBLE-MINDED  IN  ONTARIO.  35 

as  regards  parenthood — at  least  in  a  negative  sense.  It  had,  he  said,  been  shown 
that  the  average  fertility  of  the  families  furnishing  feeble-minded  children  ex- 
ceeded that  of  the  normal  in  the  ratio  of  about   7.3  to  4. 

Dr.  Langdon  Down  pointed  out  that  1  in  every  250  of  the  population,  1  in  5  of 
the  inmates  of  prisons,  and  2  out  of  3  of  those  in  inebriate  institutions,  are  feeble 
in  mind,  and  that  feeble  mindedness  was  strongly  hereditary,  and  a  permanent 
condition. 

Dr.  Slaughter  referred  to  the  connexion  of  feeble-mindedness  with  pauperism, 
and  argued  that  a  complete  scheme  for  the  segregation  of  the  feeble-minded  would 
in  the  long  run  be  a  true  economy,  by  checking  the  alarming  increase  of  feeble- 
minded progeny. 


Editorially,  The  British  Medical  Journal,  says: — 

Legislation  on  the  Care  of  the  Feeble-Minded. 

"The  urgent  necessity  of  legislation  upon  the  lines  of  the  Report  of  the  Royal 
Commission  on  the  Care  and  Control  of  the  Feeble-Minded  is  being  prominently 
brought  under  the  notice  of  the  public,  and.  we  trust,  also  that  of  the  Government, 
by  infiuentially-signed  letters  in  the  Times  and  other  papers.  Amongst  these  we 
notice  communications  from  the  Bishop,  University,  and  corporate  authorities  of 
Birmingham,  from  the  Lord  Mayor  and  other  representative  personages  of  the  cit- 
ies of  Liverpool  and  of  Leeds,  and  from  medical  experts  on  the  subject  in  New- 
castle. It  seems  high  time  that  a  matter  of  such  far-reaching  social  importance 
so  thoroughly  threshed  out  by  a  Royal  Commission  which  devoted  nearly  four 
years  to  its  investigation  and  issued  its  report  as  long  ago  as  July,  1908.  should 
be  seriously  considered  by  our  legislators.  If,  as  we  all  hope  the  "truce  of  God," 
which  has  been  brought  about  by  the  lamented  death  of  King  Edward  should  result 
in  a  period  of  conciliation  in  place  of  party  controversy,  surely  a  Government 
pledged  to  social  reform  could  find  no  more  fitting  subject  for  legislative  settlement 
than  that  of  the  care  of  the  feeble-minded.  The  ramifications  of  the  evil  affecting 
the  very  vitality  of  the  nation  in  the  multiform  manifestation  of  congenital  mental 
defect,  not  only  in  feeble-mindedness  and  insanity,  but  in  the  production  of  re- 
cidivists and  inebriates,  of  youthful  offenders  and  weak-minded  criminals,  render 
the  problem  very  complex;  it  affects  more  than  one  of  the  administrative  depart- 
ments of  the  State,  and  this  no  donlil  is  ;i  difficulty  in  the  way  of  framing  a  thor- 
oughly comprehensive  measure.  There  ?eems  no  reason,  however,  why  at  least 
a  beginning  should  not  he  made  in  tackling  (he  problem;  on  the  principle  that 
"half  a  loaf  i-  better  than  no  bread."  Society  -utters  from  a  mode  of  dealing  with 
children  found  mentally  defective  under  the  Education  (Defective  and  Epileptic 
Children)  Act  of  181)9  which  is  admittedly  imperfect.  Where  the  Act  has  been 
adopted  these  children  are  expensively  trained  till  the  age  of  16,  and  are  then,  at  a 
critical  period  of  their  lives,  let  loose  npon  the  community,  in  many  rase-  unfor- 
tunately onlv  to  work  out  their  own  perdition.  The  Act.  however,  has  at  least  done 
this  amount  of  good,  that  it  has  demonstrated  the  necessities  of  the  case;  and  t" .- 
experience  of  ten  years  has  proved  that  it  is  sadly  inadequate  to  meet  them.  The 
first  point  for  legislation  would,  therefore,  seem  to  be  such  an  amplification  of  the 
provisions  of  the  Act  as  would  render  it  universally  operative  in  the  detection  of 
mental  defect  in  the  school  population. 


36  EEPOET  OF  THE  No.  23 

The  second  point  for  legislation,  upon  which  there  is  a  general  concurrence 
of  opinion,  is  the  absolute  necessity  for  increased  powers  of  detention  of  feeble- 
minded persons  beyond  school  age  whose  conduct,  considered  apart  from  "facts 
indicating  insanity,"  such  as  would  form  the  basis  of  a  lunacy  certificate,  proves 
their  incapacity  for  managing  themselves  and  their  affairs  with  ordinary  prudence, 
thus  rendering  them  a  danger  to  themselves  and  the  community.  Under  this 
category  would  fall  the  feeble-minded  girls  who,  as  "ins-and-outs,"  are  recurrent 
visitors  to  the  maternity  wards  of  workhouses  to  give  birth  to  illegitimate  child- 
ren, and  others  whose  retention  in  industrial  homes  is  obviously  the  only  safe- 
guard against  their  getting  into  similar  trouble.  It  would  also  include  criminal 
mental  defectives  not  certifiable  as  insane.  The  mental  condition  must,  of  course, 
be  vouched  for  by  medical  certificate,  and  a  simple  form  for  this,  following  the 
precedent  of  the  Idiots  Act,  1886,  has  been  recommended  by  the  Koyal  Com- 
mission for  use  in  certain  cases. 

We  repeat  that  there  is  general  agreement  on  a  sufficient  number  of  points 
not  only  to  justify  legislation,  but  to  render  early  action  imperatively  necessary." 

The  Church  and  the  Feeble-Minded. 

Nor  has  the  Church  been  behind  in  urging  the  claims  and  needs  of  the 
Feeble-Minded.  The  matter  has  been  taken  up  strongly  by  the  leaders  of  the 
State  Church  as  well  as  by  other  Churches: 

A  deputation,  headed  by  the  Archbishop  of  Canterbury,  has  had  an  inter- 
view with  the  Prime  Minister.  The  Archbishop  stated  that  he,  together  with  the 
rest  of  the  clergy,  felt  that  there  was  urgent  need  for  an  amendment  of  the  Poor 
Law  System,  and  they  believed  that  public  opinion  was  ripe  for  supporting  some 
action  on  the  part  of  the  Government.  The  Dean  of  "Worcester  pointed  out  that 
such  an  urgent  question  as  that  relating  to  the  feeble-minded  could  be  dealt  with, 
without  prejudice  to  conflicting  views,  on  broad  principles.  Mr.  Asquith  said  the 
Government  had  not  overlooked  the  important  and  far-reaching  question  of  the 
feeble-minded,  and  they  intended  at  the  earliest  possible  moment  to  make  proposals 
to  Parliament  with  regard  to  it. 

The  Jubilee  Congress. 

Scarcely  a  meeting  of  any  importance  where  Social  Welfare  and  the  public 
good  are  seriously  considered  ends  without  this  topic  of  the  Care  of  the  Feeble- 
Minded.  emerging  into  prominence.  The  Jubilee  Congress  of  the  Church  of  Eng- 
land was  held  in  September,  1910,  at  Cambridge,  where  the  first  Congress  met 
in  1861,  and  one  of  the  topics  for  discussion  was  "Heredity  and  Social  Eespon- 
sibility." — Dr.  G.  S.  Shuttleworth,  by  invitation  read  a  paper  on  the  duty  of  the 
State  towards  its  feeble-minded  children,  and  expressed  the  view  that  the  only 
effectual  method  of  diminishing  the  production  of  feeble-minded  children  was  that 
of  segregation  in  industrial  colonies. 

Experts  and  the  Feeble-Minded. 

Scientific  and  academic  study  of  the  question  of  Heredity  and  Feeble-Mind- 
edness  with  relation  to  alcoholism  has  also  been  undertaken,  and  a  memoir  has 
been  issued  by  the  University  of  London,  from  the  Francis  Galton  Laboratory  for 
National  Enquiries  entitled  "A  first  Study  of  the  Influence  of  Parental  Alcoholism 


1911  FEEBLE-MINDED  IN  ONTARIO.  37 

on  the  Physique  and  Ability  of  the  Off-spring,"'  by  E.  M.  Elderton,  Galton  Re- 
search Scholar  and  Karl  Pearson,  F.  R.  S.  Children  attending  the  Special  Schools 
in  Manchester  and  Edinburgh  were  those  whose  family  records  were  studied  and 
the  general  conclusion  is  that  there  is  no  marked  relation  between  filial  intelligence 
and  alcoholism.  These  conclusions,  are  not  universally  accepted,  but  the  fact  that 
the  subject  is  considered  shows  a  great  advance  in  interest. 

Public  attention  in  Great  Britain  was  this  year  strongly  directed  to  the  evi- 
dence presented  before  the  Royal  Commission  on  Divorce.  The  British  Medical 
Association  nominated  certain  well-known  authorities  as  witnesses,  by  request.  One 
of  the  greatest  of  these,  Dr.  T.  S.  Clouston,  of  Edinburgh,  gave  the  following 
evidence : — 

"There  is  a  large  class  of  persons,  who  suffer  from  a  congenital  weakness  of 
mind.  This  class  are  the  high-grade  or  "Congenitally  Feeble-Minded"  of  the 
Royal  Commission  on  the  Feeble-Minded,  as  distinguished  from  the  "Imbeciles" 
and  the  "Idiots."  A  considerable  number  of  such  cases  of  mild  mental  enfeeble- 
ment  contract  marriage  and  a  large  number  of  the  females  produce  illegitimate 
children.  In  my  opinion  divorce  should  be  obtainable  in  all  such  cases  who  have 
married,  and,  though  this  may  be  irrelevant  to  the  enquiries  of  this  Commission, 
the  most  stringent  means  should  be  taken  by  legal  enactments  to  prevent  the  oc- 
currence of  pregnancy  in  all  such  feeble-minded  young  women.  They  are,  in  my 
opinion,  and  by  general  experience,  the  source  of  a  vast  amount  of  insanity,  epi- 
lepsy, and  general  imbecility,  crime,  pauperism,  and  mental  inefficiency  in  the 
community.  The  tendency  of  medical  and  scientific  opinion  at  the  present  time 
is  strongly  in  this  direction.  The  Commission  referred  to  estimate  that  there  are 
125,000  of  the  weak-minded  persons  of  the  higher  grade,  and  I  think  a  moderate 
estimate  is  that  one-third  of  those,  amounting  to  thirty  or  forty  thousand  persons 
in  this  class,  one-half  being  females,  would  come  under  the  scope  of  any  new  divorce 
law."     Could  anything  Be  stronger? 

A  Bill  in  Preparation. 

On  or  about  June  20th,  1910,  a  question  was  asked  in  the  House  of  Com- 
mons in  reference  to  legislation  for  the  Feeble-Minded. 

Mr.  Hicks  Beach  asked  the  President  of  the  Local  Government  Board  whether 
the  Government  proposed  to  take  any  steps  to  carry  out  the  recommendations  of  the 
Royal  Commission  on  the  Care  and  Control  of  the  Feeble-Minded.  Mr.  Churchill 
«aid  that  his  right  hon.  friend  had  asked  him  to  answer  the  question.  As  stated 
by  the  Prime  Minister,  in  reply  to  a  question  on  November  1st  last,  the  Govern- 
ment were  fully  alive  to  the  importance  of  this  matter,  nnd  a  draft  Bill  was  already 
in  preparation,  though  legislation  this  session  was,  he  feared,  not  practicable. 


THE  THIRD  INTERNATIONAL  CONGRESS  OF  SCHOOL  HYGIENE. 

At  Paris,  August  2-7,  1010. 

By  permission  of  the  Minister,  a  visit  was  paid  to  Paris  at  this  date  for  the 
purpose  of  attending  the  Third  International  Congress  of  School  Hygiene  in  Paris, 
one  Section  of  which  (Section  X)  was  entirely  devoted  to  Special  Schools.  The 
scheme  of  preparation  for  this  Congress  included  carefully  prepared  "Rapports"  on 


38  REPORT  OF  THE  No.  23 

all  the  chief  subjects  presented  at  the  Congress.  These  were  printed  in  two  large 
volumes  and  were  read  and  discussed  at  the  meetings.  Papers  on  other  subjects 
were  also  presented  by  well-known  authorities  from  the  different  countries  repre- 
sented, and  these  were  discussed  also  if  time  permitted.  The  work  of  this  Section, 
together  with  the  General  Meetings,  occupied  the  3rd,  4th,  and  5th  of  August. 

The  subjects  considered,  in  order  of  presentation,  were : 

The  Various  Types  of  Schools  for  Mentally  Defective  Children. 

Special  Schools  for  Elder  Mentally  Defective  Boys. 

The  Results  of  Special  School  Education. 

The  Advantage  of  Training  Defective  Children  for  After-care  in  a  Colony. 

The  Doctor  and  the  Teacher  in  Special  Schools. 

The  Problem  of  Mental  Deficiency  in  the  Public  Schools  of  New  York. 

Heredity  as  a  Factor  in  the  Problem  of  the  Feeble-minded  Child. 

Time-tables  for  Instruction  in  Special  Schools. 

How  Liverpool  Cares  for  her  Mentally-defective  Children. 

The  Arts  and  Crafts  Problem  in  Special  Schools. 

Unfortunately  some  of  those  on  the  programme  were  not  able  to  be  present, 
but  France,  Germany,  Great  Britain,  and  the  United  States  were  all  well  repre- 
sented, and  Canada  was  represented  by  the  Honourable  Dr.  Pyne,  Minister  of  Edu- 
cation, by  Dr.  James  Grant,  of  Ottawa,  the  President  of  the  Canadian  Branch  of 
tbe  International  Congress  of  School  Hygiene,  and  by  one  of  the  officials  of  this 
Department.  Sir  James  Grant,  at  the  Opening  Session  of  the  Congress  in  the  Sor- 
bonne,  gave  an  eloquent  address  Which  referred  to  the  early  history  of  Canada  and 
was  well  recjivtd.  Th.;  chief  representatives  of  Great  Britain  at  the  Congress  were 
Sir  Lauder  Brunton  and  Dr.  James  Kerr. 

Sir  Lauder  Brunton,  in  beautiful  French,  made  an  address  which  caused 
a  deep  impression,  especially  when  he  referred  to  the  personal  interest  and  aid 
bestowed  upon  the  London  Congress  by  "le  roi  Edouard,  le  bien-aime."  At  these 
words  a  deep  silence  fell  upon  the  audience,  broken  a  moment  later  by  subdued  mur- 
murs of  sympathy  and  applause. 

The  hospitality  offered  to  the  delegates  and  the  interesting  entertainments  ar- 
Tanged  for  them  were  charming.  Paris,  in  her  beauty,  afforded  delight  to  the 
•visitor. 

The  results  of  the  Congress  itself  cannot  fail  to  be  beneficial.  About  1,600 
delegates  were  present  from  almost  all  the  countries  of  the  world.  The  Sessions 
of  the  Congress  were  held  daily  in  the  Grand  Palais,  each  Section  having  its  own 
room  for  meeting.  A  very  fine  exposition  of  apparatus,  desks,  and  everything  con- 
nected with  school  hygiene,  occupied  the  ground  floor.  The  chief  subjects  of  de- 
bate in  Section  X  were  the  Necessity  of  Permanent  Care  of  the  Feeble-minded 
Child,  and  the  form  and  method  of  the  best  training  for  such  children.  Among 
those  who  took  part  in  the  reports,  papers,  and  discussions,  were  Dr.  Shuttleworth 
and  Dr.  Eichholtz,  Miss  Dendy  of  Manchester,  and  Mrs.  Burgwin  of  London. 

The  Fourth  International  Congress  of  School  Hygiene  will  be  held  in  Buffalo 
in  1913. 

Austria. 

On  the  Continent  of  Europe  steady  progress  is  being  made  in  the  Care  of  the 
Feeble-minded.  The  Austrian  Society  for  the  Care  of  the  Feeble-minded  held  its 
Fourth  Annual  Conference  in  Vienna  on  March  22nd  and  23rd,  1910.  and  a  large 
number  of  teachers  and  physicians  were  in  attendance.     The  opening  address  was 


1911  FEEBLE-MINDED  IN"  ONTARIO.  39 

given  by  a  member  of  the  Austrian  Government,  Count  Sturgkl,  the  Minister  of 
Education,  who  pointed  out  "That  it  was  the  duty  of  Society  to  do  whatever  might 
be  possible  for  improving  the  condition  of  feeble-minded  children.  Schools  for 
them  had,  therefore,  been  opened,  and  would  soon  be  increased  in  number  to  such 
an  extent  that  these  persons  could  be  made  comfortable  without  their  infirmities 
being  unnecessarily  brought  before  the  general  public.  One  of  the  chief  points  in 
this  scheme  was  the  training  of  specially  qualified  teachers  who  could  deal  with 
these  defectives  better  than  parents  could The  progress  made  in  the  edu- 
cation of  feeble-minded  persons  during  the  last  twenty-five  years  in  this  country 
was  well  illustrated  in  a  paper  by  Professor  Spitzy.  Whilst  at  the  beginning  of  the 
before-mentioned  period  such  persons  could  not  be  admitted  into  any  public  in- 
stitution, there  was  now  in  each  large  city  at  least  one  school  for  them.  It 
has  been  found  that  the  disturbances  of  co-ordination  form  one  of  the  most  serious 
obstacles  to  bodily  education,  therefore  teaching  and  occupation  must  be  approxi- 
mated as  much  as  possible  to  the  ideal  of  training  this  sense.  At  present  in  every 
school  a  search  is  made  for  symptoms  of  feeble-mindedness  amongst  the  children." 

Hungary. 

Investigations  in  Hungary  in  regard  to  mentally  deficient  children  have  been 
vigorously  pursued  throughout  1910  and  have  resulted  in  finding  as  high  a  per- 
centage of  such  children  as  have  been  found  in  other  countries.  In  Budapest  the 
school  attendance  is  25,000,  and  Dr.  Edelmann,  who  is  in  charge  of  the  investiga- 
tion, thinks  that  from  500  to  1,000  require  special  care  and  a  special  training  "if 
they  are  to  be  made  fit  to  take  any  part  in  the  battle  of  life,  and  that  they  ought 
to  have  the  most  careful  attention.  Up  to  the  present  there  has  been  no  compulsory 
medical  inspection  of  school  children  in  Hungary,  and  therefore  no  child  is  ex- 
amined unless  his  appearance  is  such  as  enables  his  teachers  to  realize  that  he  is  un- 
like other  children.  The  time  will  come,  however,  when  every  child  will  be  ex- 
amined by  a  doctor  at  the  commencement  of  his  school  career,  so  that  it  may  be 
known  at  the  outset  if  he  has  any  bodily  or  mental  ailments  which  threaten  to  pre- 
vent his  following  the  proper  school  course,  and  steps  will  be  taken  to  ensure  proper 
treatment.  Such  mentally  deficient  children  as  attend  the  public  schools  an 
course,  on  quite  a  different  level  from  the  children  in  State  institutions  and  asy- 
lums, and  yet  they  are  quite  incapable  of  following  the  usual  curriculum  of  our  pub- 
lic schools.  The  first  care  of  those  in  charge  of  them  should  be  to  train  them  to 
work  with  their  hands.  It  is  obviously  impossible  to  expect  the  teachers  of  th 
gular  classes,  each  of  which  consists  of  some  fifty  pupils,  to  do  any  work  of  this 
kind.  These  backward  children  should  bo  placed  in  separate  classes,  comprising  nol 
more  than  fifteen  pupils  in  each,  under  special  teachers,  who  will  thus  be  able  to 
study  each  child,  and  give  individual  instruction  and  attention.  At  present  there 
are  facilitiefi  for  teaching  150  of  such  children  in  Buda] 

The  United  States. 

The  scientific  study  of  Backward  Children  is  beginning  to  attract  attention 
in  not  a  few  of  the  Psychological  Departments  of  American  Universities.  Pro- 
fessor Seashore,  of  the  University  of  Iowa,  visited  Toronto  this  year  and  con- 
ferred with  the  officials  of  this  Department  and  the  staff  of  the  Psychological 
Department  of  Toronto  University.  He  told  us  that  the  University  of  Iowa  was 
about  to  establish  a  Special  Department  for  the  Btudy  of  Backward  and  Mentally 


10  REPOBT  OF  THE  No.  23 

Defective  Children,  and  that  there  was  to  be  a  Eesidential  School  for  such  chil- 
dren in  connection  with  the  University.  A  statement  of  the  advantages  to  the 
children  of  permanent  care  in  such  a  Home  has  formed  a  part  of  all  the  Reports 
of  this  Department,  and  those  advantages  are  universally  recognized  wherever  the 
subject  has  attracted  any  attention.  But  probably  there  will  be  a  reflex  influence 
of  unknown  but  possibly  great  advantage  to  the  Study  of  Psychology.  The 
thoughts  of  the  normal  human  being  have  a  speed  like  lightning.  They  pass  and 
change  too  swiftly  to  be  studied  easily.  The  thoughts  of  the  Feeble-Minded  are 
retarded.  They  pass  at  a  foot's  pace  and  are  more  easily  recognized  and  studied. 
The  University  of  Pennsylvania  and  the  Teachers'  College  of  Columbia  Univer- 
sity are  pioneers  in  this  work,  though  neither  of  them  has  a  Eesidential  School 
for  Feeble-Minded  Children  in  connection  with  it  yet. 

Professor  Lightner  Witmer's  work  is  well  known,  and  not  the  least  part  of  it 
is  the  interesting  magazine,  The  Psychological  Clinic,  which  serves  as  a  channel 
of  information  to  fellow-workers,  and  as  a  permanent  record  of  some  of  the  work 
done. 

In  Columbia  University,  Xew  York,  Prof.  Naomi  Norsworthy,  of  the  Psy- 
chological Department,  has  been  a  distinguished  worker  on  this  question,  and  in 
1910  Teachers'  College  of  Columbia  University  established  a  Psychological  Clinic 
for  children  who  are  backward  in  school  work.  The  Survey  (a  weekly  journal 
published  in  Xew  York,  which  is  the  most  advanced  and  trustworthy  authority  on 
all  matters  pertaining  to  Social  Welfare,  and  which  is  always  sympathetic  towards 
anything  to  help  the  Feeble-Minded),  thus  refers  to  the  Psychological  Clinic  for 
Backward  Children  at  Teachers'  College : 

The  Department  of  Educational  Psychology  of  Teachers'  College  hopes  to 
aid  parents,  teachers,  and  social  workers  by  suggesting  methods  of  training  and 
treatment  that  are  adapted  to  the  requirements  of  each  special  case.  The  service 
is  offered  free  of  charge  and  teachers  in  the  vacation  schools  and  those  in  charge 
of  fresh  air  outings  undoubtedly  know  children  who  need  this  expert  advice.  In 
a  distressingly  large  proportion  of  cases  parents  trust  that  the  backwardness  or 
peculiarities  of  their  children  will  be  outgrown  in  time.  To  neglect  mental  defects 
is  just  as  serious  as  to  be  careless  of  a  child's  physical  welfare.  In  both  cases 
prompt  and  early  attention  is  almost  the  only  hope  for  cure. 

The  study  and  treatment  of  children  who  are  markedly  unusual  is  very  recent, 
at  least  in  the  more  scientific  aspects  of  the  problem.  Of  late  years  school  authori- 
ties have  come  to  realize  that  these  children  need  special  treatment  and  teaching 
and  that  the  exact  causes  of  their  condition  are  not  found  out  either  in  the  school 
or  by  the  parents.  The  work  that  has  been  started  in  New  York  is  for  that  city 
of  a  pioneer  nature.  The  work  is  confined  to  examination  and  advice.  No  attempt 
is  made  to  conduct  the  instruction  of  defective  children  except  in  the  case  of 
speech  defects.  The  College  authorities  hope  to  determine  by  this  experiment 
whether  a  permanent  psychological  clinic  is  needed.  It  is  their  intention  also  to 
try  to  determine  the  best  kinds  of  tests  to  apply  for  discovering  mental  defects 
and  to  obssrve  the  effectiveness  of  the  treatment  recommended  for  the  children 
examined. 

This  Clinic  will  be  held  from  July  5  to  August  16  in  1911. 

Another  University  doing  advanced  work  in  this  field  is  Clark  University, 
Worcester,  Mass.  The  President,  Prof.  G.  Stanley  Hall,  who  is  himself  an  enthus- 
iast and  a  great  authority  on  Child  Study,  is  the  head  of  this  Department.  The 
Department  offers  ten  courses,  among  which  is  one  on  Sub-Normal  and  Defective 
Children  by  Mr.  Harry  M.  Chase,  assisted  by  Dr.  D.  F.  O'Connor,  formerly  of  the 


1911  FEEBLE-MINDED  IN  ONTARIO.  41 

State  Industrial  School  at  Lancaster.  This  work  on  Sub-Normal  Children  began 
on  January  1st,  1910,  and  the  necessity  for  working  out  suitable  standard  tests, 
as  well  as  the  larger  question  of  having  a  School  for  the  Children  associated  with 
the  Department,  is  being  considered. 

The  last  Report  of  the  Hon.  Elmer  Ellsworth  Brown,  Commissioner  of  Educa- 
tion for  the  United  States,  contains  the  following  statistics  in  regard  to  the 
Feeble-Minded : 

There  are  26  state  schools  and  the  17  private  schools  for  the  feeble-minded. 
The  state  institutions  had  17,549  inmates,  only  10,679  being  reported  in  school 
or  kindergarten.  The  seventeen  private  institutions  had  927  inmates,  the  number 
in  school  or  kindergarten  being  424. 

The  last  Annual  Report  of  the  National  Education  Association  of  the  United 
States  shows  great  progress  in  the  problem  of  dealing  with  exceptional  children. 
The  most  important  work  laid  before  this  large  body  is  prepared  for  it  by  certain 
Special  Committees,  and  one  of  these  Committees  was  "The  Committee  on  Pro- 
visions for  Exceptional  Children  in  the  Public  Schools."  The  present  is  the 
Second  Report  of  this  Committee.  It  is  pointed  out  that  while  in  many  places 
something  is  being  done  for  exceptional  children,  nothing  is  as  yet  well  organized, 
and  that  we  need:  (1)  A  study  of  the  causes  that  have  made  them  exceptional; 
(2)  Some  agreement  in  regard  to  terms  of  reference,  i.e.,  what  is  an  "ungraded" 
class?;  (:))  Knowledge  of  what  becomes  of  Exceptional  Children;  (4)  Organiza- 
tion of  a  curriculum  and  special  methods  of  teaching  these  children;  (5)  Careful 
systematic  records  and  reports. 

There  is  also,  as  one  of  the  regular  Sections  of  the  National  Education  Asso- 
ciation, a  Department  of  Special  Education,  which  is  both  interesting  and  well 
attended.  Among  the  subjects  discussed  last  year  was  "Public  Schools  for  the  Ex- 
ceptional Child,"  and  it  was  shown  that  so  far  the  Public  School  has  made  failures 
of  children  who  were  "born  short."  Nothing  was  done  for  them.  They  fell  by  the 
wayside  and  were  waste  products.  Now  we  are  beginning  to  give  these  children 
some  good  of  our  Educational  System,  and  we  should,  because  they  have  as  good 
a  right  as  anybody  to  it.  Some  children  who  appear  exceptional  are  not  really  so. 
They  are  normal  children,  but  they  are  the  slowest  of  the  slow,  or  they  are  starv- 
ing, or  they  cannot  see  or  cannot  hear,  or  cannot  breathe  well,  or  have  never  been 
at  school  a  whole  month  in  their  lives,  and  so  "  The  School  passed  unfavorable 
judgment  upon  them,  and  was  willing  to  see  them  go  out  into  life  to  begin  its 
battle  poorly  prepared."  On  the  other  hand,  there  are  pupils  who  cannot  be  made 
equal  to  the  battle  of  Iffe  at  all.  These  belong  to  the  Special  Class  till  this  is 
fully  ascertained,  and  they  should  be  permanently  cared  for  as  soon  as  possible. 

A  great  service  was  done  by  this  Deportment  in  appointing  Dr.  F.  0.  Bruner, 
Assistant  Director,  Department  of  Child  Study,  Chicago  Public  Schools,  Professor 
Earl  Barnes,  of  Philadelphia,  and  Professor  Walter  Dearborn.  University  of  Chi- 
cago, a  Committee  on  Books  and  Tests  pertaining  to  the  Study  of  Exceptional 
and  Mentally  Defective  Children. 

The  description  of  the  tests  devised  and  arranged  by  Professor  de  Sanctis,  of 
the  University  of  Koine,  and  those  of  Binet  and  Simon,  of  the  Sorbonne  in  Paris. 
translated  by  Dr.  TT.  TT.  Qoddard,  of  Vineland,  N\J.,  as  veil  ae  the  Bibliography, 
is  invaluable  to  those  who  are  trying  to  help  Feeble-Minded  Children. 

In  his  last  Annual  Report,  Superintendent  W.  TT.  Maxwell,  of  New  York, 
says  that :  "  In  no  other  respect  is  the  progress  of  the  New  York  school  system 
more  conspicuously  shown  than  in  the  training  that  is  now  provided  for  mentally 
and  physically  defective  children.  All  of  this  work  is  less  than  ten.  and  most  of 
it  less  than  three,  years  old." 


42  EEPORT  OF  THE  No.  23 

Nothing  could  be  more  encouraging  than  this  statement.  It  is  a  great  thing 
to  find  that  at  last,  not  only  is  provision  made  for  Mentally  Defective  Children,  but 
it  is  regarded  by  a  practical  educationalist  at  the  head  of  the  Public  Schools  in  one 
of  the  greatest  cities  of  the  world  as  a  conspicuous  sign  of  progress. 

There  are  now  in  New  York  86  ungraded  classes  (last  year  there  were  61) 
with  an  attendance  of  1,242  pupils.  During  the  year  1,998  children,  1,360  boys  and 
638  girls,  recommended  by  Principals  as  mentally  defective,  were  examined  by 
Asst.-Supt.  Farrell  and  Dr.  Smart.  Of  this  number  1,184  were  recommended  for 
ungraded  classes. 

Assistant-Superintendent  Farrell's  Eeport  is  one  of  marked  interest,  and  so 
important  that  one  cannot  forget  it.  She  deals  with  the  question  of  defective 
speech  in  backward  children,  and  also  with  the  greatest  question  of  all:  "What  io 
do  with  the  feeble-minded  child  over  fourteen  ?  " 

After-care. 

"The  most  serious  problem  in  the  work  for  mentally  defective  children  is  that 
which  appears  in  connection  with  those  who  after  a  sufficiently  long  period  in  the 
classroom  with  skilful  teaching,  and  having  received  medical  and  surgical  care,  are 
unable  to  improve  to  an  extent  which  warrants  self-support  and  the  ability  to  lead 
a  self -directed  life.  This  problem  is  two-fold.  It  concerns  the  school  and  its  final 
aspects,  it  concerns  the  life  of  the  community.  In  so  far  as  the  school  is  concerned, 
these  children  who  are  improvable  to  a  slight  degree  only,  become  a  burden  and 
expense.  Because  of  their  mental  incapacity  they  cannot  attend  to  work  given  them 
without  the  constant  stimulation  which  comes  from  direct  contact  with  the  teacher, 
who  in  addition  to  the  one  or  two  slightly  improvable  children,  has  twelve  others 
of  rather  better  minds,  the  teaching  of  whom  will  be  of  greater  value  to  the  State. 
They  must  be  spurred  on  at  every  point.  Not  because  they  like  idleness  better  than 
work,  but  because  they  are  distracted  by  every  sound  and  have  little  or  no  powers 
to  inhibit  irrelevant  matters.  The  result  is  the  teacher  is  under  a  strain  not  war- 
ranted by  the  result  attained.  It  is  obvious  that  this  kind  of  child  will  never  be 
able  to  be  promoted  to  the  regular  grades.  It  is  possible  by  means  of  school  train- 
ing to  keep  him  up  to  the  level  attained,  but  progress  is  practically  impossible.  He 
does  the  same  thing  in  the  same  way  year  after  year :  he  is  happy  and  for  several 
hours  a  day  is  out  of  harm's  way,  but  because  of  native  incapacity,  he  cannot  use 
the  thing  he  does  know,  to  interpret  that  which  is  new ;  he  does  not  realize  that  the 
conduct  required  by  the  teacher  in  the  matter  of  industry,  of  rights  of  person  and 
propertj7,  are,  if  anything,  more  essential  in  the  family  and  on  the  street  than  in 
the  school.  It  is  at  this  point  that  the  problem  ceases  to  be  an  affair  of  the  school 
and  becomes  a  factor  in  the  life  of  the  community. 

Serious  as  is  the  school  problem  presented  by  the  slightly  improvable  child,  it 
is  not  comparable  with  that  which  arises  when  such  an  individual  is  released  from 
the  discipline  and  the  training  of  even  five  hours  a  day  and  allowed  the  freedom  of 
an  independent  life. 

Through  no  fault  of  their  own  these  children  meet  life  and  are  wrecked.  The 
claim  of  the  parent's  right  to  his  child  is  the  cause  of  the  wreck.  The  question 
presented  hy  cases  like  these  is — are  we  going  to  continue  to  allow  the  parent  to 
have  the  last  word  in  the  final  disposition  of  children  who,  during  a  longer  or 
shorter  school  life,  have  given  evidence  of  mental  inability  of  such  degree  as  makes 
them  unable  to  live  independent,  self-directed  lives  ?  The  State  has  met  this  question 


1911  FEEBLE-MINDED  IX  ONTARIO.  43 

of  personal  liberty  and  decided  against  it  in  the  interest  of  public  health,  compulsory 
education,  and  compulsory  care  of  the  insane.  Children  who  break  the  law  are  taken 
from  their  parents.  The  children  of  whom  I  write  should  be  taken  from  their 
parents  in  the  interest  of  public  morals.  To  meet  the  conditions  which  exist  and 
to  ensure  the  largest  return  to  the  State  I  suggest  the  following  as  a  point  of  de- 
parture in  this  work: 

1. — AU  children  of  school  age  should  be  accepted  in  the  public  schools  of  the 
State. 

2. — Special  instruction  designed  to  meet  the  varied  physical  and  mental  anom- 
alies found  in  childhood  should  be  provided  in  the  public  schools  of  the  State. 

3. — After  a  sufficient  period  of  attendance  upon  public  day  schools,  during 
which  time  the  child  will  have  been  put  in  the  best  physical  condition  and  will 
have  been  taught  in  the  most  approved  way,  if  progress,  because  of  conditions 
inherent  in  the  individual,  has  not  been  made,  the  said  individual  should  be  re- 
moved to  a  custodial  home  maintained  by  the  State  for  children  of  his  class. 

4. — The  removal  to  and  from  custodial  homes  should  be  effected  by  the  State 
after  examination  by  a  body  of  experts  whose  decision  may  be  reviewed  by  the 
Supreme  Court. 

It  is  scarcely  conceivable  that  in  this  century  of  the  child  when  we  say  to  the 
normal  boy  and  girl,  you  may  not  enter  the  world  as  a  wage-earner  and  assume  the 
duties  and  responsibilities  of  young  manhood  or  young  womanhood,  until  you  are  a 
given  age  and  have  attained  a  certain  plane  of  mental  development,  it  is  inconceiv- 
able that  to  the  handicapped  child  who  has  never  been  normal  in  work  or  in  play, 
to  the  child  who  could  not  adjust  himself  to  the  necessary  discipline  of  school  life, 
to  the  child  whose  years  are  sixteen  and  whose  mental  development  may  be  six, 
to  such  a  child  we  say :  we  know  you  are  unequal  to  the  struggle  for  life ;  we  know 
that  only  the  most  precarious  livelihood  is  for  you;  we  know  that  the  discipline  of 
the  shop  and  of  the  street  will  be  too  much  for  you ;  we  know  that  in  a  very  few 
years  you  will  return  diseased  and  broken,  a  wreck  seeking  a  home  in  the  almshouse, 
or  you  will  be  locked  up  in  a  jail  or  be  confined  as  a  dangerous  lunatic;  all  this  we 
know,  yet  we  launch  you  forth.  As  an  economy  measure  some  intelligent  disposition 
should  be  made  of  these  children.  A  system  of  after-care,  like  that  carried  on  in 
England,  will  never  do.  It  is  designed  for  the  individual  concerned.  ITe  is  given  a 
job  and  the  after-care  visitor  tries  to  keep  him  at  it  and  endeavours  at  the  same 
to  convince  the  employer  that  he  is  doing  his  duty.  It  is  a  phase  of  philanthropy. 
What  is  needed  is  justice.  Justice  for  the  mental  defective  of  to-day  and  for  his 
children  of  to-morrow.  The  question  presented  by  these  persons  is:  Will  you  care 
for  me  When  the  public  school  has  done  all  it  can?  When  1  am  trained  to  habits 
of  industry  and  order  and  cheerfulness,  or  will  you  unit  until  T  have  lost  all  these 
by  my  flight  into  the  world  of  affairs  and  have  scattered  misery  and  vice  wherever 
I  go?    This  is  the  option.'' 

Teachers. 

The  By-laws  of  the  Board  of  Education  in  the  City  of  New  York  allow  three 
months'  leave  of  absence  with  full  pay  for  purposes  of  study  to  teachers  who  have 
been  approved  for  the  work  of  teaching  in  the  Bpecial  classes.  \-  \-;.  Supt.  Farrell 
says:  "We  have  the  children,  we  have  the  money,  we  have  the  active  support  of  the 
greatest  puhlic  school  man  of  this  country,  hut  we  have  not  enough  to  fill 

the  great  need  of  the  schools.    The  three  months'  leave    -  pent  in  a  school  or 

institute  for  the  training  of  mentally  defective  children." 


4A  EEPOET  OF  THE  Xo.  23 


St.  Louis. 

In  the  month  of  Xovember,  by  permission  of  the  minister,  a  visit  was  paid  to 
the  Special  Schools  of  the  City  of  St.  Louis.  Missouri.  Here,  as  elsewhere,  it  is 
found  that  the  work  began  when  some  one  person  became  possessed  with  the  idea 
of  the  importance  of  doing  something  for  the  Feeble-Minded.  In  St.  Louis  it  was 
Superintendent  Soldan.  He  spared  time  from  the  busy  life  of  the  Superintendent 
of  Education  in  a  great  city  to  think  out  a  plan  which  has  worked  out  well  for 
these  children.  And  he  personally  devised  a  special  curriculum  for  them  in  these 
"Classes  for  Industrial  Instruction."  His  pen  was  in  his  hand  writing  this  Course 
of  Study  for  these  Classes  when  death  came  and  found  him  thus  busy.  The  plan 
was  completed  by  his  successor  from  preliminary  notes  found  in  his  desk.  The  pro- 
sent  Superintendent,  Mr.  Ben  Blewett,  who  has  kindly  written  several  times  and 
afforded  us  much  information  and  help,  was  away  in  Boston,  visiting  Schools,  La 
November,  but  every  courtesy  was  received  from  the  Office  Staff  and  the  teachers. 
A  unique  feature  of  the  St.  Louis  Special  Clashes  is  that  .these  classes  are  held 
in  private  houses,  rented  for  the  purpose.  A  notice  on  the  outside  of  the  house 
headed  "Board  of  Education,"  states  that  classes  are  held  there  for  Individual 
Instruction. 

The  house  first  visited  was  a  large  and  substantial  white  brick  dwelling,  better 
than  mosl  of  the  neighbouring  house?.  But  the  whole  neighbourhood  had  evidently 
"seen  better  days"  and  was  being  encroached  upon  by  commerce  and  manufacture. 
I  found  an  attendance  of  about  30  children,  all  but  one  or  two  of  those  on  the 
roll  being  present,  and  three  teachers,  one  being  a  newly  arrived  assistant.  Coming 
up  17th  Street  the  children  might  be  seen  at  play  in  the  large  yard.  The  head 
mistress  was  both  experienced  and  able  in  dealing  with  her  charges,  who  were  of 
many  varied  types.  She  remarked  that  there  was  no  use  trying  severity  with  the^e 
pupils.  At  home  (if  it  could  be  called  a  home)  they  received  treatment  of  a  shock- 
ing character,  and  no  severity  made  any  impression  on  them.  She  showed  the 
greatest  tact  and  judgment  in  stopping  an  incipient  fight  and  even  managed  to 
reconcile  the  combatants  and  got  one  to  give  up  agreeably  what  a  moment  befoie 
he  was  determined  to  fight  for.  She  was  teaching  them  about  Thanksgiving  Day, 
and  succeeded  in  getting  not  a  few  answers  to  her  questions. 

A  person. of  great  help  and  importance  in  the  Special  Schools  of  St.  Louis  is 
the  caretaker.  She  acts  as  attendant  and  has  a  well-defined  share  in  the  training 
of  the  children.  In  the  first  school  visited  the  children  were  pouring  into  the  school- 
room from  the  yard.  The  day  was  wet  and  the  yard  muddy  and  the  caretaker 
stood  at  the  door,  speaking  kindly  to  each  child  about  wiping  his  or  her  boots  clean 
on  the  mat.  She  stood  beside  the  Principal  and  seemed  to  possess  an  intimate  and 
personal  knowledge  of  every  boy  and  girl.  With  the  younger  children  her  aid  is 
indispensable  and  greatly  valued  by  the  teachers.  There  was  some  attempt  at 
teaching  manual  work  of  different  kinds  in  all  the  classes. 

The  enforcement  of  a  Law  compelling  children  to  attend  school  made  it  impera- 
tive in  St.  Louis,  as  it  would  anywhere,  to  establish  Special  Classes  for  children 
who  cannot  keep  up  with  the  ordinary  classes  themselves,  and  in  addition,  keep 
otheT  pupils  back.  Superintendent  Soldan  drew  the  attention  of  the  Board  to  this 
fact  in  1906. 

In  1906-7  the  Principals  of  the  schools  were  twice  asked  to  report  the  number 
of  defective  children  under  their  care.  Three  Special  Schools  were  opened  on  Janu- 
ary 13th,  1908.  It  is  considered  in  St.  Louis  that  from  .3  to  .5  of  one  per  cent,  of 
the  annual  school  registration  are  children  who  need  special  education,  and  it  is 


1911  FEEBLE-MINDED  IN  ONTARIO.  45 


thought  that  there  are  still  in  St.  Louis  about  100  of  such  children  unprovided  for. 
The  cost  per  pupil,  per  year,  for  teachers,  books,  supplies,  and  incidentals,  includ- 
ing rent,  has  been  $130.00,  while  for  ordinary  pupils  the  cost  has  been  about  $97.00. 

The  Board  of  Education  supplies  car  fare  to  any  of  the  children  who  are  at 
the  Special  Schools  and  whose  parents  are  unable  to  furnish  it  themselves. 

There  are  now  seven  of  these  Special  Schools  which  are  held  in  houses  of 
six  or  eight  rooms  in  different  parts  of  the  City,  with  an  attendance  of  about  200. 
Miss  Kate  L.  Cunningham  is  the  Supervisor  of  Special  Schools  and  Dr.  James 
Stewart  is  the  Medical  Inspector. 

Social  Betterment. 

Let  the  question  of  Social  Betterment  come  up  at  all  and  it  brings  up  with  it 
the  question  of  what  to  do  with  the  Feeble-Minded.  One  of  the  most  sensible  and 
promising  of  modern  movements  is  the  "Social  Service"  Department  in  Hospitals 
such  as  those  at  Massachusetts  General  Hospital,  some  of  the  New  York  Hospitals, 
Winnipeg  General  Hospital,  and  elsewhere.  Dr.  Richard  Cabot  began  this  in 
Boston.  In  an  address  on  "What  is  Being  Done  for  Girls  who  go  Wrong,"  by  one 
of  the  Massachusetts  General  Hospital  Social  Service  Staff,  Mrs.  Jessie  D.  Hodder, 
this  passage  occurs : 

"The  next  point  I  want  to  make  is  about  the  Feeble-Minded  Girl.  All  of  us 
who  are  in  this  work  should  study  and  be  able  to  recognize  the  Feeble-Minded  Girl. 
I  mean  the  border-line  case.  She  can  be  self-supporting  in  an  institution  and 
happy  there.  She  is  an  easy  prey  to  base  men ;  I  should  recommend  taking  almost 
any  degree  of  trouble  in  order  to  put  her  under  custodial  care." 

Not  the  Convict,  but  the  Child. 

It  has  already  been  stated  that  more  progress  in  the  eause  of  the  Feeble- 
Minded  has  been  made  in  1910  than  in  any  previous  year.  One  proof  of  this  has 
been  the  fact  that  the  chief  part  of  our  attention  has  been  directed  this  year  not 
to  the  lamentable  results  of  neglect  of  the  Feeble-Minded,  but  to  the  causes  of  these 
results  and  the  prevention  of  them.  It  is  not  to  the  feeble-minded  convict,  but  to 
the  feeble-minded  school-child  that  we  should  direct  our  efforts.  The  convict  once 
was.  or  should  have  been,  a  school-child,  and  anyway,  whether  he  reached  the 
school  or  not  he  was  a  child.  The  feeble-minded  convict  is  either  ii  responsible 
or  semi-irresponsible. 

Compulsory  Education. 

The  State  has  decreed  compulsory  education.  But  that  decree  is  not  fully 
carried  out.  It  must  be  carried  out.  We  must  have  all  our  Ontario  children  in 
our  schools,  and  find  any  Feeble-Minded  there  are,  because  it  is  certain  that  the 
State  has  to  provide  for  them  in  the  end  and  it  is  bettor  far  and  cheaper  to  provide 
a  permanent  home  for  them,  where  they  enn  be  made  the  best  of.  whore  they  cm 
be  happy,  useful,  and  almost  or  quite  ^elf-supporting,  than  to  wait  till  they  have 
made  a  complete  nnd  costlv  failure  of  life,  or  committed  some  outrnge.  theft,  or 
murder,  and  then  provide  for  them  by  the  extravagant  and  uns;iti=fnetorv  plan  if 
the  poor-house,  the  jail,  or  the  gallows. 


46  REPOKT  OF  THE  No.  23 

The  Feeble-minded  Child. 

It  is  therefore  a  great  proof  of  progress  that  in  1910  we  have  heard  far  more 
about  the  Feeble-Minded  child  than  ever  before.  Medical  inspection  has  been  a 
great  help  in  this  direction.  In  the  School  Medical  Officers  and  the  School  Nurses 
we  have  a  corps  of  specialists  who  are  with  every  day's  experience  becoming  more 
useful  to  the  Schools  and  the  community.  Two  years  ago  we  had  hardly  any 
books,  or  even  articles  about  the  Feeble-Minded  child,  now  we  have  a  great  part  of 
Dr.  Tredgold's  text-book  on  "Mental  Deficiency,"  devoted  to  this  subject  and  a 
book  on  "Mentally  Deficient  Children,"  by  Dr.  Shuttleworth  and  Dr.  Potts,  which 
is  excellent.  Dr.  Le  Page,  of  Manchester,  with  the  assistance  of  Miss  Dendy,  is 
bringing  out  a  text-book  on  "Feeble-Mindedness  in  Children  of  School  Age." 

Feeble-Minded  Children  in  Toronto. 

Toronto  has  been  the  first  City  in  Canada  to  take  definite  action  for  the 
care  of  feeble-minded  children.  As  mentioned  in  the  Fourth  Report,  the  Board  of 
Education  of  Toronto  ordered  an  enquiry  to  be  made  early  in  1910  and  the  matter 
was  alluded  to  in  the  inaugural  address  of  the  Chairman,  Mr.  James  Simpson.  On 
February  10th,  1910,  the  Board  appointed  one  of  the  officials  of  this  Department 
to  make  the  investigation.^  At  a  meeting  of  the  Management  Committee  on  Feb- 
ruary 10th,  the  Committee  appointed  the  Chairman  of  the  Management  Commit- 
tee, Mr.  E.  E.  Davis,  and  Dr.  W.  F.  Bryans,  one  of  the  Members  of  the  Board,  to 
consult  as  to  the  best  means  of  examining  the  117  children  already  reported  by  the 
Principals  of  50  different  schools.  The  investigation  was  completed  on  April  26th 
and  the  Eeport  was  prepared  for  the  Board  on  Thursday,  April  28th,  as  follows: — 

To  the  Chairman  and  Members  of  the 

Board  of  Education,  Toronto, 

I  have  the  honour  to  present  a  report  on  one  hundred  and  seventeen  children 
attending  fifty  different  schools  in  the  City  of  Toronto. 

The  terms  of  reference  of  the  original  motion  are  as  follows : 

Mr.  Simpson — "  That  the  Management  Committee  be  instructed  to  report  as 
to  the  advisability  of  classifying  the  weak-minded  and  otherwise  physically  in- 
capacitated children  in  our  public  schools,  with  a  view  to  giving  the  special 
instruction  that  such  children  require." 

Instructions  from  the  sub-committee  appointed  by  the  Board  were  received  on 
March  2nd,  and  the  list  of  schools  and  the  names  of  children  were  received  from 
the  Chief  Inspector,  Mr.  J.  L.  Hughes,  so  that  the  work  began  on  Monday,  March 
7th,  and  the  visiting  of  all  the  fifty  schools  was  completed  by  Thursday,  March 
24th,  when  the  schools  closed  for  Easter  vacation.  „-J 

These  visits  secured  valuable  and  indeed  indispensable  information  as  to  each 
pupil's  school  history  and  school  work.  The  conferences  with  the  Principals  and 
teachers  were  held  strictly  in  private,  and  no  class-room  was  entered  during  the 
whole  course  of  the  investigation.  It  was  often  necessary  to  confer  with  two  or 
three  teachers  in  order  to  secure  a  complete  study  of  each  child  from  the  school 
point  of  view.  Later  on,  when  the  children  were  examined  at  the  schools,  either 
the  Principal  or  one  of  the  teachers  went  to  the  class-room  to  bring  the  child  and 
several  other  children  were  often  brought  to  show  me  their  slates  or  some  other 
work  at  the  same  time. 


1911  FEEBLE-MINDED  IX  ONTARIO.  47 

It  was  then  resolved  to  address  the  following  letter  to  the  parents  or  guardians 
of  each  child,  stating  the  object  of  the  Board  in  making  the  enquiry,  and  appoint- 
ing a  time  and  place  to  see  each  child  privately. 

Private  and  Confidential. 

Toronto,   April   4th,   1910. 
Dear  Sir  and  Madam:  — 

It  is  felt  by  the  Board  of  Education  that  as  far  as  possible,  all  the  children  of 
Toronto  should  be  enabled  to  receive  the  greatest  benefit  from  the  education  so  liberally 
provided  for  them. 

It  has  been  ascertained  by  a  confidential  enquiry  that  more  than  one  hundred  of 
our  school  children  are  now  in  classes  far  below  the  class  where  they  should  be 
according  to  their  age.  There  must  be  some  reason  for  this,  and  the  Board  feel  it  to 
be  their  duty  to  provide  an  education  adapted  to  any  child  who  can  learn,  no  matter  how 
slowly,  and  have  therefore  arranged  to  give  a  special  private  examination  to  any  pupil 
requiring  it,  so  that  the  cause  of  such  backwardness  or  slow  promotion  may  be  ascer- 
tained and  removed  if  possible. 

In    order    to    do   this    it    is    hoped    that    it   may   be    convenient    for    you    to    bring 

for  this  examination  at  the  time  and 

place  mentioned  below,  as  this  appointment  is  made  exclusively  for  h If  not, 

kindly  mention  the  time  and  place  most  convenient  for  you,  and  the  Board  will  endeavour 
to  me«t  your  wishes  or  to  arrange  for  a  private  examination  later  on  at  the  school. 

Yours    faithfully, 

R.  R.  Davis. 

Chairman,    Management    Committee. 

W.  F.  Bryans,  M.B., 

Chairman  of  Special  Sub-Committee. 

Day 

Date 

Hour 

Place — City  Hall.     Room — Top  Floor.     Entrance  by  James  Street  door. 

Please  ask  the  elevator  man  to  show  you  to  the  Inspectors'  Room. 

Address  reply  to  The  Secretary,  Board  or  Education,  City  Hall,  Toronto. 

The  parents  and  guardians  were  always  invited  to  be  present,  and  it  wa9 
further  stated  that  if  the  appointment  were  not  a  convenient  one,  the  Board  would 
endeavour  to  make  one  more  convenient  to  the  parents,  or  arrange  for  a  private 
examination  at  the  school.  This  letter  was  issued  on  Saturday,  April  9th,  imme- 
diately after  Easter  vacation,  and  the  appointments  occupied  each  day  from  April 
13th  to  April  21st. 

Attitude  of  the  Parents. 

A  number  of  replies  were  received  to  this  communication,  some  of  them  asking 
for  another  time,  as  the  first  was  not  convenient,  some  of  them  stating  that  they 
preferred  the  examination  to  be  made  at  the  school,  but  all  expressing  than 
the  Board  for  its  action.  There  was  a  letter  received  from  one  parent  who  >aid  it 
would  not  he  convenient  for  him  to  bring  his  daughter  al  the  time  and  place  ap- 
pointed, or  at  any  other  time  and  place.  As  it  was  thought  this  might  indicate  as 
unwillingness  on  the  pari  of  this  parent  it  Beemed  besl  qo1  to  make  any  further 
appointment  in  this  one  case. 

A.D0ut    one-third    of    the    parents    and    guardian-    kept    the    appointments.       In 

many  eases  they  came  early,  in  several  cases  they  came  later  or  on  the  next  day, 
as  they  could  not  eome  on  the  day  appointed.  In  two  cases  both  the  father  and 
the  mother  came  with  the  child.  In  one  '-use  the  father  come  without  the  child  and 
asked  me  to  go  to  his  home,  which  1  did.  Tn  fourteen  cases  the  mother  came,  in 
four  other  eases  the  father  came  with  the  child,  in  one  the  grandmother  came,  in 


48  REPORT  OF  THE  Xo.  23 

one  the  step-mother,  in  four  the  sister,  in  two  the  aunt,  and  in  one  the  brother. 
It  is  only  right  to  report  to  the  Board  the  universal  satisfaction  expressed  by  these 
ladies  and  gentlemen  with  the  interest  shown  by  the  Board  in  the  welfare  of  the 
children. 

It  then  became  necessary  to  visit  the  schools  a  second  time,  so  as  to  see  the 
other  children.  This  part  of  the  work  was  begun  immediately  on  the  completion 
of  the  appointments  and  finished  on  Tuesday,  April  26th. 

Assistance  Rendered  by  Members  of  the  Board  of  Education,  Inspectors, 
Officials,  Principals  and  Teachers. 

It  would  be  impossible  to  speak  too  highly  of  the  assistance  rendered  by  the 
Chairman  of  the  Board,  the  Chairman  of  the  Management  Committee  and  other 
members  of  the  Board  of  Education,  as  well  as  by  the  Chief  Inspector,  the  other 
Inspectors,  and  the  other  officials  and  members  of  the  office  staff.  The  investiga- 
tion owes  largely  to  their  interest,  kindness  and  courtesy  whatever  success  and  use- 
fulness it  may  have. 

Above  all,  the  time,  trouble  and  skill  given  by  the  Principals  and  teachers 
have  increased  the  value  of  the  results  now  to  be  laid  before  the  Board.  The  Prin- 
cipals and  teachers  were  anxious  to  carry  out  the  letter  and  still  more  anxious  to 
carry  out  the  spirit  of  the  enquiry.  And  though  happily  this  report  shows  a  large 
proportion  to  be  normal  or  border-line  cases,  there  was  not  one  child  reported  un- 
necessarily, not  one  who  should  not  receive  special  consideration.  The  teachers  have 
often  done  wonders  for  the  children  who  are  not  quite  normal.  They  have  even 
assured  me  in  some  cases  that  every  child  in  the  room  helps  the  backward  one,  and 
loves  to  see  him  or  her  make  a  little  progress.  Alas,  it  is  not  always  so.  There  are 
one  or  two  cases  where  the  parents  told  me  the  poor  child  was  teased  and  perse- 
cuted at  school  and  sometimes  the  parents,  unaware  of  the  real  condition,  had  pun- 
ished the  poor  child  for  what  was  not  the  child's  fault.  It  is  to  the  relief  of  these 
cases  that  we  must  hasten. 

Effect  on  Normal  Children. 

Evidence  has  appeared,  in  the  course  of  this  enquir}^  to  show  that  the  normal 
children  in  the  class,  in  mo3t  instances,  are  not  only  hindered,  but  are  harmed  by 
the  presence  of  one  or  two,  or  more  children  so  backward  and  delicate  in  mind  and 
body  that  they  require  from  five  to  ten  times  the  care,  training  and  patience  re- 
quired by  the  average  child. 

Time  Devoted  to  Each  Pupil. 

Fifteen  minutes  was  allowed  for  the  examination  of  each  child,  and  in  some 
ca?es  it  took  twice  that  time.  Then  there  were  also  two  visits  made  to  nearly  all  the 
schools,  and  sometimes  three  or  four  visits  where  the  children  were  absent.  There 
were  also  a  number  of  visits  made  to  the  homes,  by  special  request  of  the  parents. 
Time  is  a  very  important  factor.  The  child's  confidence  must  be  won,  and  besides 
one  must  try  a  good  many  different  things.  Sometimes,  to  my  delight,  a  child 
who  for  the  first  fifteen  minutes  appeared  rather  hopeless  would  finally  get  his 
mind  into  action  and  vindicate  himself  in  the  last  few  minutes. 


1911 


FEEBLE-MINDED  IN  ONTARIO. 


49 


Additional  Cases — School  Census. 

One  of  the  most  noteworthy  things  which  came  to  light  in  the  course  of  this 
enquiry  was  the  large  number  of  additional  cases  brought  forward.  Parents  who 
came  often  mentioned  other  backward  children  on  the  same  street  who  do  not  go  to 
school  at  all.  Teachers  would  remember  other  children  who  had  left  or  who  had 
brothers  or  sisters  at  school.  I  have  been  applied  to  by  some  parents  who  had  ask»d 
to  have  a  child  reported  and  in  some  way  the  name  had  not  reached  me.  Teachers 
would  remark  they  had  just  been  waiting  till  I  came,  to  tell  me  about  another  case. 
In  many  other  ways  information  came  which  points  directly  to  the  necessity  of  a 
"School  Census"  for  Toronto.  This  happened  every  day  during  the  investigation. 
My  instructions  and  my  time  prevented  me  from  following  up  these  cases  then, 
but  I  have  made  a  record  of  them  and  I  trust  they  will  be  followed  up.  A  great 
many  Principals  and  teachers  applied  for  aid  for  children,  nearly  all  poor,  who  are 
needing  the  Medical  Inspector  and  the  School  Nurse. 


Age. 

The  following  table  of  the  average  age  of  normal  children  in  our  classes  was 
compiled  by  Mr.  Ward,  Principal  of  Church  Street  School,  and  Mr.  Ritchie,  Prin- 
cipal of  the  Wellesley  School,  by  kind  permission  of  the  Chief  Inspector,  Mr.  J.  L. 
Hughes.  There  is  a  striking  difference  between  the  average  age  (normal)  and  the 
average  age  of  the  117  special  children  examined.  The  number  of  children  reported 
from  each  class  is  also  shown. 

AVERAGE  AGE  (Years). 


Normal  Children. 

Backward  Children. 

No.  of  Backward  Child- 

ren in  each  Class. 

Kindergarten  

Junior  I 

5.5 

7.6 

8.8 

9.8 

10.5 

11.5 

12.5 

12.9 

8.6 

9.7 

:    11.7 

11.2 

W  13.5 

14.0 

1    13.8 

20.0 

8 
48 

18 

Junior  II 

18 

Senior  II 

13 

Junior  III 

5 

Senior  III 

6 

Junior  IV 

1 

1l7 

The  Following  Record  was  made  for  Every  Pupil  Reported. 


Date  . 

Name 


AGE  . . 

Class 


Teeth  . . 
Throat. 

Vision  . . 
Hearing 
Speech  . 


Reading  

-1   F.M. 


Writing 

Arithmetic 

Manual  Training. 

Attciii  ion 

Memory 

Intelligence  


Aptitudes 

Moral  Sense 

Physical  Condition 

Gait 

Co-ordination  

Cause  


50  HEPORT  OF  THE  No.  23 

Teeth. 

I  saw  one  perfect  set  of  teeth  among  one  hundred,  and  the  happy  possessor 
of  them  was  a  coloured  girl.  Some  teeth  were  very  bad.  Some  mouths  were  very 
unclean  and  uncared  for.    Nearly  all  had  from  two  to  four  badly  decayed  teeth. 

Adenoids. 

Adenoids  were  found  in  45  per  cent.  This  is  an  important  cause  of  back- 
wardness. 

Vision. 

The  vision  of  39  per  cent,  was  bad,  seriously  interfering  with  educational 
progress.  One  boy  had  1-60  normal  vision  in  the  left  eye  and  5-36  normal  vision 
in  the  right  eye  and  a  high  degree  of  astigmatism  besides.  He  is  13  years  old, 
has  been  4  years  in  the  Jr.  I.  book  and  is  there  still.  His  mother  has  done  her 
best.  She  took  him  to  one  of  the  numerous  places  in  the  city  where  "eyes  are 
examined  free."  They  made  glasses  for  him  for  $5.00.  The  mother  managed  to 
pay  $2.00.  Then  as  she  told  me  she  "never  could  seem  to  get  the  money  ready  to 
pay  the  rest."  That  was  last  year.  The  City  of  Toronto  has  paid  for  four  years' 
tuition  for  this  boy  and  has  lost  every  cent.  The  boy  has  gained  nothing  and  has 
lost  all  his  school  life,  but  part  of  one  year.  The  people  who  examined  the  eyes 
free  have  the  $2.00  and  the  glasses. 

Heabing. 

Hearing  is  very  defective  in  12.  One  girl  has  been  sent  to  the  Belleville 
School  since  the  enquiry  opened,  and  three  others  ought  to  go  there.  They  could 
not  be  tested  at  all. 

Speech. 

Speech  was  deficient  in  about  20  per  cent. 

Causes  of  Backwardness. 

Among  other  causes  of  backwardness  were: — 

Long  and  serious  and  frequent  illness  of  an  infectious  character. ...  10 

Long  and  serious  and  frequent  illness  not  of  an  infectious  character. .  13 

Lack   of   concentration    3 

Laziness  and  numerous  changes  of  school  and  classes 5 

Neglect 5 

Adenoids,  defective  sight  and  hearing  (see  above),  are  most  important  causes 
of  backwardness. 

Neglect. 

Some  of  the  cases  of  neglect  were  very  bad.  The  seventeen  children  were 
not  seen  for  the  following  reasons: 

Parent  declined  appointment  (see  above)   1 

Moved  away  from  school  district   3 

Gone  to  work  at  age  of  14  years 3 

Absent  on  account  of  infectious  diseases,  etc 10 

17 


1911  FEEBLE-MINDED  IN  ONTARIO.  51 


Too  young  to  be  classified  absolutely 3 

Transferred  to  another  class  with  a  fair  prospect  of  doing  well.  ...  2 

Should  go  to  the  Government  School  at  Belleville 4 

Normal,  but  urgently  need  special     help  26 

Borderline  cases    13 

Not  normal,  but  could  be  taught  a  great  deal  52 


100 


Of  the  52  for  whom  chiefly  this  enquiry  was  undertaken  it  is  to  be  remem- 
bered first: 

That  they  are  not  merely  dull  and  backward,  but  defective. 

And  second,  that  the  most  useful  classification  of  them  is  as  follows : 

Borderline. — Time  alone  will  tell  whether  these  pupils  are  really  normal  and 
can  be  developed  or  not.    They  need  very  special  help. 

All  these  children  are  greatly  improved  by  suitable  training,  but  their  develop- 
mental capacity  and  response  to  education  vary  enormously.  On  this  account  it  is 
convenient  to  divide  them  into  three  grades.     (Tredgold). 

"The  first  grade  is  composed  of  children  who  make  tolerable  progress  in 
elementary  school  knowledge.  They  are  capable  of  writing  a  simple  letter,  they  can 
read  children's  books,  and  they  can  perform  simple  arithmetic  exercises  mentally, 
as  well  as  the  first  four  rules  on  paper.  They  have  a  knowledge  of  money  values, 
and  can  be  trusted  with  simple  commissions.  Their  handiwork  is  often  extremely 
good,  and  they  do  little  drawings,  brush-work,  cutting-out,  basket  and  wicker 
work,  rug-making,  and  the  like,  with  a  dexterity  which  is  often  surprising.  They 
have  some  common  sense,  but  they  lack  resource  and  judgment,  and  often  initiative. 

"The  second  grade  fall  considerably  behind  the  former  in  purely  scholastic 
attainments,  and  also,  although  not  to  the  same  extent,  in  handicraft.  They  are 
rarely  capable  of  mental,  and  seldom  of  paper,  arithmetic,  and  their  reading  and 
writing  ability  extends  no  further  than  simple  words  of  one  syllable.  Some  are 
even  unable  to  do  this. 

"They  can  perform  the  same  kind  of  manual  work,  but  the  result  is  not 
nearly  so  good,  and  they  require  more  constant  stimulation  as  well  as  much  closer 
supervision.     They  have  decidedly  less  general  intelligence. 

"In  the  third  grade  the  improvement  effected  by  the  special  school  is  limited 
to  the  development  of  some  capacity  for  manual  work  under  supervision,  and  to  the 
formation  of  habits  of  obedience,  tidiness,  and  regularity.  Their  scholastic  ac- 
quirements are  practically  nil." 

Suggestions. 

In  accordance  with  suggestions  made  to  me  by  members  of  the  Board,  I  would 
respectfully  mention  the  following  plans  which  have  proved  useful  elsewhere. 

1.  The  attachment  of  a  specially  qualified  teacher  to  certain  large  schools 
(as  centres),  whose  duty  it  should  be  to  make  a  special  study  of  normal  pupils  who 
are  behind  and  bring  them  up  to  the  proper  class  standard, 


52  REPORT  OF  THE  No.  23 

2.  The  establishment  of  "Promotion  Classes"  and  "Special  Classes"  in  dif- 
ferent parts  of  the  city. 

3.  Special  consideration  of  individual  cases  referred  to  in  this  report. 

I  have  the  honor  to  be, 

Your  obedient  servant, 

Helen  MacMurchy. 

The  report  was  referred  to  the  Management  Committee,  who,  on  motion  of  Dr. 
Brvans,  referred  it  to  the  Board  of  Inspectors.  As  a  result  the  Board  appointed 
Miss  Sims  and  Miss  Carruthers  as  teachers  of  two  Special  Classes  and  the  Classes 
were  opened  on  Monday,  September  19th,  one  at  George  St.  School  and  the  other 
at  McCaul  St.  School. ' 

Results  of  the  Investigation. 

In  a  few  cases,  sometimes  through  the  urgency  of  the  case  itself,  more  often 
through  the  intelligent  interest  and  anxiety  for  the  child's  welfare  of  parents  and 
teachers,  this  Department  has  been  kept  in  touch  with  the  children,  by  the  parents 
and  teachers  repeatedly  asking  for  help  or  advice.  Two  of  these  cases  may  be 
mentioned  because  they  represent  the  important  group  of  normal  children  in  our 
schools  who  are  in  danger  of  being  considered  of  doubtful  mental  powers 

Not  Feeble-Minded,  But  Could  Not  See. 

One  was  the  boy  above  referred  to  (See  "Vision")  as  having  been  four  years 
in  the  Jr.  I.  Class  and  being  there  still  at  the  age  of  over  13  years.  This  boy  was 
normal,  but  his  sight  was  so  defective  that  he  had  learned  nothing.  He  could 
not  even  read,  and  in  a  few  months,  at  the  age  of  14  years,  he  would  have  to  go  to 
work.  A  visit  to  the  home  resulted  in  getting  the  mother  to  send  him  to  a  neigh- 
bouring Hospital,  where  he  was  examined  by  one  of  the  visiting  staff  and  glasses 
ordered.  An  optician  agreed  to  make  the  expensive  glasses  necessary  for  $3.00 
(a  discount  of  40  per  cent.),  and  finally,  the  Good  Samaritan  Fund  of  the  Hospital 
paid  the  $3.00.  And  the  boy  presented  himself  to  say  as  he  fumbled  with  his  cap 
— "I  can  see  fine  now  with  them  glasses.  Thank  ye  for  getting  them  for  me." 
Then  the  boy  began  to  learn  at  school,  and  when  he  left  a  few  months  after,  his 
mother  got  the  teacher  to  give  him  a  lesson  every  night  and  the  mother  works 
for  the  teacher  to  pay  for  the  lesson. 

The  Young  Highlander. 

Another  perfectly  normal  boy  of  the  age  of  ten  and  a  half  years  was  also  in  the 
first  book  and  did  not  even  know  his  letters.  He  was  an  intelligent-looking  boy,  and 
had  been  at  school  five  and  a  half  years.  Finding  he  was  of  Highland  descent,  I 
said — "Alister,  this  will  never  do,  Do  you  not  know  that  the  Highlanders  are  the 
smartest  men  in  the  world?"  "O,"  replied  Alister,  "I  thought  it  was  the  Americans 
were  the  smartest  men."  This  settled  it,  and  a  further  investigation  served  to 
show  that,  as  he  had  been  in  the  hands  of  a  great  many  teachers,  and  had  been 
very  often  absent,  what  was  needed  was  the  use  of  the  old-fashioned  virtues  of 
attendance  and  attention.  Fortunately  the  Sunday-School  teacher  came  to  the 
rescue  and  said  she  would  teach  him  to  read;  which  she  did,  within  a  fortnight. 


1911  FEEBLE-MINDED  IN  ONTAEIO.  53 

Yet  a  boy  who  had  bten  at  school  for  five  and  a  half  years,  and  was  in  his  eleventh 
year  and  could  not  read  was  a  case  that  certainly  needed  immediate  investigation. 

How  Soon  Can  There  Be  A  Class  For  Him? 

Another  case  in  which  we  were  appealed  to  later,  was  that  of  a  boy  of  11  years, 
who  was  not  able  to  do  more  at  school  than  learn  his  letters.  He  was  a  well-grown 
boy  with  a  cherub-like  face,  which  on  close  study  and  in  conversation  was  never 
seen  to  change  expression  or  light  up  at  all.  His  family  were  only  too  well  aware 
of  his  mental  deficiencies.  He  acted  just  like  a  three  years'  child.  "How  soon" 
said  the  poor  mother,  "can  there  be  a  class  for  him?"  He  was  clean  and  well- 
cared  for,  and  the  only  sign  of  intelligence  I  could  find  was  that  the  family  told 
me  he  would  never  go  to  bed  on  Saturday  night  till  he  had  seen  "The  Sunday 
,"  a  well-known  Toronto  newspaper. 

Later  on  in  the  year,  he  was  with  some  other  boys  who  told  him  to  break  a 
window  in  a  Yonge  Street  shop.  Of  course,  he  did  it,  and  equally  of  course  the 
policeman  caught  him  first.  He  was  brought  up  in  the  Children's  Court  before 
Magistrate  Denison  along  with  the  other  boys,  all  under  the  charge  of  the  Child- 
ren's Aid  Society  officer.  The  most  guilty  of  the  boys  meanwhile  wept  copiously, 
but  never  a  change  on  the  face  of  our  poor  feeble-minded  boy,  even  when  he  met 
his  mother  and  sister  who  were  present.  At  their  request  we  assured  the  Magis- 
trate that  he  was  not  quite  responsible,  that  his  aunt,  living  in  a  quieter  part  of  the 
City,  and  near  one  of  the  newly-established  Special  Classes,  would  take  charge  of 
him,  and  convey  him  back  and  forward  to  school,  and  that  he  ought  to  be  in  a 
Special  Class.  Magistrate  Denison  gave  the  required  order.  We  have  not  heard  of 
him  since,  except  that  he  was  seen  one  Saturday  in  the  middle  of  "The  Ward'' — 
not  a  very  good  place  for  him.  He  is  a  boy  who  ought  to  have  permanent  care. 
If  not,  it  will  cost  the  Province  and  the. family  pretty  dear  by  the  time  tbat  all 
is  over  with. 

The  Province  Watches. 

The  action  of  the  Board  of  Education  in  Toronto,  has  evidently  been  watched 
with  groat  interest  in  the  Province.  We  have  had  letters  from  parents  asking  about 
the  School  that  they  hope  the  Government  is  going  to  establish,  and  also  about 
the  Special  Chisses  established  by  the  Board  of  Education,  some  of  * iifir  even 
s, lying  tbat  they  would  like  to  move  to  the  City  to  take  advantage  of  these  Special 
Classes  for  the  little  son  or  daughter  who  needs  them  so  badly.  Teachers  also 
write  frequently. 

\i>vin:  to  Tin-:  Parents. 

This  part  of  the  subject  may  be  concluded  with  the  words  of  advice  given  to 
parents  by  Dr.  John  Thomson  at  the  Children's  Hospital  in  Edinburgh: 

"Your  child  needs  to  be  carefully  taught  In  do  things  that  other  children  do 
without  teaching.  In  time  he  may  learn  to  d<>  them  quite  well  if  you  only  per- 
severe. 

Pemember  that  hnprovemeni  cannot  be  sudden;  if  can  only  come  gradually 
by  getting  him  to  do  over  and  over  again  little  things  that  he  i^  not  good  at. 
Notice,  therefore,  what  things  be  cannol   do  as  well  as  other  children,  and  try  to 


54  REPORT  OF  THE  No.  23 

teach  him  to  do  them  better  one  by  one.  Do  not  go  on  doing  for  him  anything  that 
you  can  possibly  get  him  to  do  for  himself — such  as  feeding  or  dressing. 

Encourage  him  especially  in  doing  those  things  that  he  finds  a  little  difficult, 
but  do  not  give  him  anything  to  do  that  is  quite  too  hard  for  him.  Utter  failure 
will  discourage  him,  while  success  in  anything  that  is  not  mischief  will  do  him  a 
great  deal  of  good. 

Always  encourage  anything  harmless  that  he  does  of  his  own  accord.  Such 
things  please  him  far  more  than  what  you  tell  him  to  do,  and  are  also  better  for 
him ;  but  never  let  him  even  begin  to  get  into  a  habit  of  making  faces,  or  of 
making  any  noises  that  you  would  not  like  your  other  children  to  learn. 

If  he  seems  to  notice  too  little,  encourage  him  to  look  at,  listen  to,  or  handle 
anything  that  he  is  taken  up  with.    Any  sort  of  interest  helps  to  brighten  him. 

Do  your  best  to  keep  his  body  as  strong  as  possible  by  carefully  seeing  to  his 
food  and  clothing,  and  by  taking  him  into  the  fresh   air  as  much  as  you  can. 

Nobody  knows  how  much  he  may  improve ;  that  will  depend  largely  on  the 
amount  of  trouble  and  patience  you  spend  on  him." 


PUBLIC  OPINION  IN  ONTARIO. 

The  Most  Needed  Institution  in  the  Province. 

"From  my  experience  during  the  past  year,  I  have  reason  to  believe  that  tne 
most  needed  institution  in  the  Province  is  an  insiitution  where  Feeble-Minded 
women  can  be  taken  care  of." — A  citizen  of  Lindsay. 

Poor  Frank. 

"Frank  P.,  a  young  lad  not  overly  bright,  is  the  butt  of  many  jokes  in  this  neigh- 
borhood. To  me  it  seems  pitiful  to  see  the  young  lads  tease  him,  but,  when  it 
comes  to  men  who  have  sons  as  old,  if  not  older  than  Frank,  I  draw  the  line  and 
consider  that  they  who  tease  arc  the  idiots,  and  not  poor  Frank.  How  much  better 
it  would  be  if  they  would  give  him  a  meal  or  some  article  of  clothing,  than  follow- 
ing him  for  a  mile  to  have  the  pleasure  of  seeing  "the  loon  run,"  as  one  put  it. 
Christians  shake  their  heads  (and  that  is  about  all  they  do  in  this  case),  and  say, 
that  the  world  is  getting  worse;  let  them  begin  at  home  to  fight  the  good  fight, 
instead  of  in  China,  India  or  Japan. — From  a  newspaper  in  Welland  County. 

Judge  "Winchester  on  the  Protection  of  Little  Girls. 

In  the  case  of  William  Ferguson,  the  evidence  of  the  family  physician  and 
the  man's  mother  and  brother  was  taken  to  show  that  he  was  not  strong  physically 
or  mentally.    He  had  been  convicted  of  indecent  assault. 

"I  think  if  he  gets  off  now,  he'll  think  it  all  right  to  do  it  again,"  said 
Judge  Winchester.  "If  there  were  a  place  for  weak-minded  boys  and  girls  I  would 
like  it  very  much.  If  there  isn't,  we'll  have  to  do  the  best  we  can.  "We  must 
protect  our  little  girls  in  the  street.  If  there  were  not  evidence  that  he  is  weak- 
minded  I  would  give  him  the  lash. 

"You  will  go  to  the  Central  Prison  for  six  months,"  said  His  Honour  to  the 
prisoner. — Toronto  Press  Reports,  October  14th,  1910. 


1911  FEEBLE-MINDED  IN  ONTARIO.  55 


"What  of  To-Morrow." 

"The  tragedy  near  Havelock,  which  resulted  in  the  death  of  Mrs.  Delaine,  and 
the  arrest  of  her  husband  on  the  charge  of  murder  should  again  press  home  the 
duty  of  a  people  to  the  future  generation." 

The  Mother's  Admission. 

Both  are  young:  Delaine  twenty-four,  his  wife  twenty-two.  The  mothers 
of  both  were  at  the  Delaine  home  yesterday:  both  said  they  had  known  their 
children  to  be  simpletons.    Why  they  ever  allowed  them  to  get  married 

Yet,  this  unfortunate  pair  have  given  to  the  care  of  this  generation  two 
innocent  children  and  it  would  be  a  marvel  of  nature  if  they  do  not  inherit  the 
characteristics  of  their  parents. 

For  the  sake  of  the  normal  children  who  in  the  years  to  come  must  protect 
themselves  against  criminal  degeneracy  and  insanity,  governments  should  render 
impossible  marriage  between  people  who  are  mentally  and  physically  unfit. 

"To-day  the  officers  of  the  law  are  dealing  with  Delaine.  Whom  does  ex- 
perience show  they  will  be  dealing  with  to-morrow?" — From  The  News  (Toronto), 
September  21st,  1910. 

What  Can  We  Do  to  Prevent  Such  Evils? 

There  is  only  one  answer  to  this  question.  Find  the  Feeble-Minded  child. 
Children  who  are  mentally  defective  will  always  be  children  in  this  respect,  namely 
— they  will  need  care  and  control,  and  permanent  supervision  in  an  institution 
would  prevent  these  evils. 

No  one  should  ever  be  in  an  institution  if  he  can  possibly  take  his  place  in  the 
world.  But  those  who  cannot  be  at  large,  except  with  expense,  wretchedness, 
disaster  and  crime,  the  consequences  of  which  fall  on  the  community  directly,  as 
well  as  on  themselves,  should  be  cared  for  as  soon  as  their  Feeble-Minded  condition 
is  proved. 

The  school  population  of  the  Province  of  Ontario  is  ahout  six  hundred  thou- 
sand. It  is  estimated  that  .03  per  cent,  of  these  are  probably  Feeble-Minded.  This 
gives  us  over  l/)00  Feeble-Minded  children  who  are  in  our  schools — or  supposed 
to  be  in  our  schools.  A  measure  of  great  importance  would  be  the  preparation 
of  a  Special  Register  of  these  children  under  the  authority  of  the  Provincial  Govern- 
ment.    Only  thus  can  we  reach  the  source  of  supply. 

As  to  those  Feeble-Minded  persons  who  become  in  any  way  a  public  charge, 
it  seems  clear  that  such  persons  might  at  once  be  reported  to  this  Department  for 
care  and  control.  The  same  may  be  said  of  all  Feeble-Minded  persons,  who  come 
under  the  notice  of  officers  of  the  Law. 

This  Would  Be  A  Beginning. 

(1).     An  enumeration  of  mentally-defective  children  in  our  Schools. 
(2).     An  oversight  and  control  by  this  Department  of  all   Feeble-Minded 
persons  who  become  a  public  charge  or  break  the  laws. 

(3).  A  gradual  development  of  this  policy  of  the  Care  of  the  Feeble-Minded 
in  accordance  with  enlightened  public  opinion  in  the  Province. 

I  have  the  honour  to  be, 

Sir, 
Your  obedient  servant, 
December  31st,  1910  Helen  MaoMuroht. 


Feeble-Minded  in  Ontario 

SIXTH    REPORT 

FOR   THE   YEAR 

1911 


BY 

HELEN  MacMURCHY 

TORONTO 


PRINTED  BY  ORDER  OF 

THE  LEGISLATIVE   ASSEMBLY   OF   ONTARIO 


TORONTO : 
Printed  and  Published  by  L.    K.   CAMERON,  Printer  to  the  King's  Most  Excellent   Majesty 

1912 


Printed  by 
WILLIAM  BRIGGS, 
29-37  Richmond  Street  West, 
TORONTO 


SIXTH    REPORT 

OF  THE 

FEEBLE-MINDED   IN   ONTARIO 

1911. 


To  The  Hon.  W.  J.  Hanna, 

Provincial  Secretary. 

Sir, — I  have  the  honour  to  present  to  you  the  Sixth  Keport  dealing  with  the 
Feeble-minded  in  Ontario,  for  it  is  now  over  six  years  since  the  condition  of  the 
Feeble-minded  in  this  Province  and  the  interest  aroused  by  successful  modern 
methods  of  caring  for  them  in  other  countries,  especially  in  Great  Britain  and  the 
United  States,  rendered  it  advisable  to  collect  and  present  information  on  this 
subject. 

Public  Opinion  Urgent. 

Every  year  the  problem  in  Ontario  has  grown  more  urgent  and  public  opinion 
stronger  on  the  necessity  for  permanent  care  as  the  only  sensible,  economical  and 
humane  way  of  dealing  with  that  problem. 

This  very  day  when  the  first  page  of  this  report  comes  to  be  written  stronger 
evidence  than  ever  before  compels  every  Canadian  who  sees  and  hears  it  to  stop 
and  consider. 

"What  Delayed  This  Report. 

When  the  first  report  was  written  material  for  it  was  gathered  with  difficulty 
and  from  few  sources.  Now  it  comes  to  pass  that  with  the  greatest  desire  to  place 
this  Eeport  promptly  before  the  Hon.  the  Provincial  Secretary,  it  has  been  impos- 
sible to  write  it.  There  was  no  time  to  write  this  Report  because  sometimes  four, 
sometimes  five  hours  a  day  are  spent  in  the  effort  to  deal  with  a  few  only  of  the 
most  pressing  and  dangerous  of  these  cases,  and  to  hear  true  stories  of  the  Feeble- 
minded which  would  not  only  melt  a  heart  of  stone,  but  in  which  the  cold  fact  of  the 
cash  value  to  the  Province  of  immediate  action  smites  one  in  the  face. 


Hard  Cash. 

The  one  difficulty  is  to  get  the  ear  of  the  people  of  the  Province  and  get  them 
to  know  so  that  the  Government  might  have  a  mandate  from  the  people  to  provide 
the  necessary  money  for  such  care — money  which  would  be  so  well  invested  that  the 
return  would  far  outstrip  the  legal  rate  of  interest. 

[3] 


REPORT  OF  THE  No.  23 


[ 


What  Will  Ontario  Say  to  This? 

Take  to-day.  To-day,  in  that  very  Maternity  Hospital,  where  ten  years  ago 
and  more,  I  saw,  for  the  first  time,  a  poor  neglected,  Feeble-minded  girl — [a  child 
in  mind — a  child  in  understanding — no  more  able  to  protect  herself  than  a  little 
girl  eight  years  of  age] — bring  forth  in  travail  and  sorrow  a  son — [a  son  all  but 
sure  to  be  feeble-minded  himself,  and  absolutely  sure  to  transmit  the  taint  of  feeble- 
mindedness and  so  be  an  expense,  a  disgrace,  and  a  danger  to  the  community], 
I  have  seen  that  terrible  history  repeat  itself.  In  that  Maternity  Hospital  it  has 
repeated  itself  almost  every  month  for  these  ten  years.  All  these  feeble-minded 
■girls  were  the  victims  of  wickedness  the  account  of  which  should  not,  in  decency, 
darken  the  pages  of  a  Government  Report.  A  poor  feeble-minded  girl,  one  of  our 
patients  there  to-day,  was  taken  this  morning  to  the  Police  Court.  The  scene  in 
the  Police  Court  was  beyond  description,  and  the  case  so  far  as  some  of  the  evi- 
dence is  concerned,  unfit  for  publication,  and  is  not  fully  given  here. 

A  Toronto  Girl  the  Victim. 

This  girl  is  37  years  old  and  came  to  Toronto  when  she  was  5  years  old  and 
has  lived  here  ever  since.  She  was  cared  for  as  long  as  her  father  and  mother  were 
alive.  She  lost  both  father  and  mother  within  four  months  of  each  other.  The 
mother  died  first.  The  father  died  April  1st,  1911.  She  had  a  brother,  who  gave 
her  "a  home  and  a  room  in  his  house,"  and  an  uncle  who  also  promised  to  "take  care 
of  her."  He  "took  care  of"  her  money  instead  and  has  $5.00  of  it  in  his  possession 
at  this  moment.  She  made  this  money  by  going  out  to  work  by  the  day,  for,  like 
so  many  feeble-minded  women,  she  is  a  good  worker.  It  takes  a  good  while  to  save 
$5.00  going  out  to  work  washing  and  scrubbing  in  the  poorer  parts  of  Toronto. 
Nobody  took  care  of  her.  Finally,  nine  months  after  her  father's  death  she  took 
refuge  in  the  house  of  a  neighbour  across  the  street  from  her  old  home.  This 
woman,  like  every  one  else  who  saw  her,  recognized  her  condition,  but,  unlike  every 
cne  else  who  saw  her,  she  had  compassion  on  her.  She  went  with  her  to  the  City 
Hall  to  get  a  free  Hospital  Order  for  her,  and  wishing  to  get  a  few  necessary 
clothes  for  her  and  for  her  poor  baby  so  soon  to  be  born  the  kind  neighbour  appealed 
to  the  police  to  make  the  uncle  disgorge  the  $5.00.  The  Inspector  of  the  Morality 
Department  acted  at  once,  and  brought  to  trial  to-day  that  uncle,  55  years  old  and 
another  gray-haired  man  70  years  of  age. 

Unfit  for  Publication. 

It  is  their  evidence  that  is  unfit  for  publication.  The  uncle  admitted  thai  he 
was  responsible  for  the  girl's  condition.  The  other  gray-haired  man,  from  the 
evidence,  is  believed  to  be  guilty  of  the  same  sin  against  the  poor  feeble-minded 
girl.  Both  were  arrested  and  committed  for  trial.  And  when  the  poor  feeble- 
minded girl  gave  her  evidence,  so  pitiful  was  the  sight,  that  the  tears  stood  in 
the  eyes  of  the  Police  Magistrate.  She  went  back  to  her  bed  in  the  Maternity 
ward  of  Toronto  General  Hospital. 

Ominous  for  Ontario. 

Beside  her,  in  the  same  ward,  is  to-day  another  feeble-minded  girl.  If  pos- 
sible her  case  is  more  appalling,  more  revolting,  more  ominous  for  Ontario,  than 


1912  FEEBLE-MINDED  IX  ONTARIO.  5 

the  case  just  described.  She  is  one  of  two  -^feeble-minded  sisters  referred  to  in  the 
Fifth  Eeport  (1910,  at  page  7).  Every  year  since  the  Second  Eeport  on  the 
Feeble-minded  was  issued  in  1907,  we  have  been  appealed  to  by  the  family  and  the 
nearest  Justice  of  the  Peace,  to  take  charge  of  these  two  feeble-minded  sisters. 
The  parents  felt  that  they  could  not  protect  them.  Not  only  were  they  feeble- 
minded, but  they  were  -  deaf  and  dumb.  Every  year  we  have  had  to  make  them 
the  same  reply.  Orillia  is  over-crowded,  and  Ontario  does  not  care  for  the 
feeble-minded. 

What  Has  Happened? 

This.  In  spite  of  all  the  care  her  poor  mother  and  father  could  take,  one  of 
these  girls,  deaf,  dumb  and  feeble-minded  is  about  to  become  a  mother.  Nor  can 
anyone  find  out  who  is  the  criminal.  The  case  was  such  a  bad  one  that  now 
that  the  harm  we  feared  has  happened,  at  the  request  of  the  family,  the  Justice  of 
the  Peace  and  the  member  of  the  Legislature  for  that  constituency,  we  have  managed 
to  care  temporarily  for  one  deaf,  dumb,  feeble-minded  sister  in  the  Haven  and  for 
the  other  in  the  Maternity  Hospital,  until  they  can  be  removed  to  Orillia,  at 
present  so  overcrowded  that  they  cannot  possibly  be  admitted  there. 

Supreme  Folly. 

This  is  the  most  urgent  part  of  the  Feeble-minded  problem.  It  is  this  Supreme 
Folly  that  has  produced  the  over-whelming  number  of  one  hundred  and  fifty  thou- 
sand feeble-minded  persons  in  England  and  Wales.  It  is  estimated  that  about  one 
hundred  children  are  born  of  feeble-minded  women  in  Ontario  every  year. 

A  Poor  Policy  for  Ontario. 

Practically  speaking  every  one  of  these  children  will  be  feeble-minded.  That  is, 
in  the  six  years  since  the  Hon.  the  Provincial  Secretary  first  ordered  a  Eeport  to 
be  made,  about  600  feeble-minded  persons  have  been  added  to  the  population 
of  this  Province.  Enough  to  fill  an  Institution.  Action  six  years  ago  would  have 
saved  a  lot  of  hard  cash  and  other  things  more  precious  than  gold.  The  production 
of  these  feeble-minded  children  could  and  should  have  been  prevented  by  merely 
taking  care  of  these  poor  women  who  cannot  take  care  of  themselves,  and  it  is 
a  crime  for  which  we  are  all  responsible  that  they  should  have  become  mothers 
at  all.  The  scientific  and  economic  study  of  the  feeble-minded  has  proved  beyond 
any  doubt  that  they  are  always  maintained  at  the  public  expense  in  the  end.  They 
never  do  anything  to  maintain  themselves  except  under  constant  care.  Left  to 
themselves  they  are  the  unemployed,  the  unemployable,  the  inmates  of  the  Charitable 
Institutions,  the  Hospitals,  the  Havens,  the  Workhouses,  the  Casual  Wards,  the 
Eefuges,  the  Shelters,  the  Homes  for  the  Friendloss,  the  Wayfarers  Lodges,  the 
Asylums,  the  Jails,  the  Prisons,  and  the  Penitentiaries.  Six  hundred  more  feeble- 
minded— and  all  for  nothing.     This  is  the  price. 

The  Price  of  Delay. 

We  pay  for  delay.  In  the  case  of  these  two  sisters,  the  parents  begged  for 
help,  having  done  all  they  could  to  care  for  them,  saying  they  feared  this  very 
calamity.    The  Province  made  no  provision  for  the  feeble-minded  and  the  calamity 


REPORT  OF  THE  Xo.  23 


has  come.  "  This  sort  of  thing  must  b*  altered,"  said  an  Englishman  fifty  years 
ago,  when  he  took  his  son  to  the  outside  wall  of  the  workhouse  and  showed  him  the 
village  idiot,  chained  to  that  workhouse  wall.  "  This  sort  of  thing  must  be  altered. 
If  it  is  not  done  in  my  lifetime,  mind  you  help  do  it  in  yours." 

Mind  You  Help  do  it  in  Yours. 

Cruelty  has  been  pretty  well  ended  in  Ontario,  though  still  we  have  instances 
of  cruelty  to  the  feeble-minded,  mostly  because  it  is  not  known  that  they  are  feeble- 
minded. We  do  not  treat  the  feeble-minded  with  physical  cruelty  as  a  rule.  But 
they  are  terribly  neglected.  Reader  of  this  Report,  mind  you  help  to  do  some- 
thing for  them  in  your  life-time.  We  know  they  need  special  Institutions  and  yet 
we  do  not  provide  them.  Our  only  Institution  is  over-crowded  and  has  besides  a 
tremendous  waiting  list,  which  almost  every  mail  received  at  Orillia  augments. 

Preventive  Policy  Needed. 

And  we  have  done  nothing  towards  protecting  Society  from  the  Feeble-minded 
— though  we  know  that  if  we  did,  by  providing  permanent  care  for  the  feeble- 
minded for  one  generation — say  for  thirty  years  even — there  would  be  such  a 
drop  in  their  numbers  that  soon  we  should  be  practically  rid  of  this  terrible  problem. 

Stop  the  Supply. 

And  yet  we  go  on  enlarging  and  adding  to  our  Institutions  to  take  care  of 
the  posterity  of  the  feeble-minded.  Prevent  the  posterity  of  the  feeble-minded. 
We  ought  to  know  to  protect  and  care  for  the  feeble-minded.  We  do  it  now  but 
we  do  it  in  most  extravagant,  stupid  and  absurd  way.  Ask  any  intelligent  man  or 
woman  in  Ontario  who  is  on  the  Board  of  a  Charitable  Institution  and  visits  it  say 
three  times  a  year.  Ask  the  Governor  of  your  jail,  the  Police  Magistrate,  or  the 
Relief  Officer.  Ask  them  "  Is  feeble-mindedness,  or  is  it  not,  the  source  of  much 
of  the  unemployment,  much  of  the  destitution,  much  of  the  vice  and  illegitimacy 
and  prostitution,  much  of  the  crime  of  the  country?"  And  they  will  say  what 
the  Poor  Law  Commission  said,  what  the  Divorce  Commission  is  saying,  what  the 
Royal  Commission  on  the  Care  and  Control  of  the  Feeble-minded  said.  They  will 
say  "Yes."  With  all  their  knowledge  and  experience,  with  the  opinion  of  every 
expert  in  the  country  before  them,  with  time  and  means  to  study  it  out,  that  is 
what  they  all  said — Yes.     Then  why  do  we  not  reach  the  source  and  stop  the  supply? 

An  Influential  Deputation. 

For  many  years  deputations  to  ask  the  Government  to  care  for  the  feeble- 
minded have  come  annually  to  the  Parliament  Buildings,  Toronto,  but  the  deputa- 
tion which  appeared  there  on  March  22nd,  1911,  was  probably  the  largest  of  them 
all. 

The  delegation  was  introduced  by  his  Worship  Mayor  Geary  of  Toronto,  and 
the  speakers  included  Mrs.  Lyle,  of  Hamilton :  Mrs.  Archibald  M.  Huestis,  Toronto : 
Dr.  Charteris,  Chatham;  J.  R.  McNeillie,  Lindsay;  Sheriff  Cameron,  London,  and 
Mr.  J.  M.  Macdonell,  K.C.,  Kingston. 

Among  the  institutions  and  bodies  represented  were  the  Associated  Charities, 
the  Infants'  Home,  the  National  Council  of  Women,  the  Hamilton  and  West  Algoma 


1912  FEEBLE-MINDED  IN  ONTARIO.  7 

Local  Councils,  the  Salvation  Army,  the  Household  Economic  Association,  Travel 
Clubs,  the  Culture  Club,  and  various  other  interested  organizations.  The  Muni- 
cipal Committee  room  at  the  Legislative  buildings  was  crowded  with  those  earn- 
estly desirous  of  urging  immediate  action  on  the  Government. 

Canadian  Moral  and  Social  Reform  Council. 

The  Moral  and  Social  Reform  Council  of  Canada  at  its  annual  meeting 
held  in  St.  George's  Hall,  Toronto,  September  26th,  1911,  adopted  a  recommenda- 
tion in  regard  to  the  feeble-minded  as  follows : 

A  feeble-minded  woman  is  a  source  of  corruption  and  peril  to  the  community 
in  which  she  lives.  They  are  constantly  propagating  their  kind,  and  so  spreading 
alike  their  own  low-grade  mentality  and  the  contagion  of  vice. 

Your  Executive  would,  therefore,  recommend  that  the  Council  take  definite 
and  strong  action  with  the  view  of  pressing  the  Provincial  Government  to  take 
action  without  delay  in  establishing  Institutions  or  adopting  such  other  measures 
as  will  meet  the  needs  of  the  Provinces  in  this  regard. 

The  Salvation  Army. 

The  Salvation  Arm3r,  like  all  agencies  doing  similar  work,  is  struggling  with 
the  problem  of  the  feeble-minded.  The  annual  report  of  "  Hope  Hall,"  the  Salva- 
tion Army  Rescue  Home  in  Hamilton  says  in  regard  to  girls  who  have  been  ruined : 
"Whence  do  they  come?  The  answer  comes  all  too  readily  to  our  lips.  We  have 
in  view  the  feeble-minded  girls  whose  lack  of  character  is  so  often  taken  advantage 
of  by  the  unscrupulous  ?  " 

When  Mrs.  Bramwell  Booth  last  visited  Canada  she  referred  to  this  problem, 
especially  in  her  addresses  in  Massey  Hall,  Toronto,  on  October  15th,  1911,  and  in 
Hamilton  on  October  16th.  Mrs.  Booth  was  one  of  the  witnesses  before  the  Royal 
Commission  and  recommended  to  them:  (1)  That  every  feeble-minded  woman 
should  be  registered  and  cared  for.  (2)  That  every  feeble-minded  woman  should 
be  made  a  ward  and  placed  under  the  care  of  a  guardian — as  the  wards  in  Chancery 
are. 

The  Haven. 

During  the  year,  the  Haven,  in  Toronto,  has  carried  on  its  good  work  and 
helped  materially  with  the  care  of  the  feeble-minded  in  Ontario.  Some  of  the 
worst  cases  mentioned  in  this  Report  were  admitted  and  cared  for  there  when  we 
would  otherwise  have  been  almost  helpless  in  dealing  with  them.  During  the 
year  the  former  superintendent,  Miss  Brooking,  accepted  a  similar  position  at  the 
Alexandria  Industrial  School  and  was  succeeded  by  Miss  Carson.  Miss  Brooking 
is  successful  in  the  care  of  the  feeble-minded  and  will  doubtless  carry  on  her 
good  work  for  them  in  her  new  sphere.  There  are  always  no  small  number  of 
feeble-minded  girls  in  the  Alexandria  Industrial  School.  They  are  allowed  to  go 
out  from  it.     This  is  not  right. 

The  Industrial  Refuge. 

The  Industrial  Refuge  continues  its  good  work  and  this  year  there  has  been 
a  special  campaign  fund  for  it  and  the  kindred  Institutions  under  the  same  Board, 


REPORT  OF  THE  No.  23 


which  resulted  in  adding  $25,000  to  their  funds  and  it  is  hoped  that  the  addi- 
tional accommodation  thus  provided  for  the  inmates  will  render  available  more 
room  for  the  feeble-minded  girls  and  women,  for  whom  those  who  know  them  best 
are  always  begging  for  admission  to  the  Refuge  or  some  similar  place. 

There  have  been  the  usual  attempts  on  the  part  of  ill-advised  friends  to 
take  the  girls  away.  All  such  attempts  simply  lead  to  disaster.  On  account  of 
some  changes  incident  to  Institution  life,  a  few  feeble-minded  girls  have  been 
admitted  during  the  year.  Miss  Rankin's  treatment  of  the  feeble-minded  girls 
in  the  Institution  is  admirable.  What  is  said  of  the  feeble-minded  inmates  of  the 
Haven  and  the  Refuge  may  be  said  of  many  Charitable  Institutions  in  the 
Province.  All  these  have  feeble-minded  inmates.  But  they  have  no  power  to  detain 
them  permanently. 

Organizations  Discuss  the  Problem. 

Few  Medical,  Psychological,  Philanthropic,  Social  or  Religious  organizations 
meet  nowadays  without  finding  the  subject  of  the  feeble-minded  appearing,  bidden 
or  unbidden,  on  the  programme. 

The  Church  Congress  in  England. 

The  Church  Congress  at  Cambridge  invited  a  well-known  authority,  Dr.  G.  E. 
Shuttleworth,  to  give  an  address  on  '''The  Duty  of  Society  towards  its  Feeble- 
Minded  Children." 

In  connection  with  the  Church  Congress,  held  at  Stoke-on-Trent,  under  the 
chairmanship  of  the  Bishop  of  Lichfield,  a  discussion  was  opened  by  the  Dean  of  St. 
Paul's  on  the  "  Feeble-Minded  and  the  Way  in  Which  they  Should  be  Treated." 
In  his  paper,  Dr.  Inge  remarked  that  the  time  would  come  when  both  the  numbers 
and  the  quality  of  new  citizens  would  be  recognized  as  a  public  concern.  The 
State  of  the  future  would  refuse  to  suport  masses  of  degenerate  wastrels,  who  mul- 
tiplied recklessly.  Modern  methods  of  taxation,  and  the  very  low  death-rate  which 
resulted  from  improved  sanitation  and  medical  science,  both  made  a  policy  of  laissez 
faire  impossible.  The  multiplication  of  the  unfit  would  have  to  be  stopped  if  our 
civilization  was  to  be  saved.  '(Hear,  hear.)  What  were  we  to  do?  Two  foolish 
answers  might  be  dismissed  at  once,  viz. :  "  Train  the  feeble-minded  till  they 
recover,"  and  "Put  them  all  in  a  lethal  chamber."  They  could  not  be  cured;  in 
a  large  majority  of  cases  the  affliction  was  associated  with  malformation  of  the 
brain;  and  no  Christian  or  civilized  country  would  permit  them  to  be  destroyed. 
Industrial  colonies  were  the  best  places  for  them.  About  2,000  in  each  colony  would 
make  a  workable  community,  and  the  cost  was  minimized  if  this  number,  or 
something  like  it,  was  taken  as  the  standard.  The  inmates  should  be  given  such 
work  as  they  could  do,  and  in  many  cases  they  would  nearly  support  themselves. 

The  British  Association. 

At  the  annual  meeting  of  the  British  Association  in  Portsmouth  in  1911,  a 
special  committee,  appointed  the  previous  year,  reported  on  the  tests  used  in  the  diag- 
nosis of  feeble-minded  children.  Dr.  Tredgold,  Miss  Dendy,  Mrs.  Burgwin,  and 
others  also  addressed  the  Association. 


1912  FEEBLE-MINDED  IN"  ONTARIO. 


The  Medico-Psychological  Association. 

The  Medico-Psychological  Association  has  appointed  a  special  committee  with 
the  following  reference :  "  To  inquire  into  the  propriety  of  the  association  framing 
and  tendering  to  authorities  advice  on  the  search  for  and  the  definition  of  mental 
deficiency  which  is  incompatible  with  retention  in  elementary  schools,  with  sug- 
gestions for  the  appropriate  treatment  of  such  deficiency,  and  to  consider  any 
other  cognate  matters.  The  committee  to  have  power  to  make  inquiries  in  any 
direction  it  may  consider  to  be  desirable,  and  to  report  to  the  council,  and,  if  the 
council  approves,  to  the  annual  meeting  in  July,  and  to  co-opt,  if  it  please,  other 
members." 

Canadian  Conference  of  Charities  and  Correction. 

In  the  Canadian  Conference  of  Charities  and  Correction,  at  Hamilton,  the 
care  of  the  feeble-minded  occupied  an  important  place  and  an  address  along  modern 
and  advanced  lines  was  given  by  Superintendent  Downey  of  Orillia. 

The  Canadian  Public  Health  Association. 

At  the  first  annual  meeting  of  the  Canadian  Public  Health  Association,  at 
Montreal,  one  of  the  officials  of  this  Department  was  asked  to  present  a  paper  on 
the  question  of  the  Care  and  Control  of  the  Feeble-Minded. 

The  Conference  on  the  Prevention  of  Destitution. 

During  1911  there  was  held  in  London  a  new  and  remarkable  Conference-  - 
a  Conference  which  was  a  sign  of  the  times.  It  was  the  Conference  on  the  Pre- 
vention of  Destitution.  On  that  noteworthy  occasion  there  were  three  addresses 
on  the  question  of  the  feeble-minded,  a  question  that  cannot  be  omitted  and  that 
will  not  down,  whenever  questions  of  grave  social  significance  come  up.  It  is  not 
possible  within  the  proper  limits  of  a  Government  Report,  to  make  more  than  a 
brief  reference  even  to  so  important  matter  as  this  Conference. 

Ontario  Reports  Quoted  in  London. 

But  it  may  be  mentioned  that  the  chief  speaker  on  the  care  of  the  feeble- 
minded, Mr.  W.  H.  Dickinson,  M.P.,  quoted  from  a  Report  published  by  this 
Department.  (Second  Report  on  the  Feeble-Minded  in  Ontario,  1907.)  Mr. 
Dickinson,  in  dealing  with  the  general  question  said  in  part: 

The  Co-operation  of  Women. 

.  The  feeble-minded  is  a  person  who  has  come  under  public  notice  within  a  very 
recent  period.  Lunatics  and  idiots  have  for  many  years  formed  part  of  our 
recognized  social  system,  and  have  claimed  and  obtained  their  share  of  attention 
and  even  their  place  on  the  statute  book;  but  the  feeble-minded  is  only  now 
struggling  for  his  rights.  He  is  hardly  yet  in  sight  of  the  promised  land,  where, 
within  the  limits  of  his  intelligence  he  may  take  his  share  in  the  work  of  the  world 
and  fulfill  the  purpose  for  which  he  has  been  created. 


10  REPORT  OF  THE  No.  23 

The  discovery  of  the  feeble-minded  by  the  public  is  a  discovery  of  the  last 
forty  years.  It  has  come  about  through  that  revolution  in  social  sentiment  which 
has  characterized  the  last  half  century  and  which  has  led  society  to  recognize  at 
last  its  responsibilities  towards  its  weakest  members.  It  has  been  largely  due  to  the 
entry  into  municipal  work  of  persons  of  sympathetic  and  earnest  character,  and, 
in  my  opinion,  it  has  been  especially  due  to  the  co-operation  of  women  in  that 
work.  With  a  few  exceptions  the  pioneers  of  this  movement  have  been  women 
guardians  and  women  educationalists;  and,  for  this  simple  reason,  that  in  the  per- 
sonal attention  that  they  devoted  to  the  classes  under  their  supervision,  they  came 
into  actual  contact  with  the  evil  as  it  existed  and  had  to  set  to  work  to  devise  a 
remedy. 

Sandlebridge  and  Monyhull. 

Among  the  other  speakers  at  this  Conference  was  Miss  Dendy  of  Manchester, 
whose  work  for  and  knowledge  of  the  Feeble-Minded  is  so  good  and  so  fruitful, 
and  one  of  the  Poor  Law  Guardians  of  Birmingham,  Mrs.  Vince,  who  spoke  on  the 
Monyhull  Colony.  " 

The  Feeble-Minded  Pauper. 

It  is  very  well  known  that  a  large  number  of  paupers  are  feeble-minded,  and 
they  are  paupers  because  they  are  feeble-minded.  That  is  the  cause  of  their 
papuperism.  That  is  why  we  have  to  pay  for  their  support  in  the  Poor-house,  in 
the  Work-house,  or  in  the  House  of  Industry  or  the  House  of  Refuge,  or  by  what- 
ever name  that  Institution  is  known  where  persons  are  cared  for  at  the  public 
expense.  We  pay  the  bill.  We  have,  therefore,  some  right  to  regulate  the  accounts, 
and  to  consider  the  best  way  of  preventing  the  people  from  making  such  failures 
of  their  lives,  if  possible.  In  other  words  they  should  have  their  rights,  and  we 
should  have  ours.  They  need  to  work..  We  all  do.  The  useless  and  parasitic  life 
is  always  an  unhappy  life  and  a  failure. 

The  Feeble-Minded  Can  Work  and  Earn. 

The  cost  of  these  people  to  the  community  is  great.  And  it  is  a  bad  use  of  the 
tax-payer's  money  to  use  it  for  the  entire  support  of  idle  people,  who  could  work 
and  could  be  taught  how  to  work,  and  could,  under  proper  protection  and  super- 
vision earn  a  good  part  of  their  own  maintenance. 

The  House  of  Refuge  not  for  Feeble-Minded. 

This  is  not  done  in  a  House  of  Refuge.  The  people  who  go  to  a  House  of 
Refuge  are  usually  past  the  time  when  they  can  be  taught  and  often  past  the 
time  when  they  could  work.  Inmates  at  a  Home  of  Refuge  are  not  classified — it 
is  seldom  possible  to  do  so.  The  time  to  take  hold  of  the  Feeble-Minded  is  not 
when  they  reach  the  House  of  Refuge  and  have  done  nearly  all  the  harm  they  are 
capable  of,  but  when  they  are  in  the  Public  School  and  have  all  their  lives  before 
them — these  poor  lives  which  without  the  interest  and  the  direction  of  those  who 
are  mentally  efficient  and  have  good  judgment  will  inevitably  be  harmful  and  use- 
less and  lead  to  the  House  of  Refuge  or  some  worse  place. 


1912  FEEBLE-MINDED  IN"  ONTAEIO.  11 

Dangers  of  the  House  of  Eefuge. 

Besides,  the  Feeble-Minded,  and  this  refers  to  the  Feeble-Minded  women 
especially,  cannot  be  properly  protected  in  a  House  of  Eefuge.  One  of  the  most 
revolting  cases  ever  reported  to  this  Department,  the  details  of  which  are  unfit 
to  print,  proves  this.  After  this  Feeble-Minded  woman  had  been  in  constant 
residence  in  a  House  of  Eefuge  in  Ontario  over  a  year  her  last  child  was  born  and 
then  these  revolting  details  came  to  light.  Experience  in  England  shows  how 
extravagant,  stupid,  and  feckless  is  the  policy  of  letting  Feeble-Minded  women  go 
in  and  out  of  the  Poor-house  just  as  they  please,  and  return  year  after  year  to  the 
maternity  ward  to  recruit  the  army  of  the  Feeble-Minded.  They  are  doing  the  same 
thing  in  Ontario. 

Danger  of  Degeneracy. 

When  shall  we  have  sense  enough  to  see  that  it  would  be  "  good  business  "  to 
stop  this  waste  of  our  money  and  this  pollution  of  Canadian  character.  The 
neglected  Feeble-Minded  and  their  children  contribute  a  large  degenerate  element 
every  year  to  our  Canadian  population,  that  is,  to  the  Canadian  National  Stock. 

A  Eegister  Eequired. 

It  would  be  a  step  in  the  right  direction  to  have  an  accurate  and  complete 
register  of  all  Feeble-Minded  persons  supported  in  County  Houses  of  Eefuge  and 
the  place  where  such  persons  were  born.  This  register  should  give  not  only  the 
name  of  the  individual,  but  his  or  her  mother's  name  and  the  family  name  of 
the  maternal  and  the  paternal  grandmother.  This  information  is  of  the  utmost 
importance  in  taking  stock  of  our  position  as  a  nation  in  regard  to  our  Feeble- 
Minded.  We  have  now  comparatively  only  a  few  families  carrying  the  taint  of 
Feeble-Mindedness.  In  the  four-fold  family  name  suggested  above — father — mother 
— paternal  grandmother — maternal  grandmother — probably  only  one  family  name 
carries  the  taint  of  Feeble-Mindedness.  But  even  this  one  step  as  to  getting  a 
register  of  the  Feeble-Minded  will  shed  a  flood  of  light  on  our  position  and 
show  us  where  we  are.  And  we  have  a  right  to  this  information,  because  we 
have  to  pay  for  the  maintenance  of  this  person  and  we  ought  to  know  how  many 
people  we  have  to  pay  for.  These  records,  of  course,  would  be,  as  to  names  and 
personalities,  strictly  confidential  and  accessible  only  to  Government  officials  in  the 
performance  of  their  duties. 

Unfit  for  Citizenship. 

This  reminds  us  further  that  it  is  of  but  little  use  to  try  to  keep  people  who 
are  mentally  and  physically  unfit  for  citizenship  out  of  the  country  if  we  pay  no 
attention  to  keeping  the  Canadian  national  stock  fit  mentally  and  physically.  It  is 
necessary  to  refuse  entrance  to  undesirable  emigrants,  but  it  is,  if  possible,  more 
necessary,  not  to  refuse  to  the  Feeble-Minded  that  protection  and  care  which 
alone  can  prevent  them  from  wrecking  their  own  lives  and  bringing  into  the  world 
native-born  Canadian  citizens  more  Feeble-Minded  and  unfit  in  mind  and  body 
than  they  are  themselves.  What  is  the  use  of  forbidding  the  immigration  of  the 
mentally  and  physically  defective  from  abroad  if  we  manufacture  them  at  home? 


12  EEPOET  OF  THE  Xo.  23 

The  State  Should  Control. 

Xor  is  it  sufficient  to  leave  this  matter  to  the  overworked,  unpaid  or  under  paid, 
and  harassed  physician  to  the  House  of  Eefuge  who  has  neither  the  time  nor  the 
training  to  become  an  expert  in  the  study  of  the  Feeble-Minded.  He  is  very  often 
not  paid  at  all  and  to  beg  this  much  more  of  his  charity  is  neither  practicable  nor 
possible.  Persons  who  are  Feeble-Minded  should  be  under  the  control  of  the 
State,  the  most  should  be  made  of  their  working  powers  to  maintain  them  in  com- 
fort and  the  balance,  if  any,  in  default  of  their  relatives  being  able  to  pay  it,  should, 
be  borne  partly  by  the  municipality  or  municipalities  where  they  and  their  families 
have  resided  and  partly  by  the  State. 

Detention  in  Workhouses  in  England. 

The  Eoyal  Commission  has  Statistics  showing  that  in  one  work-house  in  Eng- 
land there  were  18  Feeble-Minded  women  and  girls  who  had  given  birth  to  93 
illegitimate  children,  and  another  in  which  16  Feeble-Minded  women  and  girls  had 
given  birth  to  116  illegitimate  children. 

Statistics  in  Ontario. 

We  have  not  made  any  systematic  attempt  to  collect  statistics  in  Ontario, 
except  the  preliminary  work  given  in  the  First  and  Second  Eeports.  Still,  even 
without  any  systematic  effort,  statistics  have. been  accumulating  in  this  Department 
which  it  is  to  be  feared  will  one  day  rival  the  English  figures. 

There  is  one  Feeble-Minded  woman  in  the  Western  part  of  Ontario  who  had 
had  at  least  eight  illegitimate  children  before  1909.  Our  information  about  her 
career  was  not  complete  then  and  is  not  complete  now.  These  are  usually  the 
"Work-house"  or  "Poor-house"  or  "House  of  Eefuge"  cases. 

Permanent  Control  and  Direction. 

There  is  only  one  thing  more  objectionable  than  letting  Feeble-Minded  persons 
in  as  inmates  of  Poor-houses  and  that  is  letting  them  out.  The  work-house  is  not 
the  place  for  them.  They  are  able  to  take  their  places  at  some  branch  of  industry, 
more  or  less  skilled  and  properly  organized  and  so  earn  from  one-half  to  two-thirds 
of  their  living.  They  can  be  or  rather  can  be  trained  to  be  good  laundresses, 
seamstresses,  lacemakers,  houseworkers,  etc.  They  can  learn  to  weave.  The  boys 
and  men  can  learn  farm  work,  tailoring,  shoemaking,  carpentering,  painting,  and 
other  fairly  paying  and  useful  occupations.  Xow  none  of  these  are  taught  or 
practised  at  a  Poor-house. 

Prevent  Pauperism  in  Canada. 

In  fact,  Canadians  do  not  want  to  begin  Poor  Laws  or  Poor-houses.  There 
should  be  homes  for  the  aged  and  hospitals  for  the  sick  and  defective  mentally 
or  physically,  but  the  rest  of  us  Canadians'should  live  at  home  and  should  work. 
We  have  good  reason  to  know  that  the  presence  of  the  Feeble-Minded  acts  against 
proper  discipline  in  Poor-houses.  And  then  the  improper  discipline  reacts  pre- 
judicially on  them,  and  so  it  has  come  to  pass  that  a  Feeble-Minded  maternity 


1912  FEEBLE-MINDED  IN  ONTARIO.  13 

patient  lias  come  out  of  one  County  House  of  Refuge  in  Ontario  at  least,  who  was 
not  a  maternity  patient  when  she  went  in. 

How  often  has  this  happened  in  Ontario  ?  Feeble-minded  persons  who  become 
inmates  of  any  House  of  Eefuge  or  other  charitable  institution  in  Ontario  should  be 
reported  as  such  at  once  to  this  Department  and  should  not  be  discharged  from 
such  charitable  institution  without  the  direct  authority  of  this  Department. 

The  Feeble-Minded  Child. 

The  most  striking  difference  between  work  for  the  Feeble-Minded  in  1910  and 
1911  is  the  greater  emphasis  laid  upon  the  work  for  Feeble-Minded  children.  For- 
merly it  was  only  a  few  workers,  and  those  the  most  advanced,  who  saw  that  the 
Feeble-Minded  child  should  be  looked  for  and  permanently  cared  for. 

Begin  in  the  Schools. 

It  is  now  universally  agreed  that  the  place  to  attack  this  problem  is  in  child- 
hood and  school-life.  As  soon  as  the  child  comes  to  school  his  mental  capacity 
reveals  itself.  Indeed,  it  cannot  be  hid.  The  books,  articles  and  reports  about 
Feeble-Minded  now  refer  very  largely  to  children.  This  is  just  the  opposite  of 
what  it  was  a  few  years  ago,  and  probably  we  owe  the  change  at  least  partly  to  the 
Medical  Inspection  of  Schools.  The  school  doctor  is  the  one  who  knows  what  to 
say  about  the  child.  Others  may  blame  or  punish,  and  so  wear  out  both  them- 
selves and  the  child,  but  the  school  doctor  knows,  and  the  difficulty  disappears. 
The  doctor  knows  the  Feeble-Mmded  child  and  knows  what  should  be  done  with 
him  or  her. 

Attitude  of  the  Teaching  Profession. 

Teachers  are  now  beginning  to  recognize  this  fact  and  are  bringing  it  to  the 
attention  of  the  authorities.  At  the  meeting  of  the  National  Education  Associa- 
tion of  the  United  States  at  San  Francisco  in  July  13,  1911,  the  following  resolution 
was  passed. 

"Realizing  the  fact  that  a  large  percentage  of  children,  whose  physical  and 
mental  peculiarities  require  special  methods  of  education,  are  still  to  a  great  extent 
outside  the  scope  of  the  compulsory  education  laws,  and  that  the  presence  of  the 
exceptional  child  in  our  modern  civilization  constitutes  a  problem  of  the  greatest 
import,  it  is  the  sense  of  this  association  that  the  compulsory  education  laws-  of 
States  and  communities  should  be  so  amended,  developed  and  extended  that  they 
shall  apply  to  all  children  of  school  age,  without  exception,  and  provide  for  their 
training;  further,  that  the  laws  should  recognize  the  difference  between  the  chro- 
nological age  of  a  child  and  his  maturity,  and  that  the  school  age  limit  of  each 
individual  child  should  be  determined  by  requiring  the  child  to  meet  physical  and 
mental  tests,  even  though  the  child  be  in  years  above  the  age  standard ;  in  other 
words,  a  child's  actual  age  should  be  determined  by  physio-psychological  data  corre- 
sponding to  the  normal  standard  for  the  age  limit  required  by  law.  All  children 
or  persons  failing  to  meet  such  maturity  test  at  the  extreme  school  age  limit  should 
remain  under  public  supervision  and  control,  either  until  they  reach  maturity  or 
permanently. 

"  The  same  principle  should  be  the  guide  in  determining  whether  a  child  is 
fit  to  be  employed  in  any  occupation.     Not  when  a  child  is  fourteen  or  sixteen  years 


14  EEPOET  OF  THE  No.  23 

of  age,  but  when  he  possesses  the  maturity  of  body  and  mind  proper  to  a  normal 
child  of  that  age  should  he  be  released  from  the  guardianship  of  the  State  or  the 
community.     Child  labor  laws  should  be  so  modified  as  to  meet  this  requirement." 

This  is  probably  the  first  time  that  a  teaching  body  of  such  great  numbers 
and  importance  has  declared  itself  in  favor  of  permanent  care  for  those  who  will 
always  be  children,  i.e.,  the  Feeble-Minded. 

Retardation. 

Retardation,  during  the  last  two  years,  has  been  somewhat  carefully  studied 
in  American  schools.  It  was  found  in  an  investigation  in  the  schools  of  New  York 
City  that  of  every  100  retarded  pupils,  30  were  retarded  on  account  of  late  entrance 
and  13  were  retarded  on  account  of  late  entrance  and  slow  progress  and  57  were 
retarded  on  account  of  slow  progress  alone. 

NORMAL  BUT   SLOW. 

The  large  majority  of  these  are  normal  but  slow  children,  or  those  who,  on 
•account  of  foreign  birth  or  poor  health  or  not  entering  school  early  enough,  cannot 
at  present  keep  up  with  children  of  their  own  age.  But  all  these  causes  have  an 
appropriate  remedy.  The  child  who  enters  school  late  will  "  catch  up  " ;  the  one 
who  has  been  absent  through  ill-health  can  attend  regularly  when  he  is  better. 
Adenoids,  enlarged  tonsils,  tuberculosis,  malnutrition,  poor  sight,  poor  hearing, 
poor  teeth — all  these  may  be  partly  or  wholly  cured  or  removed. 

Abnormal — Not  Slow. 

But  the  mentally  defective  child,  though  he  can  improve,  cannot  become  men- 
tally normal.  He  remains  always  mentally  defective.  That  is,  he  remains  always 
mentally  a  child.  His  body  grows  up  to  adult  size  and  stature,  but  his  mind  does 
not. 

The  High-Grade  Feeble-Minded. 

Though  the  days  of  his  life  may  be  three-score  years  and  ten  (but  more  often 
not  so  many),  though  his  body  may  be  six  feet  tall  and  broad  and  strong  and  heavy 
in  proportion,  though  he  may  do  more  or  less  useful  work,  though  he  may  do  a 
great  deal  of  harm,  though  he  may  have  children,  his  mind  remains  the  mind  of 
a  normal  child  of  twelve  years  possibly,  if  he  belongs  to  the  highest  grade  (and 
most  dangerous  grade)  of  mental  defectives. 

The  Imbecile. 

On  the  other  hand,  his  mind  may,  at  its  best,  and  with  the  very  best  chance  of 
education  by  expert  teachers,  remain  only  the  mind  of  a  normal  child  of  six  or 
seven  years.     That  is,  he  is  an  imbecile. 

The  Idiot. 

Last  of  all,  he  may  be  unable  to  even  guard  himself  from  common  physical 
danger.     He  cannot  manage  to  learn  about  fire  and  flame.     He  literally  does  not 


1912  FEEBLE-MINDED  IN  ONTARIO.  15 

know  enough  to  come  in  out  of  the  rain.  His  mind  is  the  mind  of  a  normal  child 
of  two  years.  Of  course  the  idiot  and  imbecile  often  do  not  come  to  the  school- 
room;, though  they  sometimes  do. 

The  Feeble-Minded  in  School. 

But  many  of  the  high-grade  defectives  are  in  our  school-rooms.  They  form 
probably  about  one-half  of  one  per  cent,  (one  in  200)  of  our  school  population. 
And  the  interests  of  the  fit,  honest,  able-bodied  and  mentally-effective  citizen 
urgently  require  that  these  cases  should  be  discovered  at  least  at  school  age.  Our 
school  registration  should  be  complete  and  accurate,  and  compulsory  education 
should  be  a  fact  and  not  a  name.     We  need  a  school  census. 

Institution  Cases. 

Institution  cases  should  be  placed  in  Institutions  as  soon  as  possible,  for  their 
own  sakes,  for  the  sake  of  the  families,  and  above  all  for  the  sake  of  the  community 
and  the  nation. 

What  They  Do  Now. 

They  should  not  be  allowed,  as  we  allow  them  now,  to  go  on  replenishing  the 
earth  with  mentally  defective  citizens  for  the  other  citizens  to  support  and  pay  for, 
work  for  and  take  care  of,  to  fill  our  County  Poor  Houses,  Houses  of  Industry, 
Houses  of  Refuge,  Casual  Wards,  Charitable  Institutions,  Havens,  Homes  for  the 
Friendless,  Infants'  Homes,  Maternity  Homes,  Children's  and  Society  Homes,  Girls' 
Homes,  Boys'  Homes,  Orphans'  Homes,  Industrial  Schools,  Alcoholic  Retreats, 
Reformatories,  Hospitals,  Asylums,  Jails,  Prisons,  Penitentiaries.  Every  man  or 
woman  who  helps  by  taxes  or  by  private  contributions  to  support  such  Institutions 
helps  to  support  the  Feeble-Minded. 

The  Golden  Rule  and  Common  Sense. 

The  Teacher,  the  Scientist,  the  Physician,  the  Political  Economist,  the  States- 
man, the  homo  sapiens,  the  citizen  who  thinks,  the  taxpayer  who  pays  the  taxes,  the 
Christian,  all  say — "As  ye  would  that  men  should  do  unto  you,  do  you  also  to 
them." 

The  Citizen's  Summary. 

In  other  words,  "  I  know  that  the  great  and  primary  cause  of  Feeble-Minded- 
ness  is  a  Feeble-Minded  mother  or  father,  or  both.  I  would  not  want  to  be  born 
Feeble-minded.  We  taxpayers  should  not  have  to  support  more  Feeble-Minded 
persons  than  we  can  help.  I  should  help  to  prevent  the  Feeble-Minded  of  this 
generation  making  dreadful  failures  of  their  lives,  becoming  prostitutes,  criminals 
and  the  like.  I  should  prevent  the  Feeble-Minded  having  children.  The  only 
sensible  way  to  do  this  is  to  move  the  State  and  the  Municipality  to  take  permanent 
care  of  them  in  colonies  and  institutions.  Then  my  children  and  other  Canadians 
will  have  few  or  no  Feeble-Minded  to  care  for  when  they  pay  the  taxes  of  the  next 
generation.  And  the  Canadian  National  Stock  will  not  degenerate  by  such  an 
admixture  as  in  England  of  150,000  Feeble-Minded  persons." 


16  REPORT  OF  THE  No.  23 


Xot  the  Slow  and  Backward. 

Let  it  be  well  and  clearly  known  that  we  are  not  including  in  the  Feeble- 
Minded  those  children  or  grown  persons  who  are  called  slow,  backward,  stupid, 
dunces  (these  last  two  names  are  unsuitable).  Book-learning  is  not  as  important 
as  we  think  it  is.  A  child  may  learn  arithmetic,  reading  and  writing  with  great 
difficulty  and  yet  may  be  quick,  resourceful,  industrious  and  independent  on  the 
playground  and  at  home,  as  well  as  in  after  life.  He  may  have  common  sense, 
which  is  a  higher  type  of  knowledge  than  the  three  R's.  He  may  have  initiative. 
He  may  be  able  to  take  care  of  himself.  He  may  make  a  success  of  life,  though  he 
was  not  a  special  success  in  the  schoolroom. 

The  Feeble-Minded  Need  Permanent  Care. 

We  are  talking  of  those  who  will  always  be  helpless  dependents  on  others,  who 
are  incapable  of  "  competing  on  equal  terms  with  their  normal  fellows,  or  of  man- 
aging themselves  or  their  affairs  with  ordinary  prudence."  In  a  word,  we  are  speak- 
ing of  those  who  cannot  make  a  success  of  life  on  account  of  their  mental  defect, 
and  of  citizens  who  should  be  cared  for  during  life.  The  Feeble-Minded  are  the 
only  group  of  citizens  that  should  be  cared  for  during  life.  The  Hospital  patient 
needs  his  bed  there  only  while  he  is  ill.  The  asylum  patient  needs  his  bed  there 
only  when  he  is  insane.  The  normal  orphan  should  be  made  a  member  of  some 
other  home.  The  criminal  is  not  imprisoned  until  his  guilt  is  proved,  and  he  should 
go  back  to  the  world  as  soon  as  he  is  a  safe  citizen,  but  not  before.  But  the  men- 
tally defective  cannot  manage  in  the  world  outside.  They  need  the  permanent 
care  and  strength  of  an  institution  where  they  are  fitted  into  a  place  that  they  can 
fill  well  and  given  useful  work  that  they  can  do,  and  are  kept  from  harm  and  temp- 
tation, and  prevented  from  inflicting  children  worse  than  themselves  on  this  long- 
suffering  Anglo-Saxon  community.  That  is  the  only  place  for  them,  and  if  we  do 
not  put  them  in  Institutions  they  will  put  themselves  there  sooner  or  later.  It  is 
much  cheaper  and  better  every  way  to  find  out  in  our  National  Schools  who  these 
present  and  future  Feeble-Minded  are,  for  we  know  that  this  can  be  done  with  no 
mistake  (See  previous  Reports),  and  take  care  of  them  before  they  have  committed 
their  crimes,  contaminated  their  communities,  cost  thousands  of  dollars,  lost  their 
little  capacity  for  work  and  usefulness,  and  contributed  greatly  to  that  degeneracy 
of  Canadian  National  Stock  which  will  as  surely  overtake  us  as  it  has  overtaken 
other  countries,  if  we  do  not  prevent  it. 

We  are  not.  lifting  a  finger  to  prevent  it.  That  is  the  way  to  make  sure  that 
it  will  happen  to  us.     All  we  need  to  do  is  to  sit  still. 

The  Best  Policy  for  the  Nation. 

This  is  not  an  argument  for  spending  money,  strength,  time  and  skill  on  a 
child  who  can  never  be  made  enough  of  a  man  or  enough  of  a  woman  to  repay  that 
time,  money,  strength  and  skill.  All  children  are  equally  the  children  of  the  State. 
The  mentally-effective  child  is  the  child  of  the  State.  The  State  must  do  the  best 
for  them  all.  And  this  is  the  great  argument  for  caring  for  the  Feeble-Minded — 
that  it  is  the  best  policy  for  the  Nation.  It  is  well  that  it  happens  to  be  the  best 
policy  for  the  Feeble-Minded  too.  And  it  is  the  cheapest  policy — and  the  most 
humane.  But  the  last  three  arguments  are  as  nothing  to  the  first.  It  is  the  best 
policy  for  the  Nation. 


1912  FEEBLE-MINDED  IN  ONTARIO.  17 

Cruelty  vs.  Kindness. 

It  has  taken  us  a  long  time  to  learn  that  it  is  extravagace,  not  economy — 
cruelty,  not  kindness — insanity,  not  wisdom — to  give  the  Feeble-Minded  their 
liberty  in  order  that  they  may  make  us  pay,  pay,  pay,  for  their  food,  their  shelter, 
their  clothes,  their  folly,  their  crimes,  their  children.  Now  that  we  have  learned 
that,  in  Heaven's  name  let  us,  while  we  have  the  chance,  put  that  knowledge  to  use 
and  prevent  payments  falling  due  on  us  and  on  our  children. 

Medical  Inspection  in  Schools. 

One  of  the  most  striking  results  of  Medical  Inspection  of  Schools  has  been 
to  bring  to  light  the  fact  that  there  are  mentally  defective  children  in  our  Public 
Schools.  As  soon  as  the  doctor  finds  the  mentally  defective  child,  the  school 
authority  who  has  sent  the  doctor  into  the  school  is  bound  to  meet  this  problem 
and  find  a  solution  for  it.  That  solution  so  far  has  been  the  special  class  and  the 
special  school. 


Better  Classification. 


So  far  as  the  Public  School  is  concerned,  it  is  evident  that  better  classification 
of  our  scholars  is  urgently  required.  There  are  those  who  need  what  are  called  in 
Germany  "Auxiliary  Classes."  For  some  reason — e.g.,  long-continued  absence, 
delicacy,  foreign  birth  and  parentage,  physical  disability,  whether  of  the  back 
(Potts'  Disease  or  tuberculosis  of  the  spine)  or  of  the  limbs  (infantile  paralysis, 
etc.),  or  of  the  special  senses  of  sight  and  hearing — they  need  special  teaching  and 
consideration,  and  they  should  have  it.  Then  there  are  those  who  are  very  slow 
in  brain  action,  very  backward  and  not  apt  at  all  at  book-learning. 

The  Special  Classes. 

Finally  there  are  those  who  are  really  mentally  defective — those  whom  no 
nutrition,  care  or  training  ever  make  normal.  All  the  others  can,  if  they  will, 
make  a  success  of  life.  The  really  mentally  defective  cannot.  They  have  not  the 
power  and  nothing  can  give  it  to  them.  What  shall  be  done  with  them  in  the  Public 
Schools?  The  best  answer  to  this  question  is  the  establishment  of  a  Special  Class. 
But  it  had  better  be  said  here  at  once  that  unless  permanent  care  is  to  be  provided 
by  the  Government  and  the  municipalities  as  part  of  the  scheme  for  those  requiring 
it,  the  Special  Class  had  better  not  be  established. 

The  Function  of  the  Special  Classes. 

The  real  function  of  the  special  school  is  that  of  a  clearing-house.  It  gives  us 
an  opportunity,  while  helping  the  mentally-defective  children,  to  study  them  thor- 
oughly, to  observe  them  and  know  what  ought  to  be  done  for  them. 

In  England  the  age  limit  for  special  classes  is  sixteen  years.  Special  classes 
cost  a  lot  of  money,  about  three  or  four  times  as  much  as  an  ordinary  class.  What 
has  that  money  been  spent  for?  To  improve  Feeble-Minded  boys  and  girls  so  that 
they  are  more  likely  to  marry  when  they  are  dismissed  from  school,  or  at  any  rate 
to  become  parents ! 

2  f.  M. 


18  KEPORT  OF  THE  No.  23 


The  Worst  Thing  that  Could  Happen. 

From  the  point  of  view  of  National  Welfare,  which  National  Education  is 
supposed  to  promote,  this  is  the  worst  thing  that  could  possibly  happen  to  them  and 
to  us.  Special  Schools  really  increase  the  evil  they  are  established  to  cure.  To 
quote  the  words  of  the  Medical  Officer,  a  chief  authority  on  Public  Health  and 
National  Welfare,  in  commenting  on  the  Presidential  Address  of  Dr.  Willoughby, 
President  of  the  Society  of  Medical  Officers  of  Health,  "  He  deplored  that  one  of 
the  unfortunate  results  of  improving  a  feeble-minded  child,  whether  physically 
or  intellectually,  was  often  to  bring  it  to  just  such  a  state  that  it  could  merge, 
imperfectly  developed,  into  the  marriage  market,  with  disastrous  results  for  another 
generation.  The  gravity  of  the  position  is  one  which  cannot  be  ignored,  and  we 
find  ourselves  in  cordial  agreement  with  Dr.  Willoughby  when  he  says  that  the 
sooner  the  Government  adopts  these  feeble-minded  people  altogether  and  directs 
their  career  the  better  will  it  be  for  the  public  health  of  the  country."  The 
Special  Class  is  certainly  an  indispensable  part  of  any  scheme  for  the  care  and 
■control  of  the  Feeble-Minded,  but  it  is  only  one  part  of  such  a  scheme,  and  taken 
by  itself  it  is  about  as  useful  as  the  work  of  a  laundress  who  puts  the  soiled  clothes 
to  soak  but  never  washes  them,  never  wrings  them  out,  never  hangs  them  out  to 
dry,  never  irons  them,  but  just  leaves  them  to  soak. 

The  Special  Class  Useful. 

The  Special  Class,  as  such,  was  also  necessary  to  increase  our  knowledge  of 
the  problem  of  the  Feeble-Minded.  But  now  that  Special  Classes  and  their  results 
have  been  given  a  fair  and  good  trial,  now  that  we  have  a  large  amount  of  informa- 
tion on  how  to  establish  and  conduct  Special  Classes,  and  know  that  we  can  prove 
that  mentally-defective  children  can  be  improved  and  made  happier  by  Special 
Classes,  but  cannot  be  made  able  to  be  citizens,  we  are  in  a  position  to  agree  with 
Dr.  Frank  Eobinson,  Medical  Officer  of  Health  of  Cambridgeshire,  when  he  says : 

"  Great  care  must  therefore  be  exercised  in  the  selection  of  children  who  may 
he  expected  to  derive  real  benefit  from  special  education  provided  by  this  means, 
and  unless  the  future  care  and  employment  of  the  children  can  be  guaranteed,  the 
■expenditure  involved  cannot  be  regarded  as  justifiable." 

Special  Classes  in  England. 

It  is  now  twenty  years  since  the  London  School  Board  decided  to  establish 
Special  Schools,  and  almost  twenty  years  since,  in  March,  1892,  the  Leicester  School 
Board  opened  the  first  Special  Class.  The  Act  of  1893  (revised  in  1903)  followed, 
which  insisted  on  better  provision  for  the  education  of  defective  children,  and 
•clearly  defined  the  kind  of  children  suitable  for  instruction  in  the  special  schools — 
as  those  children  who  "  not  being  imbeciles,  and  not  merely  dull  and  backward,  are 
defective,  that  is  to  say,  they,  by  reason  of  mental  or  physical  defect,  are  incapable 
of  receiving  proper  benefit  from  the  instruction  in  the  ordinary  public  elementary 
schools;  but  are  not  incapable — by  reason  of  such  defect — of  receiving  benefit  in 
special  classes  or  schools."  Instructions  were  also  issued  to  Inspectors  in  1905  as 
follows:  "Any  child  of  seven  years  of  age,  who  makes  no  progress  in  reading, 
writing  or  number,  and  any  child  whose  attainments  are  more  than  two  years  behind 
those  of  the  average  child  of  that  age,  is  prima  facie  a  case  for  special  schools." 
Also  "  children  who  exhibit  unusual  peculiarities  of  temperament  and  moral  per- 


1912  FEEBLE-MIXDED  IX  OXTARIO.  19 

ception,  or  are  deficient  in  energy,  will  power,  self-control,  memory,  or  the  sense  of 
discipline  ^nd  response,  probably  require  special  treatment,  which  cannot  be  given 
in  the  schools  for  ordinary  children." 

The  Act  of  1899  permitted  Boards  of  Education  to  establish  Special  Schools. 

Thirteen  Years'  Experience. 

The  Elementary  Education  (Defective  and  Epileptic  Children)  Act  of  1899 
has  now  been  in  operation  almost  thirteen  years,  and  so  we  may  be  able  to  have 
some  idea  of  how  far  it  solves  the  problem  of  caring  for  the  Feeble-Minded.  As 
pointed  out  by  Mrs.  Hume  Pinsent  and  others  (Conference  of  the  Xational  Special 
Schools  Union),  the  Act,  no  doubt,  was  of  some  use,  as  representing  the  best  legis- 
lation at  the  time. 

Limitations  of  the  Act. 

A  system  of  Xational  Schools  should  provide  education  for  all  the  children  of 
the  Xation.  The  above  Act  expressly  limits  this  in  two  directions,  as  Mrs.  Pinsent 
points  out. 

(1)  Children  who  are  imbecile  are  excluded  from  Special  Classes. 

(2)  Children  who  are  merely  dull  and  backward  are  also  excluded  from  Special 
Classes. 

Yet  it  is  important  to  remember  that  all  imbeciles  and  many  idiots  are  train- 
able and  can  learn  to  do  something  useful — if  it  is  only  picking  stones — and  all  are 
improvable. 

The  Act  out  of  Date. 

It  would  seem  that  those  who  framed  the  Act  of  1899  expected  that  mentally 
defective  children  could  be  so  improved  by  training  that  they  might  then  return 
to  the  ordinary  classes  with  normal  children.  A  few  children  are  so  returned.  It 
is  easy  to  see  that  either  the  children  were  not  mentally-defective  at  all,  but  only 
dull  and  backward,  or  else  they  were  mentally-defective  and  should  not  be  replaced 
in  the  ordinary  class.     Mentally-defective  children  cannot  be  made  normal. 

The  Act  calls  for — 

(1)  Xot  more  than  15  in  a  class. 

(2)  Specially-qualified  teachers. 

(3)  Double  floor  space  for  each  pupil,  as  compared  with  the  ordinary  class. 

Each  of  these  adds  to  the  expense  of  the  Special  Class,  and  so,  though  the  Gov- 
ernment grant  is  large,  the  additional  cost  to  each  school  authority  is  almost  three 
times  as  much  as  for  a  child  in  an  ordinary  class. 

Only  one-fifth  of  the  mentally-defective  children  in  England,  and  Wales  are  in 
special  classes. 

The  Special  Class  Curriculum. 

Finally,  the  Special  Classes  have  been  trying  to  teach  the  wrong  things.  A 
few  Feeble-Minded,  and  only  a  few,  can  learn  to  read  well  enough  to  give  them- 
selves pleasure.  Very  few  can  learn  enough  arithmetic  to  be  of  any  use.  If,  then, 
very  few  can  get  any  pleasure  or  profit  out  of  the  three  R's,  why  teach  them  except 
to  the  few?  The  Special  Schools  should  be  more  like  technical  or  trade  schools — 
should  find  out  what  the  mentally-defective  can  do  and  encourage  them  to  do  it. 


20  REPORT  OF  THE  Xo.  23 


History  of  Special  Classes. 

Of  the  45,000  mentally-defective  children  in  England  and  Wales,  only  10,253 
are  on  the  registers  of  the  Special  Classes  and  the  Special  Schools.  The  Act,  being 
only  permissive,  has  not  been  by  any  means  universally  adopted. 

Elementary  Education  (Defective  and  Epileptic  Children)  Act,  1899. 
In  1902  it  was  adopted  by  47  Education  Authorities. 
In  1906  it  was  adopted  by  78  Education  Authorities. 
In  1910  it  was  adopted  by  142  Education  Authorities. 

The  total  number  of  Education  Authorities  in  England  and  Wales  is  322. 
However,  in  the  case  of  40  of  these  schools,  two  or  more  authorities  contribute  to 
them  and  send  pupils. 

The  total  cost  of  educating  such  children  in  Special  Classes  in  day  schools  is 
about  £10  to  £12  per  annum,  about  three  times  the  cost  of  educating  normal  chil- 
dren in  the  regular  classes,  and  in  Residential  Schools  the  cost  is  from  £25  to  £35  per 
annum. 

Sir  George  Xewman,  M.D.,  Chief  Medical  Officer  to  the  Board  of  Education, 
states  in  his  Annual  Report  that  four  things  are  mainly  needed  in  dealing  properly 
with  this  matter: 

(1)  More  accurate  and  useful  classification,  including  the  differentiation  of 
the  educable  from  the  ineducable,  and  the  appropriate  grouping  of  the  children 
according  to  the  nature  of  the  education  from  which  they  may  be  expected  to 
profit; 

(2)  A  more  practical,  manual,  and  industrial  training,  adapted  not  only  to 
the  degree  of  mental  defect,  but  also  to  the  age,  sex  and  physical  capacity  and 
requirements  of  the  child; 

(3)  More  effective  and  vigilant  after-care,  which  shall  not  consist  merely  in 
the  collection  of  statistics,  but  shall  include  the  careful  following  up  of  all  cases, 
rendering  assistance  in  obtaining  occupation,  promoting  the  welfare  of,  and  main- 
taining a  connection  and  interest  with,  the  children  who  have  left  school  by  means 
of  societies,  clubs  and  other  friendly  associations,  with  a  view  to  continuing  edu- 
cational influences  and  preventing  degeneration ;   and 

(4)  Power  to  establish  and  assist  residential  institutions  or  colonies  for  pro- 
viding custodial  care  for  all  ineducable  feeble-minded  children,  and  such  educable 
feeble-minded  children  as  may  require  it,  including  power  to  provide  for  such 
detention  as  may  prove  necessary. 

The  Special  Class  gives  great  relief  to  the  regular  classes  in  a  school  system  by 
removing  from  the  ordinary  classroom  those  who  are  a  continual  source  of  worry, 
anxiety  and  overwork  to  the  teacher,  who  act  as  a  drag  on  the  other  children,  and 
who  are  themselves  unhappy  and  distressed  because  they  cannot  get  on  and  are 
altogether  out  of  place. 

Suggestions  for  a  Special  Class  Room. 

We  are  frequently  asked  the  question,  'What  kind  of  a  room  should  be 
provided  for  the  Special  Class  in  the  Public  Schools,  and  how  should  it  be 
equipped?1 

In  answering  this  question  it  should  be  remembered  that  the  children  who 
make  up  a  Special  Class  are  peculiar  and  exceptional  children;  that  the  ordinary 
methods  of  school  are  not  applicable  to  them,  and  that  the  teacher  of  these  children, 


1912  FEEBLE-MINDED  IN  ONTARIO.  '21 

being  a  specialist  in  her  line,  must  have  the  equipment  which  shall  enable  her, 
first  of  all,  to  make  her  group  happy;  secondly,  to  keep  them  well  occupied,  and, 
thirdly,  to  train  along  the  line  which  they  can  follow. 

If  the  specifications  here  given  seem  ideal,  it  should  be  remembered  that  the 
conditions  ought  to  be  ideal  for  a  group  of  this  sort.  Of  course,  it  will  often  be 
necessary  to  modify  these  somewhat  to  fit  the  circumstances  and  conditions  existing 
in  the  school.  But  with  the  ideal  before  us,  the  modifications  can  be  made  more 
easily  than  without  it. 

First  of  all,  the  room  should  be  large,  light  and  airy.  These  children  are 
often  physically,  as  well  as  mentally,  defective,  and  every  convenience  and  con- 
dition which  is  conducive  to  their  improvement  in  health  should  be  complied  with. 

The  plan  is  for  a  room  for  fifteen  children.  This  is  more  than  should  be  put 
in  one  class.  Ten  would  be  better.  But  inasmuch  as  it  is  often  found  necessary 
to  put  in  as  many  as  fifteen,  we  have  put  our  estimate  on  that  basis. 

A  room  thirty  by  forty  feet,  with  a  south  and  east  or  a  south  and  west  exposure 
would  be  the  most  desirable.  If  possible,  windows  should  reach  the  floor  and 
swing,  so  as  to  make  possible  an  open-air  room  in  all  suitable  weather. 

The  walls  should  be  of  a  neutral  tint,  such  as  light  buff  or  green. 

Instead  of  the  usual  school  desks,  the  room  should  be  fitted  with  tables  and 
chairs  which  can  be  pushed  aside  to  clear  the  floor  for  play  or  exercise.  Since  the 
children  that  are  placed  in  a  Special  Class  are  graded  by  mentality  rather  than  by 
chronological  age  or  physical  height,  the  tables  and  chairs  should  be  of  varying 
sizes  to  fit  the  different  children.  Strong,  well-made  chairs  are  desirable.  They 
should  be  of  approximately  the  following  heights,  three  of  each:  12  inches,  13% 
inches,  15  inches,  I6V2  inches  and  eighteen  inches.  Kindergarten  chairs  will  fit 
the  two  smaller  sizes;  large  chairs  can  be  cut  down  for  the  medium  ones.  There 
should  be  three  each  of  the  following  size  tables:  22  inches  high,  26  x  18  inches 
top;  24  inches  high,  30  x  20  inches  top;  26  inches  high,  34  x  22  inches  top;  28 
inches  high,  38  x  24  inches  top;  30  inches  high,  42  x  26  inches  top.  These  may 
be  supplied  with  rubber  tips  on  the  legs  if  desired.  These  should  be  very  simply 
made — plain  board  top  with  a  batten  across  each  end  into  which  the  legs  should  fit. 
There  should  be  no  boxing,  because  this  would  interfere  with  the  arranging  of  the 
tables  when  they  are  put  away.  If  they  are  made  of  the  dimensions  specified,  they 
may  be  "nested,"  the  five  being  placed  together,  occupying  only  the  space  of  one, 
so  that  the  whole  fifteen,  when  not  in  use,  may  be  put  away  on  one  side  of  the  room, 
occupying  only  the  space  of  three  tables,  the  smaller  ones  fitting  under  the  larger 
ones.  The  tops,  should  be  finished  plain,  without  varnish,  as  that  looks  badly  when 
cut  or  scratched,  and  the  tables  should  be  usable  for  all  sorts  of  work. 

There  should  be  eight  work  benches  of  suitable  form  for  the  woodworking  that 
is  to  be  done  by  the  children.  These  should  be  single  work  benches,  adjustable,  and 
small  enough  so  that  they  will  arrange  along  the  sides  of  the  room  where  the  win- 
dows are  placed  so  as  to  have  good  light  at  work. 

Around  the  other  two  sides  of  the  room  should  be  cases  for  storing  work  and 
materials,  18  inches  deep  and  4  feet  high,  with  sliding  doors.  The  tops  would  thus 
serve  for  ornaments  or  txhibiting  work,  or  for  plants  or  anything  of  that  sort  which 
is  convenient. 

The  space  between  the  windows  should  be  filled  with  blackboards  which  come 
down  low  enough  for  the  smallest  children,  but  also  high  enough  for  the  teacher's 
use.  Of  course,  necessary  tools  for  all  sorts  of  work  should  be  provided  as  desired 
by  the  teacher,  also  material  such  as  lumber,  paper,  reed  and  raphia,  cloth,  yarn, 
etc.,  inks,  brushes,  varnishes,  stains,  etc. 


22  EEPOET  OF  THE  No.  23 

Adjoining  this  room  there  should  be  a  bathroom  with  a  shower  bath  at  least, 
if  not  a  tub,  and  also  a  cloak  room.  This  bathroom  might  also  be  made  suitable 
to  do  laundry  work  and  possibly  also  what  kitchen  work  may  be  needed,  either  for 
training  the  children  in  domestic  science  or  for  preparing  their  own  luncheons.  If 
preferred,  this  kitchen  work  may  be  done  in  the  main  school  room,  where  there 
should  also  be  dishes  and  everything  necessary  for  setting  a  table.  These  can  be 
used  both  for  the  educational  work  and  for  lunches  for  the  children. 

There  may  also  be  had  the  equipment  for  the  various  other  rooms  in  a  home, 
such  as  a  bed  with  bedding  and  other  articles  of  furnishing.  If  desired,  a  folding 
screen  may  be  used,  about  six  feet  high,  which  shall  screen  off  a  portion  of  the 
main  room,  thereby  making  it  on,  occasions  either  a  bedroom,  a  dining-room,  a  sit- 
ting-room, or  whatever  room  the  teacher  desires  to  use  in  her  instruction  in  house- 
hold work. 

Such  books  as  are  necessary  may  be  kept  in  or  on  the  cupboards,  and  the 
tables  and  chairs  will  be  all  that  will  be  needed  when  anything  in  the  line  of  book 
work  is  going  on.  A  few  pieces  of  gymnastic  apparatus,  such  as  a  horse,  a  jumping 
bar  and  the  like,  may  be  easily  kept  in  the  corners  of  the  room ;  also  a  gymnasium 
mat  may  be  utilized  to  the  great  joy  and  advantage  of  the  children. 

Some,  of  course,  will  prefer  to  have  separate  rooms  for  these  different  things, 
carrying  on  more  or  less  departmental  work  with  such  a  group.  However,  it  must 
not  be  forgotten  that  these  children  come  from  homes  that  are  of  the  simplest  sort, 
and  it  is  probably  not  desirable  to  set  before  them  the  ideals  of  room  and  space  to 
which  they  can  never  attain;  so  that  it  is  not  altogether  a  disadvantage  to  have 
everything  in  one  room,  and  to  make  that  room  now  a  schoolroom,  now  a  laundry, 
now  a  bedroom,  and  so  on. 

"We  make  no  attempt  to  suggest  details  of  the  things  that  should  be  done, 
because  that  will  depend  largely  upon  circumstances  and  upon  the  training  of  the 
teacher.  If  the  latter  is  well  trained,  she  knows  better  than  anyone  else  what  she 
should  have,  and  her  demands  should  be  acceded  to  as  far  as  possible. 

It  goes  without  saying  that  the  children  should  not  spend  all  of  their  time  in 
this  room  or  these  rooms.  There  should  be  an  ample  playground,  and  much  time 
should  be  spent  there.  It  should  not  be  counted  as  the  recess  in  the  usual  accepta- 
tion of  the  term,  but  just  as  much  a  part  of  their  training  as  anything  else  for  them 
to  run  and  romp  and  play  in  the  open  air  during  school  hours. 

With  a  Special  Class  in  such  a  room  and  with  the  kind  of  work  which  such  a 
room  implies,  there  will  never  be  any  objection  from  parents  to  having  their  child 
placed  in  the  Special  Class.  Indeed,  the  result  will  be,  as  it  has  already  proved  in 
many  cases,  that  parents  will  ask  to  have  their  children  removed  to  this  sort  of 
class,  and  thus  will  be  solved  one  of  the  problems  which  always  confronts  superin- 
tendents and  Boards  of  Education  when  they  contemplate  establishing  a  class  for 
backward  pupils." — The  Training  School. 

The  Education  op  Feeble-Minded  Children. 

Seven  or  eight  years  of  age  is  usually  early  enough  for  the  school  life  of  a 
child  to  begin.  This  applies  to  the  Feeble-Minded,  as  well  as  to  normal  children. 
The  only  exception  in  either  case  is  the  unhappy  one  that  when  the  home  surround- 
ings are  so  bad  that  the  child  is  better  and  safer  at  school;  then,  perhaps,  the 
child  ought  to  be  allowed  to  attend  school  at  five  years  of  age.  It  is  to  be  re- 
membered, however,  that  many  cases  of  Feeble-Mindedness  cannot  be  accurately 
diagnosed  till  they  are  eight  years  of  age  or  older. 


1912  FEEBLE-MINDED  IN  ONTARIO.  23 

The  age  of  the  child  when  he  began  to  walk  and  talk  is  a  help  in  the  matter 
of  diagnosis.  Infinite  patience  and  great  teaching  are  necessary  in  dealing  with 
the  Feeble-Minded  child.  The  normal  baby  will  get  on  its  feet  as  soon  as  it  is 
ready  and  should  not  be  hurried,  but  the  Feeble-Minded  must  be  taught  to  walk 
— must  be  taught  to  do  everything. 

They  Cannot  Learn  at  Home. 

It  is  of  the  utmost  importance  that  they  should  learn  to  wash,  dress  and  feed 
themselves.  This  is  almost  never  learned  at  home.  Ask  the  poor  mother  of  a 
Feeble-Minded  child  if  he  can  put  on  his  own  clothes  at  all,  and  the  almost  in- 
variable answer  is  "No."  Not  that  the  child  cannot  learn.  He  can.  Give  him 
a  gigantic  upper  of  a  boot  with  big  eyelets  you  can  put  your  little  finger  through, 
and  a  big  lace  with  a  point  on,  and  he  will  learn  to  lace  it  up.  But  it  is  such  a 
task  to  teach  the  child  that  the  mother  thinks  (wrongly)  it  cannot  be  done.  It 
can.     And  it  does  the  child  a  great  deal  of  good. 

Manual  work  of  every  kind  is  the  important  thing  to  be  taught  in  a  Special 
Class.  Reading  may  be  a  source  of  pleasure  if  the  child  can  learn  to  read  fluently. 
If  not,  it  should  be  omitted.  Number  work  only  and  simple  calculation  should 
be  taught  to  those  who  can  learn  it. 

Eesults  of  Special  Classes  in  Birmingham. 

In  Birmingham,  where  Special  Classes  have  been  carried  on  for  over  ten 
years,  a  great  service  has  been  done  to  the  whole  movement  .by  Mrs.  Hume  Pin- 
sent,  Dr.  Potts,  Dr.  Auden  and  the  members  of  the  After  Care  Committees.  They 
have  kept  account  of  650  cases  of  children  who  were  in  the  Special  Schools  and 
have  been  at  work  since.  Some  of  them  have  been  at  work  for  more  than  ten 
years.  (Dr.  Potts.)  Only  eight  of  the  650  who  are  over  twenty  years  of  age  are 
doing  any  remunerative  work  at  all.  Only  three  out  of  the  650  earn  15  shillings 
a  week.  Only  21  out  of  the  650  earn  as  much  as  10  shillings  per  week.  In  other 
words:  Do  your  best  for  the  Feeble-Minded — and  even  then  they  cannot  really 
begin  to  care  for  themselves. 

The  most  recent  Report  of  the  Birmingham  After  Care  Committee  gives  a  re- 
cord of  763  cases  since  1901.  Of  these,  173  are  at  remunerative  work — average 
weekly  wage  7s.  3d. — and  210  are  lost  sight  of. 

It  is  to  be  observed,  however,  that  there  are  more  mentally-defective  employed 
just  after  leaving  school  than  at  any  other  time.  The  older  they  get,  the  harder  it 
is  to  get  work  for  them,  and  so  they  swell  the  great  army  of  the  unemployable.  In 
the  Institution   where  the  work  is  organized  and  put  to  good  use   it  is  different. 

Sheffield. 

Enquiries  have  been  made  as  to  the  condition  of  24  pupils  who  have  left  the 
Special  Classes  in  Sheffield  for  the  mentally  defective.  Only  9  of  them  are  able 
to  earn  anything: — 

15s.  per  week  are  earned  by  one. 
6s.  "  "  two. 

5s.  "  "  one. 

4s.  "  "  two. 

3s.  "  "  two. 

2s.  "  "  one. 


24  REPORT  OF  THE  No.  23 

Special  Classes  in  Toronto. 

The  Board  of  Education  in  Toronto,  which  was  the  first  in  Canada'  to  estab- 
lish special  classes  for  mentally-defective  children,  has  now  some  forty  children 
in  four  classes  held  in  four  different  schools.  Two  teachers  have  charge  of  this 
work  and  conduct  two  classes  each,  in  the  morning  at  one  school  and  in  the  after- 
noon at  another.  The  parents  of  these  children  usually  feel  that  a  great  deal  has 
been  done  for  their  children  in  these  Special  Classes.  In  December,  1911,  it  was 
stated  that  the  Board  would  request  the  Government  to  take  charge  of  these  cases, 
as  they  were  really  cases  for  Institution  care. 

Some  educational  authorities  in  Canada  are  in  favour  of  establishing  Special 
Classes  in  connection  with  Normal  training-schools  for  teachers,  and  there  is  a 
growing  disposition  on  the  part  of  the  general  public  to  consider  the  case  of  the 
physically  or  mentally  defective  boy  or  girl  and  give  him  or  her  a  chance. 

Fort  William. 

In  September,  1911.  the  Supervising  Principal  of  the  Public  Schools  of  Fort 
William,  having  noticed  some  pupils  in  the  same  grade  year  after  year,  recom- 
mended to  the  Board  of  Education  a  Special  Class  as  an  experiment.  As  in  other 
places  it  was  found  that  fifteen  pupils,  which  is  the  maximum  number  to  have  in 
a  special  class,  appeared  at  once.  Some  of  them  simply  needed  stimulus — they 
are  lazy.  Some  need  more  time  and  patience  than  the  ordinary  class  teacher  can 
give — they  are  abnormally  slow  and  so  get  behind.  Some  have  been  away  from 
school  and  are  too  old  and  too  large  to  put  into  the  Sr.  I.  They  will  soon  "catch 
up"  with  individual  attention.  But  some  are  certainly  sub-normal  mentally  and 
then  the  Special  Class  is  the  greatest  boon  of  all. 

Hamilton. 

Hamilton,  in  September,  1911,  also  established  a  Special  Class,  which  opened 
with  eight  pupils  at  one  school  in  the  morning  and  four  pupils  at  another  school 
in  the  afternoon.  Some  of  these  pupils  were  apparently  not  really  defective  ment- 
ally but  suffered  from  severe  deafness  or  some  defect  in  speech,  or  other  disability. 
Others  were  no  doubt  feeble-minded. 

There  have  thus  been  three  cities  already  in  Ontario  to  take  advantage  of  the 
Act  regarding  Special  Classes  passed  by  the  Legislature  in  1911.  It  is  hoped  that 
the  grant  therein  contemplated  and  other  direction  and  assistance  from  the  Edu- 
cation Department  of  Ontario  may  soon  result  in  the  establishment  of  other 
Special  Classes. 

Canadians  Teaching  Special  'Classes. 

It  should  also  be  mentioned  that  several  teachers  from  Ontario  are  teachers 
of  Special  Classes  in  New  York,  and  probably  in  other  cities  of  the  United  States. 
This  is  another  proof  of  Canadian  interest  in  the  case  of  the  Feeble-Minded  from 
an  educational  point  of  view. 

The  'Children's  Aid  Society. 

The  position  taken  by  the  Children's  Aid  Societies  in  Ontario  and  by  Mr. 
J.  J.  Kelso,  Superintendent  of  Neglected  and  Dependent  Children  for  Ontario,  is 


1912  FEEBLE-MINDED  IN  ONTARIO.  25 

that  the  Children's  Aid  Society  cannot  take  charge  of  Feeble-Minded  children. 
Inasmuch  as  the  work  of  the  Society  consists  largely  in  finding  foster  homes  for 
these  children,  this  attitude  is  a  right  one  and  the  only  right  one  for  the  Society 
to  take. 

Feeble-Minded  Children  Should  Not  be  Adopted. 

It  would  be  a  wicked  thing  to  receive  from  a  good  family  home  an  applica- 
tion for  a  child  for  adoption  and  abuse  the  confidence  of  the  foster-parents  by 
placing  in  that  home  a  child  destined  to  disappoint  all  their  hopes  and  to  harm 
the  other  children  in  that  home  and  community.  We  must  be  honest.  And  the 
more  people  trust  us  the  more  careful  we  need  to  be. 

Be  Careful. 

The  fact  that  we  now  know  more  about  the  Feeble-Minded  child  means  that 
we  must  be  a  great  deal  more  careful  about  giving  out  children  for  adoption.  The 
day  is  gone  by  when  institutions  or  societies  or  individuals  can  properly  give  out 
children  for  adoption  and  conceal  the  family  history  of  these  children.  Every 
effort  must  be  made  to  find  out  that  history,  in  order  to  protect  the  foster-home 
and  to  protect  the  community. 

The  Laboratory  a  Great  Help. 

This  is  a  great  service  that  has  been  done  to  the  world  by  such  institutions 
as  the  Training-School  of  the  Feeble-Minded  at  Vineland.  where  Superintendent 
Johnstone,  who  does  his  best  for  all  the  Feeble-Minded  under  his  care  and  makes 
them  happy,  is  no  less  interested  in  the  question  of  preventing  Feeble-Mindedness. 
So  the  laboratory  at  Vineland  under  Dr.  H.  H.  Goddard  has  studied  scientifically 
every  inmate. 

The  Field  Workfrs. 

The  field  workers  have  gone  up  and  down  New  Jersey  and  other  States, 
searched  records  of  every  sort,  interviewed  the  oldest  inhabitants,  examined  the 
registers  of  births,  marriages  and  deaths,  searched  the  tax  collectors'  books,  parish 
registers,  municipal  registers,  voters'  lists,  read  the  books  of  the  County  Poor- 
Houses,  even  gone  over  the  inscriptions  on  grave  stones  to  find  out  family  histories 
for  several  generations. 

"W'e  Know  the  Danger. 

And  so  we  now  know,  not  think,  or  suppose,  that  there  is  a  great  risk  in 
adopting  a  child  where  there  is  a  taint  of  Feeble-Mindedness  in  the  family  tree. 
Here  is  an  example  given  by  Dr.  Goddard: 

An  Attractive  Feeble-Minded  Girl. 

See  Emma  W.  waiting  on  the  table  at  Vineland.  No  one  but  an  expert  (or 
some  one  who  has  known  her  for  some  time  as  well  as  a  teacher  does  a  pupil  in 
her  class)  would  ever  dream  that  the  girl  was  Feeble-Minded.  She  was  twenty- 
two  years  old  last  February.     Her  mental  age  is  10  years.     She  cannot  count  8 


26  BEPOBT  OF  THE  No.  23 

plates  to  set  on  the  table  unless  she  knows  each  person  and  can  say,  one  for  Mr. 
N.  and  one  for  Mrs.  X.,  one  for  Miss  B.,  etc.,  etc.  The  first  piece  of  information 
that  Dr.  Goddard  got  about  that  girl  was  this:  "A  half-brother  and  sister  are 
placed  out  in  good  families."  Here,  now,  is  the  genealogical  tree  of  the  family, 
going  back  to  the  fifth  generation.  This  girl  has  seven  half  brothers  and  sisters, 
every  one  Feeble-Minded. 

Placed  Out  in  Good  Homes. 

Their  parents  were  Feeble-Minded,  the  grandparents  were  Feeble-Minded, 
and  so  were  two  great-grandfathers  and  two  great-great-grandfathers.  And  now 
what  of  the  "  Half-brother  and  sister  placed  out  in  good  families."  Feeble-minded- 
ness  is  rarely  evident  before  the  age  of  five,  often  not  till  three  or  four  years  later. 
No  one  but  an  expert  possibly  could  detect  it  then.  That  boy  or  girl  grew  up  in 
the  "  good  families,"  and,  at  the  best,  some  one  falls  in  love  and  marries  him  or  her ; 
or,  at  the  worst — it  happens  every  day — there  are  children,  but  no  marriage,  no 
home.  Then  begins  the  tale  of  shame,  and  the  poor  Feeble-Minded  mother,  truly 
more  sinned  against  by  us  than  sinning  herself,  takes  refuge  in  the  Home  of  the 
Sheltering  Arms,  or  some  such  Institution.  The  Infants'  Home,  the 
Maternity  Hospital,  the  Haven,  the  Magdalen  Asylum  know  her  only  too  well. 
And  we  have  records — fresh  records — obtained  in  this  year  of  grace  1911  of  Feeble- 
Minded  women  in  Ontario  having  eight  and  nine  children,  all  illegitimate  and  all 
Feeble-Minded.  Truly  a  substantial  contribution  to  the  150,000  that  we  are 
coming  to  if  we  do  not,  with  all  the  experience  of  England  and  America  to  learn 
from,  take  the  obvious  and  well-proved  means,  not  impossible  means  at  all,  to 
prevent  such  a  calamity. 

Feeble-Mindedness  Hereditary. 

There  is  no  escape  from  the  taint  of  Feeble-Mindedness.  If  it  is  there  it 
descends.  Do  men  gather  grapes  of  thorns  or  figs  of  thistles?  Until  they  do,  we 
need  not  expect  that  mental  degeneracy  will  not  descend  in  the  direct  line. 

Children's  Courts  and  the  Mentally  Defective  Child. 

The  police-court  is  not  a  place  for  any  child,  and  the  movement  to  establish 
Children's  Courts  in  Canada  was  early  compared  with  some  other  countries  and 
commended  itself  to  Canadians  from  the  first.  We  need  to  go  a  step  farther  with 
our  Children's  Courts.  Each  child  that  comes  before  the  Commissioner  or  Judge 
of  a  Juvenile  Court  has  to  be  studied  individually.  This  is  indispensable  to  the 
success  of  the  Court's  work.  And  it  has  led  to  the  discovery  that  there  are  some 
children  brought  before  Children's  Courts  who  are  mentally  defective. 

What  the  Judge  of  the  Juvenile  Court  Needs. 

There  are  several  cities  now  where  every  child  coming  before  the  Juvenile 
Court  is  examined  by  an  expert  and  a  record  and  report  of  the  mental  efficiency 
or  deficiency  of  that  child  is  made  for  the  use  of  the  Commission  or  Judge.  Dr. 
George  Auden,  in  Birmingham,  Dr.  M.  G.  Schlapp,  in  New  York,  and  Dr.  Wil- 
liam Healy,  in  Chicago,  are  all  engaged  in  this  work.  Philadelphia  and  Boston 
have  a  similar  plan  in  operation.     Dr.  Healy's  work  is  at  present  supported  by 


1912  FEEBLE-MINDED  IN  ONTARIO.  27 

private  philanthropy,  but  it  is  already  regarded  as  indispensable,  and  on  account 
of  its  unique  value  will  undoubtedly  be  officially  established  by  the  authorities. 

Dr.  Schlapp  works  in  connection  with  the  New  York  Society  for  the  Preven- 
tion of  Cruelty  to  Children,  and  Dr.  Auden,  in  Birmingham,  has  been  officially 
appointed  by  the  authorities  of  the  Court,  and  of  the  City. 

A  Modern  Plan. 

As  to  the  number  of  children  brought  up  in  a  Children's  Court  who  are  really 
mentally  defective,  the  work  mentioned  above  is  so  new  that  we  must  wait  until  a 
series  of  1,000  consecutive  cases  or  more  have  been  recorded  and  studied.  It  is 
practically  a  new  feature  for  1911  of  the  work  of  Children's  Courts.  It  will  prob- 
ably be  found  that  from  one  third  to  one  half  of  the  children  sent  to  the  children's 
courts  are  subnormal  mentally. 

We  Must  Not  Fall  Behind. 

Canada  cannot  afford  to  be  more  than  a  year  behind  Great  Britain  and  the 
United  States,  and  it  is  hoped  that  in  all  cities  where  there  is  a  Children's  Court 
there  will  soon  be  an  expert  to  advise  the  Judge  as  to  whether  or  not  the  explan- 
ation of  the  acts  of  a  boy  of  15  years  is  that  while  his  chronological  age  is  15  years 
his  mental  age  is  only  5  and  he  acts  accordingly. 

No  Place  for  the  Feeble-Minded. 

We  are  thus  driven  again  to  the  conclusion  that  the  community  should  and 
must,  for  its  own  sake,  take  permanent  care  and  control  of  the  Feeble-Minded.  The 
Judge  of  the  Juvenile  Court  asks  almost  every  day :  "  What  can  I  do  with  this 
child?"  There  is  no  place  to  send  him.  The  jail  is  no  place  for  him,  and  I  have 
no  other  place  to  send  him." 

Good  Advice  from  the  Expert. 

Dr.  Fernald's  words,  given  below,  come  true  in  every  community.  Taking 
his  advice  would  have  saved  us  all  the  money  spent  for  certain  murder  trials  in 
Ontario. 


The  Judge's  Opinion. 

Of  one  of  these  Murder  trials  the  Judge  said:  "The  details  of  the  tragedy 
were  the  most  revolting  that  I  ever  listened  to — the  history  of  the  case 
showed  that  he  was  terribly  debased  both  morally  and  mentally.  The  over-sight 
and  control  of  all  feeble-minded  persons  who  break  the  laws  or  become  a  charge 
upon  the  public — such  a  provision  has  of  late  years  by  many  striking  examples 
disclosed  in  the  criminal  courts  been  shown  to  be  a  public  necessity." 

Dr.  Fernald  says: 

"  Every  imbecile,  especially  the  high-grade  imbecile,  is  a  potential  criminal, 
needing  only  the  proper  environment  and  opportunities  for  the  development  and 
expression  of  his  criminal  tendencies.  The  life  history  of  the  case  put  under 
permanent  protection  and  training  at  an  early  age  is  very  different  from  that  of 
the  cases  which  grow  up  at  large  in  a  modern  urban  community.       Nearly  all  of 


28  REPORT  OP  THE  No.  23 


the  cases  trained  from  childhood  or  youth  may  be  taught  habits  of  industry  and 
comparatively  good  behaviour,  and  a  large  proportion  of  them  settle  down  to  a 
condition  of  inbibition  of  the  anti-social  traits,  and  indeed  to  a  condition  of  osten- 
tatious pride  in  the  virtues  which  they  unwillingly  practice." 

Saving  Money. 

It  is  estimated  by  a  competent  authority  (quoted  by  W.  Trant  in  the  Uni- 
versity Magazine)  that  the  cost  of  saving  a  child  is  only  5  per  cent,  of  the  cost 
of  punishing  a  criminal.  Saving  a  Feeble-Minded  child  will  probably  yield  a 
larger  profit  still.  And  in  English  law,  since  the  time  of  Lord  Eldon  (Wellesley 
v.  Wellesley,  2  Russ,  I.;  2  Bligh  N.S.  124)  the  principle  that  the  Crown  is  tbe 
ultimate  parent  of  the  child  or  parens  patriae,  has  been  recognized.  Surely  it  is 
time  that  this  principle  of  English  law  was  applied  to  the  Feeble-Minded,  neg- 
lected child. 

Nova  Scotia. 

The  Superintendent  of  Education  for  Nova  Scotia,  Dr.  A.  H.  MacKay,  men- 
tions in  his  Annual  Report  for  the  year  ending  July  31,  1910,  and  issued  in  1911, 
that  the  teachers  of  that  Province  have  reported  at  least  153  Feeblel-Minded 
children   in  the   schools. 

On  April  1st.  1911,  the  Halifax  Herald  published  the  following  circular,  ad- 
dressed by  Supervisor  MacKay  to  the  teachers  of  the  Public  Schools  in  Halifax: 

1.  How  many  pupils  have  you  who  are  so  defective  mentally'  that  they  re- 
ceive little  or  no  benefit  from  the  teaching  best  suited  to  the  majority,  and  who 
at  the  same  time  are  very  troublesome,  seriously  hindering  the  regular  work? 

2.  How  many  defectives  have  you  who  cannot  profit  to  any  considerable  ex- 
tent by  your  teaching,  but  who  cause  little  or  no  trouble? 

3.  Do  yon  know  of  any  defectives  in  your  district  of  school  age  suitable  for 
your  grade,  who  are  not  attending  school  ?  To  which  of  the  above  classes  do  they 
belong? 

4.  In  regard  to  such  defectives,  have  you  any  suggestion  to  make  as  to  what 
mode  of  treatment  would  best  serve  to  make  them  useful  to  society  or  at  least  self 
supporting  ? 

The  answers  from  the  schools  showed  the  following  figures: — 

Acadian       4 

Alexandra       7 

Bloomfield 1 

Chebucto       2 

College  Street     14 

Joseph  Howe       13 

Morris       6 

Protestant  Orphanage      2 

Richmond       18 

St.   Mary's       2 

St.  Patrick's  Boys      6 

St.  Patrick's  Girls      5 

Tower  Road     6 

Young  Street       5 


1912  FEEBLE-MINDED  IN  ONTAKIO.  29 

The  Other  Provinces. 

Letters  are  not  infrequently  received  by  this  Department  from  other  Provinces 
of  Canada,  and  sometimes  from  parents  who  are  well-to-do  and  able  to  provide 
financially  for  the  Feeble-Minded  son  or  daughter  for  whom  they  beg  admittance 
to  the  Institution  which  they  often  suppose  we  have  already  established  in  Ontario. 
We  can  only  send  them  the  same  answer,  disappointing  to  them,  that  we  have  not 
yet  got  our  Institution. 

Great  Britain. 
Scotland. 

The  only  Association  providing  for  the  care  of  the  Feeble-Minded  in  Scotland 
is  the  Glasgow  Association  for  the  Care  of  Feeble-Minded  Children,  which  began  its 
work  five  years  ago  by  providing  a  small  residential  school  for  the  care  of  young 
girls  who  are  Feeble-Minded.  Their  numbers  have  now  increased  to  46,  and 
although  practically  all  the  inmates  are  paid  for  at  the  rate  of  eight  shillings  a  week, 
there  is  a  large  waiting  list,  and  the  directors  are  constantly  being  requested  to 
arrange  for  the  admission  of  Feeble-Minded  boys,  for  whom  at  present  there  is  no 
such  provision. 

Private  Efforts. 

Though  it  is  perfectly  plain  that  private  efforts,  such  as  this,  are  only  "  a  drop 
in  the  bucket,"  as  it  were,  there  can  be  no  question  of  their  great  usefulness.  In 
the  first  place,  they  save  some  46  Feeble-Minded  girls,  who,  if  at  large,  would 
probably  mean  100  or  more  added  to  the  number  of  Feeble-Minded  in  the  next 
generation,  and  a  great  deal  of  expense,  harm  and  crime  is  saved  to  the  country  by 
keeping  46  safe,  earning  at  least  part  of  their  living,  and  happy.  In  the  second 
place,  such  institutions  are  doing  pioneer  work.  Such  residential  schools  have 
proved — 

(1)  That  the  Feeble-Minded  can  be  cared  for  at  a  moderate  cost. 

(2)  That  under  competent  supervision  the  problems  of  unemployment,  immor- 
ality and  crime  among  the  Feeble-Minded  disappear. 

(3)  That  the  Feeble-Minded  can  earn  part  of  their  living. 

(4)  That  the  number  of  the  Feeble-Minded  can  be  greatly  reduced  in  the 
course  of  one  generation. 

ft 

More  Powerful  Hands. 

But  this  pioneer  work  shows  at  once  by  the  very  force  of  numbers  as  well  as 
lack  of  legislation  that  the  problem  is  too  large  for  private  work.  It  must  now 
be  taken  up  by  more  powerful  hands.  The  state  is  the  only  agency  that  can  deal 
adequately  with  it. 

The  numbers  alone  prove  this.  The  Royal  Commission  procured  evidence  to 
show  that  one  out  of  270  of  the  population  was  more  or  less  Feeble-Minded  and 
unfit  for  the  duties  of  citizenship.  No  greater  social  service  can  be  done  than  to 
find  a  humane,  economical,  and  permanent  way  of  caring  for  these  permanently 
unfit  citizens  who  are  simply  permanent  children. 


30  REPORT  OF  THE  Xo.  23 


An  Extraordinary  Change. 

As  His  Majesty's  Principal  Commissioner  in  Lunacy  says,  this  is  "a  fact 
of  immense  social  importance.  The  moral  consequences  become  obvious  when 
it  is  realized  that  the  vast  number  of  defective  people  mix,  without  supervision 
or  adequate  care,  on  equal  terms  with  the  ordinary  population.  Lacking  in  self- 
control  and  unable  to  protect  themselves,  they  readily  become  the  tools  and  accom- 
plices of  vicious  people.  These  Feeble-Minded  people  swell  the  ranks  of  the 
criminals,  crowd  the  prisons  and  complicate  the  question  of  unemployment.  If  all 
the  Feeble-Minded  were  properly  looked  after,  there  would  probably  be  an  extra- 
ordinary change  in  the  prisons,  courts  and  streets.  In  a  matter  of  this  kind  it  is 
essential  to  educate  public  interest  and  public  sympathy.  Without  this  the  move- 
ment cannot  go  much  faster,  and  to  cope  with  the  problem  it  is  necessary  to  go 
much  faster." 

Other  Institutions. 

Two  other  institutions  in  Scotland  provide  for  the  care  of  the  Feeble-Minded, 
one  at  Larbert  and  one  near  Dundee.  The  total  number  cared  for  in  these  institu- 
tions together  is  520,  while  the  number  of  Feeble-Minded  persons  in  Scotland  is 
about  11,000  and  increasing  every  year.  To  such  a  pass  has  it  come  in  Scotland, 
and,  unless  we  take  warning  by  their  experience,  to  such  a  pass  will  it  come  in 
Canada. 

Money  Wasted. 

In  Scotland:  "The  Parish  Councils  have  the  care  of  the  Feeble-Minded  not 
only  at  school  age,  but  throughout  life.  It  is  no  uncommon  thing  for  an  idiot 
infant  of  a  few  months  old  to  so  interfere  with  the  earning  capacity  of  a  working- 
class  mother  as  to  reduce  her  from  the  ranks  of  independent  labour  into  pau- 
perism, and  in  such  cases  the  Parish  Council  usually  makes  an  allowance  to  the 
mother  of  a  few  shillings  weekly.  This  sum  is  intended  to  provide  the  mother 
with  sufficient  hired  help  to  set  her  free  for  other  duties,  but,  as  a  rule,  it  goes 
into  the  family  exchequer  and  is  too  often  spent  without  benefit  to  anybody." 


New  Zealand. 

In  New  Zealand  the  problem  of  the  Feeble-Minded  has  been  faced.  The 
Report  of  the  Minister  of  Education  for  1910,  received  by  this  Department  early 
in  1911,  is  one  of  the  most  cheering  documents  available  for  material,  for  this 
Report.  The  extract  below  is  given  at  length  in  the  hope  that  it  may  be  not  only 
of  interest,  but  of  practical  use  in  Canada: — 

Special  Schools:  Afflicted  and  Dependent  Children. 

During  the  year  1910  the  total  number  belonging  to  the  schools  for  afflicted 
and  dependent  children  was  on  the  average  2,586,  and  the  expense  to  the  Govern- 
ment was  £51,922.  Of  this  sum,  £15,314  represents  the  outlay  in  connection  with 
the  purchase  of  property,  erection  of  buildings,  and  other  works.     The  numbers 


1912 


FEEBLE-MINDED  IN  ONTARIO. 


31 


on  the  roll  and  the  expenditure  on  account  of  the  various  institutions  were  as 
follows : — 


Number  under 
Control. 


Net  Cost. 


School  for  the  Deaf 

Jubilee  Institute  for  the  Blind 

Special  School  for  Boys  of  Feeble  Mind 
Industrial  Schools 


By  the  Education  Amendment  Act  which  became  law  in  1909  extended  pro- 
vision is  made  for  the  education  and  training  of  young  persons  who  are  deaf, 
blind,  feeble-minded,  or  epileptic.  They  must  now  come  under  efficient  and  suit- 
able instruction  at  the  age  of  six  years,  and  remain  so  until  they  reach  twenty- 
one  years,  unless  previous  to  that  time  the  Education  Department  is  satisfied  that 
their  educational  attainments  or  their  proficiency  in  some  art  or  handicraft  or 
other  calling  enable  them  to  provide  for  their  future  needs  without  further  in- 
struction. 

If  the  near  relative  of  a  child  so  affected  does  not  provide  the  education  re- 
quired, the  Minister  of  Education  may^  direct  that  the  child  be  sent  to  a  school 
where  he  will  have  the  special  instruction  suited  to  his  needs,  the  cost  of  main- 
tenance and  training  to  be  borne  by  the  relatives  according  to  their  means  and 
as  agreed  upon  between  them  and  the  Minister.  In  the  event  of  the  Minister's 
direction  not  being  complied  with,  a  Magistrate  may  order  the  child's  admission 
to  a  special  school  and  fix  the  rate  of  the  maintenance  payment.  The  question 
whether  or  not  a  child  is  sufficiently  affected  to  warrant  his  being  regarded  as 
coming  under  these  provisions  of  the  Act  is  determined  by  his  ability  to  receive 
proper  benefit  from  ordinary  school  instruction.  If  maintenance  payments 
are  not  duly  observed  they  may  be  recovered  as  a  debt,  or  the  defaulter  may  be 
dealt  with  under  the  provisions  of  the  Destitute  Persons  Act  for  disobedience  of 
the  Court  order.  Charitable  Aid  Boards  are  made  responsible  in  necessitous  cases 
for  payment  to  a  limited  extent  for  the  maintenance  of  children  in  these  schools. 

Permanent  Care. 

By  order  of  a  Magistrate  a  young  person  who  is  epileptic  or  feeble-minded 
may  be  kept  under  the  guidance  and  control  of  a  special  school  beyond  the  age 
of  twenty-one  years  if  it  is  considered  that  he  is  not  fit  to  guide  his  own  life,  or 
that  it  is  otherwise  in  the  public  interest  that  he  should  be  under  institutional 
oversight.  In  connection  with  proceedings  of  this  kind  the  Magistrate  appoints 
counsel  to  represent  the  inmate  at  the  hearing.  The  period  of  extended  guidance 
is  not  to  exceed  four  years  in  the  first  instance,  but  on  its  expiry  it  may  be 
renewed  from  time  to  time  by  similar  procedure,  and  thus,  when  necessary,  life- 
long control  is  retained.  In  such  cases  orders  for  maintenance  against  the  near 
relatives  may  be  made. 

Parents",  school-teachers  (either  public  or  private),  constables,  or  officers  of 
charitable  or  kindred  institutions  who  are  aware  of  the  place  of  residence  of 
blind,  deaf,  epileptic,  or  feeble-minded  children,  and  the  householder  in  which 


32 


REPORT  OF  THE 


Xo.  23 


such  a  child  lives,  must,  under  a  penalty,  send  notification  to  the  Education  De- 
partment. 

There  is,  unfortunately,  very  strong  evidence  that  there  are  a  large  number 
of  young  people  in  New  Zealand  (as  in  other  countries)  who  by  reason  of  mental 
defect  are  unable  to  properly  control  their  lives,  and  it  is  hoped  that  with  the 
means  that  the  law  now  allows  they  will  not  be  permitted  to  drift  towards  desti- 
tution and  criminality,  but  will  be  so  cared  for  that  they  will  be  able  eventually 
either  to  maintain  themselves  respectably  or  to  contribute  to  their  maintenance 
in  suitable  institutions  according  to  their  various  capabilities. 

Another  important  provision  in  this  Act  is  that  giving  power  for  the  inspec- 
tion of  orphanages  and  similar  institutions  by  Inspectors  of  the  Education  De- 
partment. 

Up  till  now  it  has  been  practicable  to  deal  with  boys  only  at  the  school  for 
the  feeble-minded,  but  plans  are  now  in  hand  for  buildings  which  would  provide 
for  the  accommodation  of  a  considerable  number  of  girls. 

A  Residential  School. 

This  Xew  Zealand  School  for  the  Feeble-Minded  is  situated  at  Otekaike, 
Onmaru,  on  a  farm  of  352  acres.  It  was  begun  in  1908  when  the  Principal,  Mr. 
George  Benstead,  was  appointed.  The  appointment  was  made  on  the  advice  of 
the  High  Commissioner  for  the  Dominion  of  New  Zealand,  the  Inspector-General 
of  Schools  for  New  Zealand,  and  Dr.  Shuttleworth,  the  well-known  expert  on  the 
Feeble-Minded.  The  beginning  of  the  school  followed  the  lines  now  so  well 
understood  by  those  who  have  made  a  special  study  of  such  work. 


Built  up  Gradually. 

That  is,  it  began  with  a  small  number,  and  not  with  adults,  but  with  children, 
and  the  organization  proceeded  slowly,  and  according  to  a  well-prepared  plan. 
Four  boys  were  the  nucleus  of  the  school.  The  new  buildings  will  accommodate 
70,  when  they  are  completed.  The  maximum  number  resident  on  any  one  day 
(Report  1910)  was  31,  and  in  1911  there  were  47  boys  in  residence.  There  are 
many  applications  for  admission,  about  150  cases  being  thus  known  to  the  Prin- 
cipal. 

Cost. 

The  cost  of  the  institution  for  the  past  two  years  was  as  follows: — 


1909. 


1910. 


£      s.    d. 

Salaries 1.102  15    4 

Maintenance  of  pupils 647  14  11 

Maintenance  of  buildings 243  19    7 

Farm  and  stock 612  19    9 

Additionil  buildings,  water-supply,  drainage,  fencing,  etc 1 ,602  18    3 

Sundries I  180    6  10 

Less — 

Amount  collected  from  parents  by  way  of  maintenance 

contributions 182     2    2 

Sundry  other  recoveries 105     2  11 

Net  expenditure  on  the  institution ,  4 ,103    9     7 


s.    d. 


1,564  10 

1,115    7 

239  18 

318    8 

4,984    0 

178  19 


428  16 

138  12 

7,833  16 


3 

6 
41 


(t  Including  £440  paid  from  National  Endowment  revenue.) 


1912  FEEBLE-MINDED  IN  ONTARIO.  .33 


The  above  figures  are  inserted  in  the  hope  that  they  may  be  useful  for  refer- 
ence. Imbeciles  are  not  admitted,  the  inmates  must  be  all  able  to  profit  by  the 
care  and  training  given,  though  they  are,  to  quote  from  a  private  letter  received 
from  Auckland,  "  defective  and  abnormal," 

"  In  the  Industrial  and  Reformatory  Schools  in  the  Dominion  there  are 
many  defective  and  abnormal  children;  the  training  they  receive  making  them, 
in  many  instances,  good  servants  and  farm  labourers;  but  it  does  not  give  them 
the  power  of  self-control,  resource,  or  judgment,  and  therefore  they  are  the  crea- 
tures of  their  circumstances;  doing  well,  as  long  as  the  supervision  over  them  is 
wise  and  effective,  but  falling  readily  under  the  stress  of  temptation,  as  soon  as 
they  are  left  to  themselves. 

It  Must  be  Done. 

Mr.  Benstead  points  out  in  his  Annual  Report  the  great  necessity,  from  the 
point  of  view  of  the  nation,  of  taking  charge  of  Feeble-Minded  boys — and  the 
even  greater  necessity  of  taking  charge  of  Feeble-Minded  girls. 

They  would  all  learn  to  contribute  towards  their  own  support.  Society 
would  be  secure  from  their  depredations  and  the  danger  of  their  propagation. 
Colony  life  would  protect  the  Feeble-Minded  against  a  certain  section  of  society. 
and  protect  society  against  the  Feeble-Minded. 

Mr.  Benstead  also  refers  to  the  progress  made  in  manual  and  industrial 
training.    This  is  really  the  key  to  the  situation. 

An  Exploded  Theory. 

There  was  a  time  when  people  thought  that  children  were  feeble-minded  be- 
cause they  had  not  been  fed  properly,  had  not  been  trained  properly,  had  been 
cruelly  treated,  etc.,  etc.,  etc.  Some  people  think  so  still,  but  they  are  far  behind 
the  times.  No  training,  no  teaching,  no  skill,  no  education  can  develop  some- 
thing which  is  not  there  to  develop.  And  the  mentally  defective  are  not  ment- 
ally defective  because  the  brain  is  undeveloped,  but  because  the  normal  brain  is 
not  there'  to  develop.  Yet  a  great  deal  can  be  done  to  develop  even  the  idiot  and 
the  imbecile.  A  great  deal  more  can  be  done  for  the  higher  grades  of  the  Feeble- 
Minded.  They  can  even  take  charge  as  attendants  and  helpers  of  those  more 
feebly  gifted  still  than  they  themselves  are.  Mr.  Benstead  gives  a  typical  case  of 
the  improvement  that  may  be  secured : 

Case  X. 

"Age  as  far  as  can  be  ascertained,  14  year  3  months,  probably  older. 

"  On  Admission: 

"  Height,  4  ft.  8  in. 

"  Weight,  4  stone  1  lb. 

"Head-measurement,  18%  in-  (microcephalic  type). 

"  Small  for  age ;  thin ;  not  well  nourished ;  senses  perfect ;  forehead  narrow, 
tapers  towards  vertex;  mouth-breather;  hands  well  extended,  with  incurved  little 
fingers;  cannot  concentrate  attention;  self-control  very  weak,  easily  led  to  do 
wrong;  given  to  self-abuse;  dangerous  with  young  children;  prone  to  steal,  and 
will  get  up  at  night  and  steal  food  from  cupboards.     Has  been  boarded  out,  and 

3  F.  M. 


34  EEPORT  OF  THE  No.  23 

in  each  case  has  proved  too  much  for  his  foster-parents,  who  had  evidently  lost  all 
control  over  this  lad.  Natural  result,  formation  of  all  bad  habits  above  referred 
to.  Has  been  left  too  much  to  himself  for  years.  Great  desire  to  get  away  by 
himself,  and  imitate  the  cries  and  habits  of  all  animals;  in  this  direction  his 
powers  of  mimicry  are  perfect.  Can  read  an  infant  primer;  can  tell  how  many 
pennies  in  sixpence,  also  3  plus  4  =  7.  Cannot  tell  the  half  of  3,  or  how  many 
sixpences  make  Is.,  or  how  many  da\&  in  a  month  or  year. 

"  At  End  of  First  Year's  Residence : 

"  Height,  4  ft.  9  in. 

"Weight,  5  stone  4  lb. 

"  He  has  improved  considerably  physically.  He  is  now  able  to  concentrate 
his  attention  on  any  work  taken  in  hand  as  far  as  manual  occupation  is  concerned. 
Memory  improving  a  good  deal.  His  habit  of  self-abuse  is  almost  cured.  From  a 
mere  habit  of  loafing  and  idleness,  he  has  developed  into  a  fairly  good  worker.  This 
boy  is  easily  managed,  he  can  be  easily  led  either  for  good  or  ill,  and  consequently, 
if  allowed  his  liberty,  would  become  the  dupe  of  persons  with  a  stronger  will.  His 
reading  is  improving,  and  he  is  always  anxious  for  books  to  read  in  recreation- 
time.  His  writing  is  better;  his  letters  home  at  first  dealt  entirely  with  pigs,  cows 
and  horses;  his  interest  is  now  more  diverse.  Generally  speaking,  this  boy  has  im- 
proved a  great  deal  during  his  first  year  of  residence  here." 

And  adds :  "  The  boys  generally  are  working  very  satisfactorily,  but  it  does 
not  follow  that  they  are  sufficiently  useful  to  keep  themselves  by  their  own  exer- 
tions. In  most  instances  constant  supervision  is  needed.  There  is  no  reason,  how- 
ever, why  in  process  of  time  some  of  the  young  men  trained  here  should  not  be 
engaged  as  permanent  members  of  the  staff,  where  they  could  make  themselves 
useful  in  various  capacities.  It  is  usually  found  that  their  general  good  conduct 
and  the  strict  attention  they  pay  to  their  duties  is  very  gratifying. 

"  Many  of  the  smaller  children  who  were  practically  unable  to  dress  and  un- 
dress themselves  are  becoming  quite  useful  in  the  matmaking  class.  This  and  other 
sense-training  exercises,  such  as  boot-lacing,  bead-threading,  button-sewing,  clay- 
modelling,  etc.,  materially  improve  the  deftness  of  their  fingers. 

"  It  goes  without  saying  that  the  State  requires  a  practical  return  for  the 
money  spent  in  all  its  undertakings,  and  there  are  probably  many  who  wish  to 
know  what  the  country  gains  by  spending  money  on  the  education  of  afflicted 
children.  The  more  one  looks  into  the  question  of  the  training  of  mentally  de- 
fective children,  the  more  apparent  it  becomes  that  the  State  is  doing  the  right  thing 
in  providing  for  the  compulsory  education  of  all  these  children  who  are  educable — 
i.e.,  those  who,  in  the  hands  of  the  expert,  can  be  taught,  by  arousing  their  dormant 
capabilities,  to  contribute  somewhat  towards  the  cost  of  their  own  maintenance, 
or  who  can  be  made  sufficiently  useful  to  become  self-supporting  under  kindly 
guidance  in  a  custodial  institution. 

"  To  those  of  us  who  are  carefully  watching  the  development  of  the  dormant 
faculties  in  the  children  at  Otekaike,  it  is  patent  that  the  State  will  be  amply  re- 
paid for  the  money  which  is  being  spent  here,  inasmuch  as  we  are  continually 
developing  useful  members  of  our  own  community  who  would  otherwise  remain 
absolutely  useless  units,  with  physical  and  mental  deterioration  slowly  but  surely 


1912  FEEBLE-MINDED  IN  ONTARIO 35 

awaiting  them;  and  because,  too,  we  are  lessening  the  misery  of  the  world,  and 
preventing  the  increase  of  the  helpless  and  hopeless  section  of  the  Empire/' 

Mr.  Benstead  quotes  two  opinions  as  to  industrial  training,  as  follows : — 

Mr.  Locke,  of  Starcross,  states:  ''The  training  of  the  pupils  continues  to 
develop  satisfactorily  on  the  same  lines- -that  is  to  say,  by  combining  a  maximum 
of  manual  instruction  with  a  minimum  of  scholastic  work — for  it  is  by  this  method 
that  the  best  results  are  obtained.  Important,  however,  as  is  the  scholastic  in- 
struction of  the  pupils,  it  is  to  the  manual  training  we  attach  the  most  import- 
ance. Some  children,  owing  to  mental  defect,  seem  quite  incapable  of  learning 
ordinary  school  lessons,  and  require  years  of  patient  effort  to  enable  them  to 
master  even  the  letters  of  the  alphabet,  or  to  count  correctly  up  to  twenty.  Yet 
in  many  instances  these  same  children,  if  put  to  a  handicraft,  will,  in  much  less 
time,  learn  to  make  a  pair  of  boots,  a  suit  of  clothes,  or  a  fancy  basket.  Hence, 
as  soon  as  it  is  recognized  that  a  boy  will  never  go  beyond  spelling  monosyllables, 
or  making  O's  or  x's  on  a  slate,  it  is  evident  that  further  time  spent  upon  his 
education  in  the  schools  will  be,  to  a  great  extent,  wasted,  and,  if  his  age  and 
physique  permit,  he  is  accordingly  taken  off  schoolwork  altogether,  and  trans- 
ferred to  the  manual  classes,  where  frequently  he  learns  to  make  himself  quite 
useful." 

The  Superintendent  of  the  Eoyal  Albert  Training  Institution  for  the  Feeble- 
Minded,  at  Lancaster,  England,  speaking  of  the  reorganization  of  the  school  work 
in  the  institution  on  a  system  based  upon  their  knowledge  of  the  work  after  forty 
years,  says,  '  'Mere  school  instruction,  per  se,  is  productive  of  little.  Industrial 
training  may,  with  advantage,  go  hand  in  hand  with  scholastic  instruction,  but  in 
no  case  should  a  boy  continue  in  school  who  is  able  to  read  and  write:  his  place  is 
on  the  industrial  list,  learning  a  trade.  The  elements  of  the  industrial  occupa- 
tions could  be  taught  in  school,  leaving  the  corresponding  workshops  available  for 
the  more  advanced  pupils.  Nothing  is  better  suited  for  the  lower-grade  boys  than 
simple  outdoor  work  in  the  gardens  and  grounds." 

Mr.  Benstead  says  : — 

"  I  entirely  agree  with  these  opinions.  We  are  making  our  manual  training 
and  industrial  occupations  prominent  features  of  our  school  work. 

"  In  addition  to  the  farm  and  garden  work,  in  which  the  boys  are  beginning 
to  take  an  intelligent  interest,  we  are  now  commencing  to  teach  them  matmaking, 
basket-making,  sashcord  and  rope  making.  Such  occupations  are  very  necessary, 
as  we  sometimes  find  boys  who  can  never  make  any  appreciable  progress  in  school, 
and  time  spent  in  the  listless  contemplation  of  a  blackboard  is  lost,  whereas  in  the 
workshops  they  may  eventually  do  some  good  work. 

ft  Our  teaching  staff  has  been  considerably  augmented  during  the  past  year. 
I  have  now  a  lady  teacher  and  three  trades  masters  for  teaching  woodwork,  mat 
and  basket  making,  and  painting.  Several  of  the  boys  are  doing  very  good  work 
in  painting  and  decorating  the  new  buildings  now  being  erected  at  the  school.  One 
of  the  chief  points  in  the  treatment  is  to  keep  each  boy  constantly  occupied.  The 
beneficial  results  of  this  treatment  are  apparent  by  noting  the  improvement  in  the 
children,  both  mentally  and  physically.  The  dull  and  apathetic  are  roused  to 
activity,  the  restless  and  noisy  are  restored  to  order,  and  the  more  intelligent  de- 
velop habits  of  attention  and  diligence." 


36  REPORT  OF  THE  Xo.  23 


AUSTKALIA. 

In  Victoria,  Commonwealth  of  Australia,  much  interest  is  being  taken  in  the 
question  of  the  care  of  the  Feeble-Minded.  In  the  Report  of  the  Minister  of  Edu- 
cation for  1909  and  1910  the  estimate  is  given  that  in  Melbourne  alone  there  are 
probably  600  Feeble-Minded  children,  and  that  10  per  cent,  of  the  children  in 
school  (6,000)  are  distinctly  backward.  It  is  proposed  to  establish  in  Melbourne 
a  school  for  the  backward  and  Feeble-Minded,  with  a  properly  trained  staff,  and 
also  to  re-organize  the  training  of  idiots. 

The  United  States. 

•it  is  estimated  that  there  are  300,000  Feeble-Minded  persons  in  the  United 
States,  or  one  to  every  300  of  the  population.  In  England  the  estimate  is  one  to 
every  217.    In  Ireland  one  to  every  175.     In  Scotland  one  to  every  400. 

The  burden  of  the  Feeble-Minded  has  become  very  great  in  New  York  City, 
and  is  partly  known  through  the  efforts  of  the  Board  of  Education  to  provide 
Special  Classes  for  the  instruction  of  Feeble-Minded  children  and  through  the 
modern  scientific  methods  of  the  Charities  Aid  Association,  the  Associated  Chari 
ties  and  the  School  of  Philanthropy  and  other  organizations. 

Special  Classes  in  New  York. 

There  are  in  Xew  York  125  ungraded  classes,  and  in  these  about  2,000  children 
are  taught.  Four  tilings  may  be  mentioned  in  connection  with  that  splendid  effort 
on  behalf  of  the  Feeble-Minded  children:  (1)  There  are  backward  and  Feeble- 
Minded  children  not  reported.  In  1910,  out  of  a  total  of  370  schools,  502  reported 
the  names  of  backward  and  Feeble-Minded  children,  and  the  remainder,  168 
schools  reported  none.  It  is  not  possible  that  there  were  no  Feeble-Minded 
children  in  these  168  schools. 

(2)  The  teaching  of  the  public  school  has  been  modified  in  these  Special 
Classes,  but  it  needs  to  be  modified  far  more.  Industrial,  not  intellectual  educa- 
tion is  what  is  needed. 

(3)  There  are  many  Feeble-Minded  children  not  at  school  at  all. 

(4)  If  there  is  to  be  no  permanent  provision  for  the  care  and  control  of  the 
Feeble-Minded,  then  it  is  a  serious  question  whether  the  Special  Class  does  not 
do  more  harm  than  good. 

Something  Must  be  Done. 

These  considerations,  taken  in  conjunction  with  the  experience  of  the  Chari- 
ties Organizations,  compelled  action.  The  experience  of  the  Charities  Organiza- 
tions may  be  summarized  in  the  words  of  Amos  W.  Butler,  uttered  in  1907  at 
the  conference  of  Charities  and  Correction : 

"  Feeble-Mindedness  produces  more  pauperism,  degenerac}r  and  crime  than 
any  other  one  force.  It  touches  every  form  of  charitable  activity.  It  is  felt  in  every 
part  of  our  land.  It  affects  in  some  way  all  our  people.  Its  cost  is  beyond 
our  comprehension  It  is  the  unappreciated  burden  of  the  unfortunate.  It  is  the 
burden  we  are  compelled  to  bear;  therefore  let  us  bear  it  intelligently  to  the 
end  that  the  chain  of  evil  may  be  lessened,  the  weak  cared  for,  and  the  future 
made  brighter  with  hope  because  of  our  efforts." 


1912  FEEBLE-MINDED  IN  ONTARIO.  37 

Dr.  Moore's  Eeport. 

Accordingly  the  Public  Education  Association  requested  Miss  Annie  Moore, 
Ph.D.,  to  make  an  investigation  into  the  condition  of  the  Feeble-Minded  in  New 
York  'City,  and  later  transmitted  her  report  to  the  State  Charities  Aid  Associa- 
tion with  a  request  that  further  inquiry  be  made  and  some  action  taken.  Accord- 
ingly, on  April  21,  1911,  the  State  Charities  Aid  Association  organized  a  Special 
Committee  on  Provision  for  the  Feeble-Minded.  This  committee  publishes  the  report 
of  Dr.  Moore.  In  giving  publicity  to  the  data  set  forth  in  the  report  the  com- 
mittee hopes  to  re-emphasize  the  fact  that  the  Feeble-Minded  are  a  growing  danger 
and  burden  to  society  and  that  segregation  can  not  only  stop  their  reproduction 
but  can  also  nearly  extinguish  their  race.  The  committee  proposes  to  collect 
further  data  and  through  legislation  to  provide  means  of  completer  segregation. 

This  Committee  includes  in  its  membership  such  experts  as  Dr.  Fernald. 
Supt.  Johnstone,  and  Miss  Farrell,  and  has  as  its  Secretary  Hon.  Homer  Folks. 


The  Spirit  of  the  Committee. 

The  spirit  of  the  Committee  may  be  judged  by  what  Dr.  James,  the  Chairman 
said  at  its  first  meeting. 

"  The  one  thing  that  strikes  us  most  forcibly  is  that  the  science  of  experimental 
evolution,  the  study  of  heredity,  has  reached  such  a  point  that  the  public  can  no 
longer  afford  to  neglect  it.  In  the  breeding  of  stock  to  get  a  perfect  strain  of  the 
living  creatures  in  which  we  trade  and  which  we  use  for  commercial  purposes,  no 
one  thinks  of  disregarding  this  principle  of  heredity  or  transmission  of  defects 
and  good  qualities.  It  is  only  when  we  come  to  human  beings  that,  as  a  rule, 
we  have  neglected  to  take  it  into  account.  It  seems  that  there  is  work  enough 
for  this  committee  to  do  then,  to  bring  this  matter  to  the  attention  of  the  public." 

Prof.  C.  B.  Davenport,  Director  of  the  Carnegie  Station  for  experimental 
evolution  and  Secretary  of  the  American  Breeders'  Association  says : 

"Although  the  cost  would  be  large  at  the  start,  I  believe  the  state  would  be 
entirely  justified  in  undertaking  the  segregation,  throughout  the  whole  productive 
period,  of  the  feeble-minded  below  a  certain  grade.  There  is  no  question,  also, 
that  boards  of  managers  of  state  institutions  for  the  feeble-minded  should  have 
increased  powers  of  detention.  If  the  state  were  to  segregate  its  feeble-minded, 
were  to  examine  for  mental  defects  all  i mini- rants  settling  in  New  York  state  and 
were  to  deport  those  found  to  be  defective,  there  would  be  a  constantly  diminishing 
attendance  at  state  institutions  for  the  feeble-minded,  and  at  the  end  of  thirty 
years  there  would  be  practically  no  use  for  such  institutions.  Two  or  three  small 
ones  only  would  be  necessary.  The  state  could  then  sell  its  property,  and  retire 
the  bonds  issued  for  the  purpose  of  providing  adequate  care  for  its  feeble-minded. 

I  believe  that  the  state  should  undertake  a  study  of  the  strains  of  feeble-mind- 
edness  in  the  state  outside  of  New  York  city.  Those  best  acquainted  with  the 
problem  know  that  there  are  breeding-spots  of  defectives  in  certain  places  around 
Lake  George,  the  Ramapo,  the  Catskill  and  Adirondack  Mountains,  as  well  as  at 
other  points.  The  state  owes  it  to  itself  in  its  work  toward  feeble-minded  folk, 
to  know  the  location  of  these  sources  of  preventing  further  reproduction  of 
defectives." 


38  REPORT  OF  THE  No.  23 


A  Convincing  Report. 

Dr.  Moore's  report  is  convincing.  It  consists  of  a  study  of  Feeble-Minded 
individuals  at  large  in  New  York,  and  includes  seven  different  classes  of  such 
persons,  as  follows: 

Feeble-minded  persons  supported  by  charity. 
Feeblenminded  women  of  child  bearing  age. 
Families  burdened  by  feeble-minded  children. 
Feeble-minded  immigrants  not  deported. 
Feeble-*minded  persons  guilty  of  arson. 
Feeble-minded  children  in  the  Public  Schools. 
Feeble-minded  persons  discharged  from  Institutions. 

Dr.  Moore  simply  writes  short  records  of  a  few  cases  under  each  heading, 
together  with  a  brief  introduction. 

Just  Like  Ontario. 

But  for  the  difference  of  initials,  or  some  other  non-significant  particulars, 
these  histories  might  stand  for  the  ones  recorded  in  the  Five  Reports  on  the  Feeble- 
minded in  Ontario  already  issued  by  this  Department.  The  problem  of  the  Feeble- 
Minded  is  the  same  everywhere. 

A  Typical  Case. 

As  the  examining  physician  of  Eknira  prison  puts  it  "  A  typical  case  of  a 
person  of  inferior  mentality  who  is  a  continual  and  heavy  expense  to  the  com- 
munity." How  long  shall  we  go  on  bearing  this  "  continual  and  heavy  expense  ?" 
It  can  be  avoided,  not  only  with  benefit  to  us,  but  with  benefit  to  the  "  typical  case." 

Municipalities  Take  the  Initiative. 

It  is  to  be  observed  that  municipalities  are  beginning  to  take  the  initiative  in 
thinking  about  the  Feeble-Minded  and  requesting  State  aid  and  legislation  for 
them.  The  City  of  Berlin  in  1911,  (Vide  Lancet,  1911),  determined  to  establish 
an  office  for  the  after-care  of  patients  discharged  from  the  asylums,  and  also  for 
Feeble-Minded  persons  "unfit  for  the  struggle  of  life."  Workers  for  the  Feeble- 
Minded  are  working  together  more  and  more  every  year,  and  learning  more  from 
each  other,  and  one  of  the  signs  of  this  is  the  fact  that  those  who  hold  extreme 
views  are  modifying  these. 

Modified  Views. 

Thus,  there  were  those  who  insisted  on  Institution  treatment  for  every  Feeble- 
Minded  person.  There  were  on  the  other  hand,  those  who  took  the  view  that  the 
feeble-minded  might  be  placed  out  in  homes,  after  the  model  of  the  plan  followed 
in  the  famous  colony  of  Gheel  in  Belgium.  The  better  view  (and  the  Report  of 
the  Royal  Commission  supports  this)  is  that  all  really  feeble-minded  persons  should 
be  under  permanent  protection  and  care,  and  supervision.  With  few  exceptions, 
this  means  Institution  care.  But  there  are  a  few  exceptions.  There  are  Feeble- 
Minded  persons  so  nearly  normal  and  in  such  an  almost  ideal  home  environment, 


1912  FEEBLE-MINDED  IN  ONTARIO.  39 

that  so  long  as  Tegular  reports  of  such  Feeble-Minded  persons  are  received  and  he 
or  she  is  frequently  visited  by  some  official  representing  the  Government,  in  order 
to  make  sure  that  he  or  she  is  properly  employed,  the  community  is  protected 
against  any  danger  of  offspring  being  born  to  such  Feeble-Minded  person.  This 
is  doubtless  what  is  being  done  in  Berlin  to  some  extent. 

St.  Louis. 

The  City  of  St.  Louis  appointed  a  commission  to  report  on  Delinquent,  Depen- 
dent and  Defective  Children,  and  also  to  report  on  the  best  plan  of  removing  and 
reorganizing  the  Industrial  School.  The  Commission  was  appointed  in  July,  1910, 
and  reported  in  March,  1911.  The  most  important  conclusion  stated  in  regard  to 
Feeble-Minded  children  is  "  That  the  care  of  these  children  is  properly  a  State 
function." 

Philadelphia. 

The  City  of  Philadelphia  ordered  an  investigation  into  the  number  of  back- 
ward children  in  the  schools.  This  was  undertaken  by  a  Committee,  of  whom  Dr. 
Walter  Cornell  was  one,  and  the  work  of  the  Committee  has  extended  over  more 
than  a  year,  its  report  being  received  early  in  1911.  The  excellence  of  the  report 
is  unquestioned  and  the  description  of  a  number  of  cases  is  given  in  detail.  Its 
conclusion  is  well  given  in  the  following  words  of  the  report. 

"The  most  important  need,  and  the  one  to  which  the  whole  investigation 
clearly  points  is  that  for  the  Institutional  custody  and  training  of  the  Feeble- 
Minded  girls  and  boys  of  the  Public  School." 

The  City  of  Philadelphia  recently  purchased  a  property  of  135  acres,  over- 
looking the  Delaware  River,  as  a  Home  for  Feeble-Minded  Children. 

Liverpool. 

One  of  the  first  homes  for  Feeble-Minded  girls  in  England  is  in  Liverpool, 
begun  in  1893,  by  the  Liverpool  Ladies'  Association  for  the  Care  and  Training 
of  Girls,  as  a  "  Home  for  higher-grade  feeble-minded  young  women."  In  1898  a 
second  Home  was  opened.  "  Both  Homes  are  mainly  supported  by  the  earnings  of 
the  inmates,  whose  occupation  is  laundry  work  and  house  work;  and  it  is  now 
desired  to  extend  the  undertaking  by  a  third  Home,  Which,  while  being  run  upon 
the  same  self-supporting  principles,  will,  it  is  hoped,  be  even  more  beneficial  to  its 
inmates  than  the  Association's  other  two  Homes  have  been.  In  this  new  Home, 
which  the  Association  intend  very  shortly  to  open,  horticulture  is  to  be  taken 
instead  of  laundry  work.  A  property  has  been  acquired,  Dovecot,  Pilch  Lane, 
Knotty  Ash,  consisting  of  about  ten  acres,  with  good  dwelling-house.  There  will 
be  accommodation  for  50  girls,  and  the  staff  will  consist  of  a  matron  and  necessary 
helpers.  The  special  aim  of  the  scheme  is  the  development  of  the  girls,  physically 
and  mentally,  by  means  of  outdoor  horticultural  training — namely,  in  gardening, 
bee,  poultry  and  pig  keeping,  in  addition  to  indoor  industrial  occupation.  It  is 
probable  that  work  in  the  open  air  will  have  as  beneficial  an  effect  upon  girls  as  it 
has  been  proved  to  have  upon  boys;  and  "Dovecot"  will  be  the  first  school  for 
feeble-minded  girls  which  puts  outdoor  occupation  as  the  chief  object  of  their  edu- 
cation. Girls  are  to  be  admitted  between  12  and  14  years  of  age  (or  in  some  cases 
younger),  they  must  be  of  a  high  grade,  and  free  from  epilepsy  and  tuberculosis. 
The  charge  for  their  maintenance  will  be  £26  per  annum.     This  new  departure  in 


40  REPORT  OF  THE  No.  23 

the  care  and  training  of  feeble-minded  girls  is  highly  commended  by  educational 
experts,  and  its  progress  and  development  will  be  watched  with  much  interest  by 
all  who  have  studied  the  problems  connected  with  the  care  and  control  of  the  feeble- 
minded. 

The  New  York  State  Teachers'  Association. 

Educational  Authorities  and  Associations  are  beginning  to  be  deeply  concerned 
about  Feeble-Minded  children.  Two  invitations  were  received  this  year,  by  one  of 
the  officials  of  this  Department  from  the  United  States.  One  of  these  was  to 
speak  on  the  subject  of  the  Feeble-Minded  at  the  66th  Annual  Meeting  of  the  New 
York  State  Teachers'  Association  and  Affiliated  Associations,  the  members  of  which 
met  to  the  number  of  2,000  at  Albany  and  after  a  good  deal  of  consideration  passed 
the  following  Resolution  in  the  Section  of  Sub-normal  and  Backward  Children, 
under  the  presidency  of  Miss  Elizabeth  E.  Farrell,  Inspector  of  Ungraded  Classes 
in  New  York  City : 

Recommendations. 

It  is  recommended  by  the  Sub-Normal  and  Backward  Children  Section  that 
the  following  Resolution  be  passed : 

(1)  That  all  children  of  school  age  be  registered  in  schools. 

(2)  That  provision  be  made  in  the  Normal  Schools  and  Training  Schools,  and 
Training  Classes  in  this  State,  for  the  presentation  to  the  student  body  of  the 
special  problem  of  sub-normal  children. 

(3)  As  the  State  is  already  committed  to  the  theory  of  permanent  custodial 
care  of  defectives,  that  adequate  accommodation  be  provided  for  these  cases  in 
special  institutions  and  that  their  commitment  be  required  to  these  institutions  in 
order  that  they  may  be  given  the  best  training  and  care,  and  that  they  may  be 
prevented  from  obstructing  the  work  of  normal  children. 

(4)  That  the  immediate  construction  and  completion  of  Letchworth  village, 
and  the  Training  School  for  Boys  be  urged. 

The  Psychological  Clinic. 

Clinical  psychology  is  a  meeting  place,  for  the  teachers  and  the  physicians,  who 
are  experts  on  the  Feeble-Minded  child.  The  University  here  can  be  of  essential 
help  to  the  primary  school  and  thus  strengthen  both  the  lowest  and  the  highest 
parts  of  the  educational  system.  It  is  not  to  be  forgotten  that  the  study  of  Feeble- 
Minded  children  has  taught  us  a  great  deal  about  mental  processes  in  normal 
children. 

Dr.  Lightner  Widmer,  of  the  University  of  Pennsylvania,  was  the  first  to  take 
up  this  work. 

He  began  in  1889,  when  his  attention  was  drawn  to  a  boy  who  suffered  from 
retardation  through  speech  defect.  In  1896  he  opened  the  Psychological  Clinic  of 
the  University  of  Pennsylvania  and  received  'his  first  case,  a  bad  speller.  Since  that 
time  Witmer's  work  has  continued  uninterruptedly  and  has  grown  apace,  so  that 
three  hours  daily  are  now  (since  1909)  devoted  to  the  examination  of  children. 
These  children  come  not  only  from  the  public  and  private  schools  and  juvenile 
courts  of  Philadelphia,  but  from  adjacent  cities  and  adjoining  States.  Through  the 
medium  of  correspondence,  teachers  and  parents  throughout  the  State  of  Pennsyl- 
vania may  receive  advice,  and  members  of  the  staff  are  prepared  to  address  teachers 


1912  FEEBLE-MINDED  IN  ONTARIO.  41 

and  school  directors  in  any  section  of  the  State.  Witmer's  work  embraces  a  physical, 
psychological  and  sociological  examination,  in  which  a  number  of  experts  co-operate 
— a  psychologist,  neurologist,  dentist,  oculist,  nose  and  throat  specialist  and  social 
worker.  The  social  worker  makes  a  first-hand  examination  of  the  child's  home 
conditions,  renders  aid  in  the  mitigation  of  bad  environmental  influences,  and  by 
means  of  "  follow-up  work "  sees  that  the  treatment  prescribed  for  the  child  is 
carried  out.  Not  only  does  the  clinic  address  itself  to  diagnosis,  but  an  orthogenic 
home  school,  or  "  hospital  school,"  has  been  established  for  medical  and  pedagogical 
treatment.  This  is  a  combined  home,  hospital  and  training  school,  where  the  child 
is  provided  with  proper  food,  baths,  outdoor  exercise,  sleep,  medical  attention,  dis- 
cipline, motor  training  and  intellectual  drill  in  the  rudiments  of  the  school  funda- 
mentals. This  school  also  serves  as  a  school  of  observation  and  a  clinic  for  further 
diagnosis.— Wallin  in  The  Journal  of  Educational  Bychology. 

Professor  Witmer  also  edits  the  "  Psychological  Clinic,"  a  monthly  magazine 
devoted  to  this  work. 

Other  Universities  beginning  the  same  work  are  the  Universities  of  New  York, 
Washington,  Pittsburg,  Minnesota,  Iowa,  Clark  University,  Columbia  University 
and  Cornell  University.  More  important,  in  some  respects  than  any  of  these,  are 
the  laboratories  beginning  to  be  established  at  the  most  progressive  Institutions  for 
the  care  of  the  feeble-minded,  such  as  the  Lincoln  State  School  and  Colony  of 
Illinois  (Dr.  E.  B.  Huey)  and  especially  the  laboratory  at  the  Training  School  for 
Eeeble-Minded  Children  at  Vineland,  New  Jersey,  (Dr.  H.  H.  Goddard). 

Four  American  Universities  now  make  some  provision  for  the  study  of  abnormal 
and  Feeble-Minded  children.  Columbia  University,  Clark  University,  The  Univer- 
sity of  New  York,  The  University  of  Pennsylvania.  The  Training  .Schools  for 
Teachers  in  New  York  are  making  the  study  and  teaching  of  these  children,  one  of 
the  requisites  for  their  diploma. 

A  Lasting  Memorial. 

A  great  gift,  perhaps  the  first  of  its  kind,  was  made  in  1911  for  the  benefit  of 
the  Feeble-Minded,  to  the  Regents  of  the  University  of  Washington,  at  Seattle  and 
gratefully  accepted  by  them.  It  was  given  in  memory  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gatzert  of 
Seattle,  by  Mrs.  Gatzert's  two  brothers  Sigmund  and  Abraham  Schwabacher  of  San 
Francisco.     The  sum  given  was  $30,000.00. 

The  deed  of  gift  provides  that  the  income  of  the  fund  "  shall  he  used  to  main- 
tain a  bureau  of  child-welfare,  ...  the  work  of  said  bureau  to  consist  in  the 
promotion  in  various  ways  of  education  for  the  better  care  and  treatment  of  children 
suffering  from  defects  either  physical  or  mental,  especially  such  defective  children 
as  can,  in  spite  of  their  defects,  attend  schools  of  some  sort  and  benefit  by  some 
form  of  school  education  and  training." 

The  benefits  of  the  Foundation  are  to  be  extended  as  widely  as  possible  through 
the  State;  the  plan  will  probably  be  for  the  specialist  in  charge  to  spend  a  consider- 
able part  of  his  time  visiting  centres  throughout  the  State  to  give  aid  and  counsel 
to  the  local  school  authorities  in  establishing  and  conducting  work  for  defective 
children  in  their  schools.  Such  work  is  already  being  done  in  several  of  the  leading 
cities. 

•The  manner  of  bestowal  of  tins  gift  is  an  interesting  illustration  of  what  Mr. 
Dickinson  (vide  p.  10)  said  at  the  Conference  for  the  Prevention  of  Destitution 
about  the  co-operation  of  women.     The  Gatzert  memorial  fund  of  $30,000.00  was 


42  REPORT  OF  THE  No.  23 

provided  some  years  and  was  awaiting  designation  when  the  daughter  of  Mr. 
Abraham  Schwabacher,  Mrs.  Nathan  Eckstein,  became  interested  in  the  question 
of  the  needs  of  defective  children.  It  was  through  Mrs.  Eckstein's  influence  that 
this  gift  was  given  to  them  and  not  for  other  purposes. 

The  Feeble-Minded  Criminal. 

Criminals  and  tramps  make  a  great  army.  The  World  To-day  says  that  the 
criminals  of  the  United  States  cost  that  country  $3,500,000.00  per  day.  The 
criminal  is  certainly  the  most  expensive  of  all  national  luxuries,  and  there  is  no 
doubt  that  the  great  criminal  army  is  partly  made  up  of  mental  defectives,  who 
might  and  who  ought  to  have  been  placed,  BEFORE  they  become  criminals,  in 
an  institution  where  they  would  have  done  no  harm,  no  thefts  or  murders,  and 
done  some  good  in  the  world. 

What  a  lot  of  money  our  Finance  Ministers  would  have  for  things  we  need 
if  we  no  longer  had  to  foot  the  awful  criminal  bill  for  what  we  do  not  need. 

How  Many  Criminals  are  Feeble-Minded? 

While  we  do  not  always  find  that  observers  agree  on  the  exact  percentage  of 
criminals  found  to  be  Feeble-Minded,  no  observer  doubts  for  a  moment  that  there 
is  a  considerable  proportion  of  criminals  who  are  Feeble-Minded.  Thus  state- 
ments vary  from  "10  per  cent,  of  all  criminals  are  Feeble-Minded,"  to  statements 
that  the  permanent  care  and  control  of  the  Feeble-Minded  "would  put  an  end  to  two- 
thirds  of  all  the  crime  in  the  community."  Statements  by  other  practical  judges 
point  to  about  25  per  cent,  of  delinquents  being  feeble-minded. 

Two  Tests  by  Dr.  Goddard. 

Two  results  of  tests  by  Dr.  Goddard  of  Vineland,  are  striking.  Twelve  per- 
sons who  had  been  sent  by  the  courts  to  the  State  Hospital  for  the  Insane  to  be 
examined  in  order  to  determine  whether  or  not  they  were  responsible,  were  tested 
by  Dr.  Goddard  as  to  their  Feeble-Mindedness.  Their  chronological  ages  varied 
from  eleven  to  fifty  years.  Two  of  them  were  cases  of  insanity.  The  other 
ten  were  all  feeble-minded,  and  their  real  ages  were  not  11  to  50  years,  but  were  8 
to  10  years.    None  of  the  ten  persons  had  a  mental  age  of  over  10  years  old. 

The  second  test  was  with  56  of  the  best  girls  from  a  girls'  reformatory  who 
were  out  on  probation.  Their  chronological  ages  were  from  14  to  20.  Four  of 
them  were  not  feeble-minded  the  rest,  52,  were  feeble-minded  and  their  real 
mental  age  was  from  8  to  12  years. 

The  New  Jersey  Reformatory. 

Dr.  Frank  Moore,  the  superintendent  of  the  New  Jersey  Reformatory, 
Rahway,  N.J.,  has  during  the  last  18  months  examined  every  new  inmate  on 
entrance  and  found  46  per  cent,  of  them  to  be  mentally  sub-normal. 

The  Juvenile  Court  in  New  York. 

Dr.  Schlapp  reports  that  of  108  children  sent  to  him  because  the  court  thought 
they  might  be  defective,  30  were  actually  found  to  be  feeble-minded.  Dr.  Healy 
found  140  out  of  620  cases  of  youthful  "repeaters"  distinctly  subnormal  mentally. 


1912  FEEBLE-MINDED  IN  ONTARIO.  43 


Massachusetts. 

In  January,  1911,  the  Government  of  the  State  of  Massachusetts  received  the 
Eeport  of  the  Commission  appointed  in  April,  1910  to  investigate  the  question  of 
the  increase  of  criminals,  mental  defectives,  epileptics,  degenerates  and  allied 
classes.  The  Commission  consisted  of  Dr.  Fernald  and  four  other  gentlemen. 
This  Report  states  that  "The  juvenile  offender  is  often  mentally  defective." 
"There  has  been  a  rapidly  increasing  demand  for  custodial  care  of  helpless  idiots, 
and  of  Feeble-Minded  women  of  the  child  bearing  age." 

"The  modern  community  demands  protection  from  the  newly  understood 
menace  of  irresponsible  Feeble-Minded  persons  at  large."  The  population  of 
Massachusetts  (average  for  1905-1909)  is  3,185,048.  The  Commission  considers 
it  probable  that  there  is  a  total  of  6700  Feeble-Minded  in  the  State  and  adds: 

The  High-Grade  Feeble-Minded. 

"It  is  known  that  the  so-called  high-grade  imbecile  is  especially  dangerous  10 
society  because  of  his  irresponsibility  and  criminal  propensities.  It  is  now  generally 
understood  that  feeble-mindedness  is  often  the  direct  result  of  the  hereditary 
transmission  of  mental  defect;  that  the  feeble-minded  female  is  very  likely  to 
bear  children,  and  that  these  children  are  almost  certain  to  be  defective,  criminal 
or  permanently  dependent  in  some  way.  To  segregate  the  feeble-minded  is  to 
cut  off  one  of  the  most  prolific  sources  of  crime,  degeneracy  and  pauperism. 

"The  testimony  of  charity  and  social  workers,  or  prison  and  reformatory  officials 
and  of  court  and  probation  officers,  given  before  the  commission,  strongly  emphasized 
the  frequency  and  importance  of  slight  mental  defect  or  actual  feeble-mindedness 
as  a  factor  in  the  causation  of  pauperism,  crime  and  other  social  problems. 

"The  charity  and  social  workers  testified  that  many  of  the  immoral  and  diseased 
girls  found  in  rescue  homes  and  shelters,  and  placing-out  societies  are  mentally 
defective,  and  absolutely  incapable  of  reform  or  self-support.  There  are  many 
feeble-minded  women  in  almshouses  and  houses  of  correction.  Many  of  the  parents 
whom  the  Society  for  the  Prevention  of  Cruelty  to  Children  are  prosecuting  for 
abuse  of  helpless  offspring  are  mentally  defective.  Many  of  the  juvenile  delin- 
quents and  dependents,  and  adult  criminals,  have  one  or  both  parents  who  are 
feeble-minded." 

A  Few  Families  Only. 

The  Commission  observed  and  were  impressed  by  the  fact  that  these  persons 
belong  to  a  relatively  small  number  of  families  and  that  the  forms  of  defect  were 
interchangeable,  as  it  were,  the  form  of  defect  has  varied  from  generation  to 
generation,  alcoholics  in  one  generation,  paupers  or  criminals  in  the  next,  possibly 
insanity  or  mental  defect  in  the  next,  etc. 

The  following  cases  known  to  the  Commission  graphically  illustrate  the  kin- 
ship of  these  degenerative  tendencies.  A  juvenile  offender  has  a  mentally  defec- 
tive mother  and  a  drunken  father;  a  feeble-minded  girl  has  an  insane  father  and 
a  sister  who  is  a  prostitute;  an  habitual  criminal  has  two  daughters  who  are 
feeble-minded,  and  a  son  who  is  a  criminal ;  a  married  pair  who  have  always  been 
helped  by  the  town  have  one  son  who  is  decent  and  self-supporting,  a  feeble- 
minded son  and  daughter,  an  insane  daughter,  and  a  son  who  has  been  convicted 
of  crime.  The  mother  of  this  family  is  mentally  defective  and  the  father  is 
drunken. 


44  EEPORT  OF  THE  No.  23 

These  cases  well  illustrate  the  tendency  of  degeneracy  to  express  itself  in 
different  ways  in  the  same  family.  Crime,  insanity,  mental  defect,  epilepsy, 
pauperism  and  drunkenness,  the  conditions  of  degeneracy  which  this  commission 
is  considering,  are  largely  perpetuated  by  the  transmission  of  defect  and  disease 
from  degenerate  or  diseased  parents.  The  State  has  already  taken  measures  to 
prevent  the  birth  of  defectives  and  degenerates  by  adopting  th  policy  of  custodial 
care  of  the  feeble-minded,  epileptic  and  insane,  especially  of  women  of  the  child- 
bearing  age.  The  State  cannot  afford  to  allow  women  of  this  class  to  remain  at 
large." 

Other  States. 

Besides  these  important  Commissions  and  Reports  action  has  been  taken  in 
three  other  States,  North  Carolina,  Pennsylvania  and  Washington.  In  North 
Carolina  a  law  was  passed  establishing  a  school  and  a  home  for  the  Feeble-Minded, 
$60,000  bond  issue. 

In  Pennsylvania  a  commission  was  appointed  to  take  into  consideration  the 
number  and  status  of  the  feeble-minded  and. epileptic  persons  in  the  commonwealth 
and  the  increase  of  such  persons,  and  to  report  to  the  general  assembly  at  its 
next  session  a  plan  or  plans  for  the  segregation,  care  and  treatment  of  such 
defectives. 

In  Washington  two  new  modern  fire-proofed  buildings  have  been  erected  at  the 
State  School  for  F'eeble-Minded  at  Medical  Lake,  also  new  boiler  house  and  shops. 


VlNELAND. 

By  permission  of  the  Hon.  the  Provincial  Secretary,  part  of  September,  1911, 
was  spent  in  residence  and  working  in  the  laboratory  at  the  Training  School  for 
Feeble-Minded  at  Vineland,  New  Jersey.  The  occasion  was  a  course  of  instruction 
given  to  physicians  interested  in  Feeble-Minded  children.  It  is  the  first  time,  so 
far  as  we  know,  that  such  a  course  has  been  given  anywhere,  though  the  same 
Institution  has  had  a  course  for  the  teachers  of  SpecialClasses  for  two  or  three 
years. 

The  physicians'  course  included  practical  instruction  in  certain  aspects  of  the 
Medical  Inspection  of  Schools,  with  reference  to  Feeble-Minded  children  and 
others.  A  fee  of  twenty  dollars  was  charged,  which  included  residence  in  the 
Institution.  Six  lectures  per  day  were  given  by  the  Superintendent,  Professor 
E.  R.  Johnston,  Dr.  Goddard,  Director  of  the  Research  Laboratory,  Dr.  Walter 
Cornell  of  the  University  of  Pennsylvania,  and  other. members  of  the  staff. 

Ten  physicians  were  present  for  the  course — four  from  New  Jersey,  two 
from  Ohio,  two  from  Virginia,  and  two  from  Michigan. 

The  Institution  has  about  twenty  buildings,  situated  on  two  hundred  and  fifty 
acres  of  ground  laid  out  in  farms,  gardens,  groves,  lawns,  etc.  Besides  supplying 
all  the  food  for  four  hundred  inmates  and  the  one  hundred  members  of  the  staff, 
there  were  sold  last  year  from  the  farm,  products  worth  $800.00.  There  are  eleven 
departments,  each  with  a  head  responsible  to  the  Superintendent.  Some  of  these 
departments  are — Farming,  Dairying.  Poultry-Keeping,  Carpentering,  Painting, 
Electrical  Work,  Tailoring,  Laundry  Work,  Sewing,  Mending,  Steward's  Depart- 
ment, Laboratory,  etc.,  etc. 


1912 


FEEBLE-MINDED  IN  ONTAKIO. 


45 


The  Laboratory,  under  Dr.  Goddard,  does  work  of  great  importance.  From 
Dr.  Goddard  and  his  researches  all  his  fellow-workers  in  different  fields  have 
received  great  help  and  stimulus  in  various  paths.  His  results  will  be  of  lasting 
benefit. 

The  greatest  product,  however,  at  this  and  all  other  Industrial  Colonies  is 
happiness.  The  institution  where  they  are  understood  and  where  they  "fit  in" 
is  really  the  only  place  where  the  Feeble-Minded  may  lead  anything  like  a  happy 
and  useful  life. 

The  Vineland  Training  School  takes  care  of  four  hundred  people  who  cannot 
take  care  of  themselves,  and  whose  families  cannot  take  care  of  them.     It  trains 


THE  TRAINING  SCHOOL  AT  VINELAND,  N.J. 
Department  of  Research. 


Binet  Classification. 

Mental 
Age. 

Industrial  Classification. 

Sex. 

Total. 

Male. 

Female. 

Under  1  year 

(a)  Helpless,  (b)  Can  walk, 
(c)  With  voluntary  re- 

Idiot  . 

10 

4 

14 

Feeds   self.      Eats  every- 
thing  

Middle  . . 

ii 

12 

23 

2  years  

37 

16 

53 

90 

3  years  

No  work.    Plays  a  little . . 

f              \ 

Imbe- 
cile. . 

32 

15 

47 

4  years  

Tries  to  help 

21 

11 

32 

Middle  . . 
High  .... 

30 

7 

37 

Tasks   of   short   duration. 

33 

13 

46 

7  years  

Little  errands  in  the  house. 

High  .... 

38 

20 

58 

220 

8  years  

Errands.        Light     work. 
Makes  beds 

Low 

t              \ 
Moron  > 

Total  .. 

42 

11            53 

Heavier   work.        Scrubs. 
Mends.        Lays    bricks. 
Cares   for   bath-room . . . 

15 

7 

22 

10  years  

Good    institution    helpers. 
Routine  work 

Middle  .. 

19 

11 

30 

11  years  — 

Fairly    complicated    work 
with      only     occasional 

High  .... 

7 

1 

8 

12  years  

Uses  machinery.   Can  care 
for  animals.    No  super- 
vision.   Cannot  plan 

High  .... 

4 

1 

5 

118 

299 

129 

428 

428 

46  REPORT  OF  THE  No.  23 


them  wholly  or  in  part  in  nearly  all  cases  to  attend  to  their  personal  wants  and 
to  contribute  a  little,  or  much,  to  their  own  support;  and  it  makes  them  happy, 
protects  them  from  harm,  and  protects  the  community  from  the  harm,  expense 
and  disgrace,  that  they  would  and  did  cause,  before  they  came  there,  and  it  stops 
the  evil  instead  of  carrying  it  on  to  unknown  and  increasing  generations. 

The  Laboratory  Work. 

These  are  great  things  to  do.  But  there  is  a  most  important  thing  done  at 
Tineland.  Its  unique  contribution  to  the  world  is  that  it  strives,  in  the  laboratory 
and  elsewhere,  to  face  the  whole  problem  of  the  Feeble-Minded  in  relation  to  the 
State,  and  to  contribute  something  to  the  solution  of  the  problem.  This  is  being 
worked  out  in  the  two  departments  called  Field  Work  and  Psychological  Research. 

The  Psychological  Research  is  carried  on  in  the  laboratory  by  Dr.  Goddard  and 
his  assistants,  who  avail  themselves  of  every  means  to  study  the  children  and 
test  their  mental  ability,  by  using  scientific  machines,  and  every  other  known 
aid  and  thus  form  an  estimate  of  their  capabilities.  Dr.  Goddard  has  applied  and 
developed  the  newer  scientific  methods,  such  as  the  tests  found  suitable  by  him- 
self and  those  suggested  by  Binet,  Simon,  Healy,  Huey  and  others,  and  so  arrives 
at  the  "Mental  Age"  of  the  child.  The  value  of  this  system  of  mental  testing 
of  the  inmates  of  Yineland  is  at  once  observable.  The  foregoing  classification 
of  the  428  residents  of  the  Institution  who  have  been  tested  will  illustrate  this. 


Field  Worker. 

Prof.  Johnston  and  Dr.  Goddard  have  also  developed  in  connection  with  the 
Laboratory  a  number  of  Field  Workers.  We  all  know  how  hard  it  is  to  get  reliable 
information  about  the  family  history  from  relatives  of  a  feeble-minded  child. 
Almost  invariably  they  will  assure  one  that  feeble-mindedness  was  never  heard 
of  before  in  their  family.  Fearful  that  admission  to  the  Institution  will  be 
refused,  they  maintain  this  position.  But  when  the  child  is  safely  admitted,  and 
getting  on  well,  then  the  Field  Worker,  experienced,  tactful,  sympathetic  and 
yet  not  to  be  deceived,  goes  to  the  home.  Such  is  the  standing  and  reputation  of 
the  Training  School  in  New  Jersey  that  the  mere  mention  of  Vineland  opens  the 
doors  of  the  home.  The  Field  Worker  has  made  a  special  study  of  the  case  of 
Mary  or  John,  and  can  tell  the  home  people  how  he  is,  what  he  talks  about,  who 
his  companions  are,  what  he  likes  to  eat,  what  he  says  about  home,  etc.,  etc.,  and 
what  a  good  boy  he  is.     This  is  eagerly  listened  to. 

The  Family  History. 

Now  is  the  favorable  moment.  She  gets  all  the  family  history  without  any 
trouble.  Little  by  little  she  jots  down  in  her  note  book  all  that  is  known  about 
the  family  for  generations  back,  and  when  finally  they  get  to  the  limit  of  their 
own  knowledge,  then  they  can  nearly  always  remember  some  "oldest  inhabitant" 
who  can  carry  the  tale  still  farther  back.  Then  she  goes  to  the  county  clerk,  the 
registry,  the  tax  collector's  office,  the  records  for  the  county,  even  to  the  cemetery 
to  read  the  gravestones  and  so  a  great  genealogical  tree  is  built  up  and  the  story 


1912 


FEEBLE-MINDED  IN  ONTARIO. 


47 


D.  1735 


N 


B  1698 
D  1766 


<s> 


6  SONS 

2  DAUGHTERS 


& 


B. 

D.  1776 


<S> 


N 


®- 


B  1755 
827. 


B  1794 
D  1883 


<H) 


N 


NOT 
MARRIED 


o 


JOHN  W. 


N 


B.  1779 
D.  1841 


B.  1821 


& 


I3CHILDRFN 

2  MARRIED  NORMAL  MEN 

FAMILIES  NORMAL 


(N> 


N 


B.  1803 


© 


-  N 


B  ABOUT 
1840 


21  CHILDREN 

By© 


II  CHILDREN 

ALL  SUB-NORMAL 


<5> 


N 


B.  ABOUT 
1870 


© 


N 


(a) 


II  CHILDREN 
0/2/11  89 


I 

© 

k 


48 


REPORT  OF  THE 


Xo.  23 


is  before  us,  and  we  can   see  where   the  polluted   Feeble-Minded  stream   of   life 
joined  the  clear  and  normal  one  and  what  it  looked  like  afterwards. 

Two  illustrative  cases  from  Dr.  Goddard's  laboratory  are,  by  permission,  given 

A  Remarkable  History. 

The  hand  in  the  chart  points  to  the  black  circle  enclosing  an  F,  which 
represents  the  girl  Emma  W.,  now  in  the  institution. 

She  is  the  great-great-great  grandanghter  of  John  "W.,  the  great-grandson  of 
the  original  Charles  W. 

This  John  W.  married  a  good  woman,  highly  respectable  and  intelligent. 

But  before  that  marriage  he  sowed  his  wild  oats  and  they  are  growing  still, 
one  hundred  and  thirty  years  afterwards. 

The  son  so  born  to  him  of  a  feeble-minded  woman  was  feeble-minded.  The 
Field  Worker  in  the  course  of  about  two  years'  work  traced  out  about  1100  descend- 
ants of  John  W.  and  his  lawful  wife,  and  more  than  1146  descendants  of  that 
John  W.  and  the  feeble-minded  woman. 

Of  that  number  581  are  unknown. 

Of  the  565  that  are  known  and  traced  262  were  feeble-minded.  Truly  a 
strong  case  for  the  Mendelian  laws ! 


O— 0 


2nd 
HUSBAND 


©-hSWSei  0©hb  h>3 


0 


l&6<A)(g)6  us  \   I  GQQQ 


d      d      d 

INF    INF    INF 


0 

® 


NORMAL  MAN 


NORMAL  WOMAN 


a  C  MOS       MOS- 


Chaut  X. 


FEEBLE-MINDED  MAN 


FEEBLE-MINDED  WOMAN 


k  k 


d  d 


MAN-MENTAL  STATUS  UNKNOWN 


WOMAN— MENTAL  STATUS  UNKNOWN 


□ 

o 


Chart  X  shows  the  descendants  of  a  feeble-minded  woman  who  was  married 
twice.  Her  first  husband  was  normal.  There  were  four  normal  children,  one 
of  whom  is  alcoholic.  This  alcoholic  son  married  a  normal  woman  and  produced 
two  feeble-minded  and  three  normal  children.  This  is  another  instance  of  tho 
defect  skipping  a  genefation,  being  transmitted  by  the  grandmother  through  the 
father. 


Km  ma  W 


1912  FEEBLE-MINDED  IN  ONTARIO.  49 

The  second  marriage  of  this  feeble-minded  woman  was  with  an  alcoholic  and 
immoral  man.  The  result  was  four  feeble-minded  children.  One  of  these  became 
alcoholic  and  syphilitic  and  ±.  -ned  a  feeble-minded  woman.  She  was  one  of 
•three  imbecile  children  born  of  two  imbecile  parents.  The  result  here  could,  of 
■course,  be  nothing  but  defectives.  There  were  two  still-born,  and  three  that  died 
in  infancy.  Six  others  lived  to  bs  determined  feeble-minded.  One  of  these  was  a 
criminal.  Two  are  in  the  institution  at  Vineland.  The  mother's  sister  also  has 
a  feeble-minded  son. 

Of  these  two  at  the  Institution  at  Vineland,  the  daughter  is  now  22  years 
old.  Her  mental  age  is  7  years.  But  she  can  work  in  the  laundry  and  help  to 
care  for  the  little  children  in  the  college.  The  son  is  18  years,  but  his  mental 
age  is  ten  years.  He  is  very  "trainable"  and  is  a  pretty  good  farm  worker.  He 
drives  a  team. 

Heredity. 

Studies  in  heredity  as  well  as  in  sociology  tell  unmistakably  that  the  only 
Christian  and  civilized  policy  as  regards  the  Feeble-Minded  is  to  protect  and 
permanently  care  for  them.  Never  before  has  such  attention  been  given  to  this 
matter.  The  principles  of  science  are  now  taught,  believed  and  obeyed,  in  the 
home,  the  school,  the  market-place  and  by  every  class  in  the  community.  Why  then 
do  we  delay  to  follow  them  in  a  matter  affecting  National  welfare  so  closely?  It 
is  not  as  if  there  were  any  doubt  that  Feeble-Mindedness  is  hereditary.  No  one, 
medical  or  not  medical,  who  has  worked  with  the  Feeble-Minded  doubts  it  at  all. 
It  has  been  actually  proved  in  82  per  cent,  of  all  the  cases  of  Feeble-Mindedness 
examined  (Tredgold)  and  it  must  be  remembered  that  an  apparently  normal  or 
almost  normal  child  of  a  Feeble-Minded  parent  may  transmit  the  mental  defect  to 
the  next  generation.     The  tendency  to  mental  defect  is  there. 

How  Does  it  Happen? 

"It  is  often  asked,  if  mental  defect  is  due  to  heredity,  how  does  it  happen 
that  only  some  and  not  all  of  the  offspring  are  affected?  The  answer  is  simple. 
As  I  have  pointed  out,  what  is  transmitted  is  a  tendency  to  instability  and  im- 
perfect structure.  If  this  tendency  is  slight  and  tbe  environment  is  no  way  ad- 
verse, it  may  remain  latent;  on  the  other  hand,  should  there  occur  any  grave  faujt 
in  the  surroundings,  any  marked  ill-health  of  the  mother  during  pregnancy,  any 
birth  injury,  or  any  serious  disease  during  the  early  months  of  life,  then  even  a 
slight  tendency  may  be  sufficient  to  determine  a  profound  degree  of  defect.  In 
this  way  it  occasionally  happens  that  one  member  of  the  generation  is  an  idiot, 
whilst  the  others  are' very  slightly  neurotic  or  even  apparently  normal.  With  a 
still  more  pronounced  neuropathic  inheritance  we  still  get  differences  in  the  off- 
spring; in  such  cases,  however,  although  there  may  be  only  one  or  two  children 
suffering  from  marked  defect,  the  remainder  are  very  seldom  normal.  They  usually 
suffer  from  some  one  or  other  of  the  conditions  I  have  described. 

When  the  progenitors  are  themselves  mentally  defective  the  results  are  even 
still  more  pronounced.  I  have  never  yet  seen  the  child  of  a  single  defective  parent 
who  was  up  to  the  normal  standard  of  mental  vigour,  whilst  the  children  resulting 
from  two  defective  parents  are,  in  my  experience,  always  markedly  abnormal  and 
often  idiotic.     In  fact,  mental  defect  is  not  only  inherited,  it  is  transmissible. 

4  P.  M. 


50  REPORT  OF  THE  No.  23 

There  are  many  other  interesting  points  concerning  the  relationship  of  mental 
defect  to  heredity  which  might  be  dealt  with  did  space  permit.  Unfortunately  it 
does  not,  and  I  must  end  by  briefly  drawing  attention  to  the  practical  bearing  of 
this  matter. 

All  the  signs  of  the  times  point  to  the  fact  that  we  have  amongst  us  to-day  an 
increasing  number  of  individuals  who  are  not  up  to  the  average  standard  of  moral, 
mental,  and  physical  vigour.  Individuals  who  are  not  only  utterly  incapable  of 
furthering  human  progress,  but  are  even  incapable  of  subsisting  by  their  own 
efforts;  who  must  be  helped  by  the  Poor  Law,  by  old  age  pensions,  by  State 
insurance,  or  by  private  philanthropy.  The  presence  of  this  class  is  beginning 
to  be  seriously  felt.  To  some  extent  the  cause  may  be  external  and  economic, 
but  we  have  to  remember  that  on  the  whole  the  economic  conditions  are  no  worse 
but  better  to-day  that  at  many  former  periods,  so  that  this  cannot  be  the  chief 
cause.  I  belive  the  real  cause  of  the  presence  of  this  parasitic  class  is  not  external, 
but  internal,  that  it  is  due  to  a  germinal  impairment,  and  that  no  little  of  it 
springs  from  the  manner  in  which  the  the  hereditarily  tainted,  the  feeble-minded, 
the  insane,  the  epileptic,  the  habitual  criminals,  and  paupers,  and  other  degenerate 
creatures  are  allowed  to  propagate  without  let  or  hindrance.  The  vigour  of  the 
nation  is  being  gradually  undermined,  its  character  in  the  aggregate  is  falling  to 
a  lower  plane,  and  its  strength  is  being  sapped  at  its  very  root  by  admixture  with 
these  degenerate  stocks.  If  national  degeneracy  is  to  be  averted  the  breeding  of 
the  degenerate  must  cease ;  if  national  progress  is  to  take  place  we  must  go  even 
further  and  do  more  to  encourage  the  breeding  of  our  best.  It  is  this  which  i~ 
the  object  of  Eugenics." — Tredgold. 

Seven  to  Four. 

Another  very  serious  fact  is  that,  to  quote  the  English  figures,  the  average 
number  of  children  in  families  whose  children  attend  the  ordinary  public  elementary 
schools  is  about  four,  whereas  in  the  families  whose  children  attend  the  Special 
Schools  the  average  number  of  children  is  7.3.  How  long  will  the  four  children 
be  able  to  maintain  the  7.3?     What  will  the  nation  be  like  then? 

Farm  Colonies. 

One  of  the  most  firmly  established  facts  about  the  care  of  the  Feeble-Minded 
is  that  they  can  be  placed  to  the  greatest  advantage  in  a  Farm  Colony.  The 
Institution  should  be  as  far  as  possible  self-contained — should  grow  its  own  food — 
do  its  own  work — assist  materially  in  building  the  necessary  houses,  even  make  its 
own  pavements  and  weave  the  cloth  for  the  inmates'  clothes,  and  raise  produce 
and  make  things  for  sale.     So  it  achieves  success  and  happiness. 

This  is  done  now  at  practically  every  progressive  and  modern  Institution  for 
the  Feeble-Minded.  It  is  done  at  Vineland,  New  Jersey,  Sandlebridge  and  Star- 
cross  in  England  and  Waverley  in  Massachusetts.     It  is  the  right  way. 

A  Farm  Colony  in  Kent. 

A  new  farm  colony  has  been  opened  this  year  in  England. 
The  National  Association  for  promoting  the  Welfare  of  the  Feeble-Minded 
has  opened  a  new  farm  colony  at  Hildenborough,  Kent.     Here  defective  children 


1912  FEEBLE-MINDED  IN  ONTARIO.  51 

•of  either  sex  (in  most  cases  the  offspring  of  defective  parents)  are  rescued  from 
the  dangers  of  the  street,  the  prison,  or  the  workhouse,  brought  up  in  clean  and 
healthy  surroundings,  and  taught  to  labour  with  their  hands.  It  has  been  found 
that  though  many  of  these  children  can  neither  read  nor  write,  and  indeed  are 
totally  incapable  of  acquring  the  ordinary  rudiments  of  education,  they  show  a 
•certain  amount  of  aptitude  for  manual  labour.  At  Hildenborough,  therefore,  they 
are  given  every  chance  of  learning  something  that  will  enable  them,  if  not  to  support 
themselves,  at  least  to  keep  them  from  swelling  the  already  overcrowded  ranks  of 
the  unemployable.  So  far  the  experiment  has  been  singularly  successful.  The 
Farm  Colony,  which  was  built  to  accommodate  50  boys  and  50  girls,  was  opened 
by  H.R.H.  Princess  Christian  of  Schleswig-Holstein  on  the  afternoon  of  July  11th, 
1911.  Her  Royal  Highness  was  presented  with  purses  containing  subscriptions 
amounting  to  £400  towards  the  maintenance  of  the  new  establishment. 

The  farm  land  comprises  171  acres  and  on  it  will  be  placed  eventually  an 
industrial  village  community  where  agricultural  and  dairy  work,  poultry  and  bee- 
keeping, basket-work,  carpentry,  etc.,  etc.,  will  be  carried  on.  All  the  inhabitants, 
■except  the  attendants  needed  for  supervision  and  direction  will  be  Feeble-Minded. 

Sandlebridge. 

In  England  a  society  which  has  solved  the  problem  of  the  care  and  control 
of  the  Feeble-Minded  and  provided  for  no  small  number  of  them  permanently  in 
an  Institution  whose  work  is  a  benefit  to  the  whole  nation,  is  the  Lancashire  and 
Cheshire  Society  for  the  Permanent  Care  of  the  Feeble-Minded,  founded  in  1898, 
which  began  its  Institution  with  fifteen  little  boys,  at  Sandlebridge,  and  has  had 
under  its  care  284  children,  many  of  whom  are  now  grown  up,  and  232  of  whom 
are  still  under  its  care.  Miss  Dendy,  the  founder  and.  Hon.  Secretary  of  the 
Society  thus  refers  to  its  work. 

Life-Long  Care. 

We  made  up  our  minds  in  Manchester  to  try  what  a  life-long  continuous  sys- 
tem of  care  would  do  for  these  poor  brethren  of  ours.  We  considered  their  con- 
dition very  carefully  before  we  began,  and  came  to  the  conclusion  that  since  weak- 
ness of  will-power  was  the  defect  that  was  common  to  all  Feeble-Minded  persons, 
that  since  it  is  because  of  this  defect  that  they  are  always  in  trouble,  always  suffer- 
ing themselves  and  a  cause  of  suffering  in  others,  the  only  rational  plan  was  to 
place  them  in  such  circumstances  that  all  the  influences  to  which  they  are  subject 
are  good,  instead  of  leaving  them  in  circumstances  which  ensure  that  all  the  in- 
fluences about  them  are  evil.  It  seemed  to  us  that,  since  it  is  so  easy  to  persuade  the 
Feeble-Minded  to  anything,  we  might  as  well  try  to  persuade  him  to  enjoy  life 
in  an  industrial  colony  where  everything  should  be  arranged  for  his  happiness 
and  well-being.  We  were  quite  determined  that  we  should  have  no  loafers  in  our 
colony;  except  a  boy  or  girl  was  ill,  he  or  she  must  be  occupied  every  day  and  all 
day  long.  With  such  people,  it  is  only  by  a  continuance  of  wholesome  occupation 
that  bad  habits  can  be  avoided.  We  knew  beforehand  that  it  is  very  difficult  to 
reclaim  people  who  have  become  the  victims  of  evil  circumstances,  and  therefore, 
as  it  was  only  possible  to  care  for  a  limited  number,  we  determined  to  begin  with 
children  and  grow  our  colonists  up.  It  meant  a  long  and  patient  waiting;  but, 
from  the  beginning,  we  never  let  our  children  or  ourselves  lose  sight  of  what  was 
'to  be  the  ultimate  reward  of  their  labour  ;ind  ours.     It  was  to  be  that  they  should 


52  REPOKT  OF  THE  No.  23 

stay  on  as  workers  where  they  had  been  trained  as  school  children.  That  was  held 
out  to  them  untiJ  it  became  an  ambition  with  them  to  be  allowed  to  leave  school 
and  go  to  work.  It  is  really  surprising  how  well  our  theories  have  worked  out; 
acting  upon  the  supposition  that  the  Feeble-Minded  have  no  plans  but  such  as 
are  made  for  them,  and  that  they  are  exceedingly  susceptible  to  their  surround- 
ings, we  have  succeeded  in  building  up  a  colony  of  230  boys  and  girls  and  men 
and  women,  not  one  of  whom  won  Id  leave  us  of  their  own  choice.  Not  many  do 
leave  us,  as  will  be  seen  when  it  is  remembered  that  all  must  come  to  us  before 
the  age  of  13,  and  that  we  now  have  seventy  over  the  age  of  16,  thirty  of  whom 
are  between  the  ages  of  18  and  23.  Our  school  still  goes  on,  of  course,  preparing 
our  scholars  for  the  after-care  which  we  provide  for  them.  With  the  utmost  con-* 
tentment  they  pass  from  the  schoolroom  to  the  farmer  or  the  gardener,  the 
plumber  or  the  carpenter,  to  the  sewing  teacher  or  the  laundry  matron,  all  of 
whom  patiently  carry  on  the  teaching  which  has  been  well  begun.  The  result  is 
that  our  colonists  do  a  good  deal  towards  their  own  support.  Each  year  sees  them 
more  capable  because  each  year  adds  to  their  little  store  of  experience.  It  is  very 
slow  work;  the  inefficient  muscles  must  be  trained;  the  wandering  eye  learn  to 
dwell  upon  its  work;  the  slow,  inert  body  must  be  strengthened  and  made  more 
active.  It  can  be  done.  Boys  and  girls  now  bring  in  a  substantial  sum  towards 
their  own  maintenance.  It  is,  however,  to  the  other  side  of  the  picture  that  we 
must  turn  in  order  to  realise  the  whole  of  what  we  are  doing.  Where  would  our 
children  be  if  they  were  not  with  us?  Almost  all  would  be  in  the  hands  of  the 
law,  as  paupers  or  criminals;  not  one  could  have  a  full  and  happy  life.  Almost 
all  of  those  who  have  reached  early  manhood  and  womanhood  would  be  parents., 
and  we  should  be  building  special  schools  to  accommodate  their  offspring. 

Starcross. 

Another  excellent  and  successful  school  is  the  Training  Institution  for  the 
Feeble-Minded  at  Starcross.  Here  we  have  the  same  pressure  for  admission,  the 
same  crying  need  for  making  the  control  of  all  the  inmates  permanent,  and  the 
same  firm  demand  for  legislation.     As  the  Chairman  of  the  Board  says: — 

"  In  view  of  this  growing  popular  demand  no  Government  can  long  refuse  to 
take  the  necessary  steps  to  deal  with  the  subject,  and  it  is  therefore  probable  that 
something  may  soon  be  done  to  remedy  the  existing  state  of  affairs,  and  to  provide 
the  accommodation  so  urgently  needed." 

Derbyshire. 

Other  Counties  in  England  are  considering  doing  the  same  thing.  In  Derby- 
shire, the  School  Medical  Inspectors  have  made  records  of  135  mentally  defective 
children  in  their  schools.  Dr.  Barwise,  the  County  Medical  Officer,  points  out 
that  every  year  over  50  of  these  children  reach  the  limit  of  school  age  and  go 
out  into  the  world,  and  "  It  is  impossible  to  gauge  the  harm  they  do."  A  new 
asylum  is  about  to  be  built  in  Derbyshire,  and  Dr.  Barwise  says  that  land  should 
be  acquired  adjoining  the  proposed  new  asylum,  and  that  two  school  colonies  be 
established  there.  The  boys  should  be  taught  gardening,  farm  work,  basket  work 
and  simple  woodwork.  The  girls  laundry  work,  bread  making,  simple  cooking, 
rug  making  and  basket  work.  When  properly  trained,  the  majority  of  these 
children  would  become  self-supporting  while  they  remained  in  an  institution.  The* 


1912  FEEBLE-MINDED  IN  ONTARIO.  53 

colonies  could  be  under  the  medical  supervision  of  the  asylum  superintendent  and 
his  assistants,  and  the  cost  of  administration  would  be  thereby  reduced.  Dr.  Bar- 
wise  very  properly  points  out  that  apart  from  the  immediate  harm  done  by  these 
children  being  at  large,  their  segregation  is  needed  with  the  object  of  preventing 
their  increasing  in  numbers.  This  is  evident  from  the  fact  that  the  average  num- 
ber of  persons  in  a  normal  family  at  the  last  census  in  Derbyshire  was  4.9,  while 
in  the  homes  from  which  the  mental  defectives  come  it  was  6.6. 

YORKSHIRE. 

Yorkshire  is  moving  in  the  same  direction  and  raising  the  funds  to  establish 
a  farm  colony  for  the  Feeble-Minded. 

Subject  to  the  consent  of  the  Local  Government  Board,  the  Ecclesall  Bierlow 
Guardians  have  voted  100  guineas  to  the  Yorkshire  Association  for  the  Permanent 
Care  of  the  Feeble-Minded  towards  the  fund  which  is  being  raised  for  the  estab- 
lishment of  a  farm  colony  for  the  Feeble-Minded. 

New  Hampshire. 

The  same  policy  is  being  carried  out  all  over  the  world.  In  New  Hampshire, 
for  example,  this  is  the  statement  in  the  Annual  Report  of  the  School  for  the 
Feeble-Minded : 

New  Hampshire,  to-day,  in  the  constantly  increasing  numbers  of  Feeble- 
Minded,  epileptics,  and  defectives  is  reaping  the  natural  reward  of  years  of  neg- 
lect and  indifference  to  the  fact  that  these  classes  were  allowed  to  live  unre- 
strained in  the  community,  ignorant  and  vicious,  reproducing  their  kind  with  or 
without  legal  marriage  bonds.  If  the  State  even  at  this  late  day  will  take  hold 
of  the  matter  and  insist  on  the  segregation  of  all  Feeble-Minded  persons  under 
State  supervision  and  care,  society  will  be  safe-guarded  and  the  future  will  see  a 
marked  diminution  in  the  numbers  of  Feeble-Minded.  There  will  not  be  found 
then  in  this  institution  family  groups  of  two,  three  and  four  children,  all  bearing 
the  stigma  of  Feeble-Mindedness.  During  the  past  year  five  children  from  one 
family  of  nine,  all  of  whom  were  below  par,  have  been  committed  to  this  instil u- 
tion.  The  Trustees  desire  to  call  to  the  attention  of  the  Legislature  that  if  the 
State  is  to  maintain  these  Feeble-Minded  in  the  best  and  most  economical  way, 
it  is  essential  that  more  land  should  be  acquired  for  farming  purposes. 

Liverpool. 

Cities  are  doing  the  same  thing.  One  of  the  earliest  attempts  to  help  the 
Feeble-Minded  was  that  by  the  "Liverpool  Ladies'  Association/'  The  Liverpool 
Courier  says  (August,  1911)  :  The  most  pathetic  figure  in  the  world  is  that  of  the 
young  girl  of  Feeble-Mind.  She  stands  in  mental  darkness  at  the  beginning  of 
her  life.  She  sees  neither  the  joys  nor  the  dangers  of  life.  The  road  of  happiness 
also,  which  all  children  Hope  to  tread  does  not  exist  for  her.  There  is.  on  the  con- 
trary, exceptional  hazard  in  her  life,  and  unless  she  is  safeguarded  she  may  un- 
knowingly be  plunged  into  the  abyss — with  grievous  consequences  for  herself  and 
for  the  nation. 

For  these  reasons  the  sympathy  of  the  people  of  this  city  should  be  most 
warmly  extended  to  the  latest  development  of  the  work  of  the  Liverpool  Ladies' 
Association  for  the  Care  and  Training  of  Girls.     This  is  the  establishment  of  a 


54  REPORT  OF  THE  Xo.  23 

Horticultural  School,  at  Knotty  Ash,  for  Feeble-Minded  girls.  It  is  the  first 
institution  of  the  kind  in  England.  A  large  residence,  standing  in  quiet  and 
pleasant  grounds,  has  been  acquired  at  a  rental  of  £150  a  year.  Here  it  is  in- 
tended to  house,  protect,  and  so  far  as  possible  educate  forty  Feeble-Minded  girls. 

Birmingham. 

Birmingham  did  the  same  thing  in  1908,  when  three  Boards  of  Poor  Law 
Guardians  of  Birmingham.  Aston  and  King's  Norton  established  the  well-known 
and  successful  Monyhull  colony. 

In  Order  to  Succeed. 

It  may  be  added  that  it  is  necessary  for  the  success  of  a  colony  that  it  should 
be  on  a  comparatively  large  scale  and  deal  with  a  large  number  of  inmates.  This 
gives  it  the  necessary  flexibility  and  variety  of  organization  on  the  one  hand,  and 
on  the  other,  enables  the  management  to  take  care  of  and  make  happy  a  large 
number  of  inmates,  thus  adding  to  the  economy  as  well  as  the  success  of  the 
management. 

He  Finds  a  Place. 

The  boy  who  can  only  pick  stones  can  find  a  place  here.  And  those  who  can- 
not even  learn  to  talk  may  turn  out  to  be  very  valuable  workers  as  plough-boys. 
farm  helpers,  cleaners,  etc.,  etc.  They  are  often  good  boys  to  take  care  of  animals. 
In  the  colony  school  the  object  in  preparing  the  boys  and  girls  for  work  in  the 
colony  should  always  be  kept  in  view,  and  the  large  numbers  permit  of  a  classifica- 
tion and  division  of  labour  which  is  essential  to  the  happiness  and  the  good  organ- 
ization of  the  colony,  making  it  a  real  home  and  as  nearly  like  life  in  the  outside 
world  as  may  be. 

To  Do  What  They  Can  Do. 

The  idea  is  to  train  the  Feeble-Minded  to  do,  not  what  they  cannot  do,  but 
what  they  can  do.  Reading,  writing,  and  arithmetic  are  what  the  Feeble-Minded 
cannot  do.  Therefore  do  not  try  to  teach  these  things.  To  pick  stones,  to  mind  a 
machine,  to  polish,  to  clean,  to  mend,  to  care  for  animals,  to  set  the  table,  to  wash 
dishes,  to  wake  the  others,  these  are  some  of  the  things  they  can  do.  Teach  them 
these.  This  girl  has  a  splendid  memory.  Use  it.  There  are  many  household  tasks 
recurring  weekly,  daily,  hourly,  that  need  her  memory  This  boy  can  learn  a 
plumber's  work.     He  will  always  be  needed  in  the  colony. 

Darenth  Colony  and  Schools.. 

This  is  one  of  the  largest  Institutions  in  Great  Britain,  its  inmates  number- 
ing 2,000.  Formerly  it  was  regarded  simply  as  an  asylum.  In  1904  an  effort  was 
made  to  reorganize  it  into  an  Industrial  Colony  and  Training  School.  This,  it 
may  be  easily  understood,  was  no  easy  matter,  but  it  has  been  done.  There  are  now 
some  500  inmates  in  the  training  school  and  1,166  in  the  Industrial  Colony,  all 
of  whom  do  useful  work  such  as  needle  work,  repairs,  housework,  making  brushes, 


1912  FEEBLE-MINDED  IN  ONTARIO.  55 


rugs,  mattresses,  bags,  envelopes  and  labels,  gardening,  knitting,  basket  work, 
weaving,  tailoring,  dressmaking,  upholstering,  chair-caning,  wood-chopping,  tin- 
plate  working,  carpentering,  shoemaking,  bookbinding  and  printing. 

Ready  for  a  Trade. 

In  the  schools  every  effort  is  made  to  prepare  the  children  for  learning  useful 
trades,  and  when  the  child  goes  from  the  school  to  the  colony  his  school  record 
helps  him  to  find  the  work  he  likes.  Sometimes  an  inmate  tries  eight  or  nine 
different  shops  in  the  colony  before  he  finds  one  where  he  likes  the  work  and  can 
do  it. 

Legislation. 

All  reforms  have  much  the  same  history.  First  somebody  sees  the  need  and 
sets  out  on  the  long  road  of  informing  and  influencing  public  opinion  on  the 
subject. 

Second,  that  public  opinion  is  brought  to  bear  upon  the  law-makers. 

Third,  the  Reform  becomes  law,  and  is  carried  out.  All  three  stages  are 
often  in  progress  simultaneously.  In  regard  to  the  protection  and  care  of  the 
Feeble-Minded,  the  most  advanced  and  patriotic  citizens  among  us  have  long 
passed  the  first  stage.  The  second  stage  has  been  in  active  progress  in  Ontario  for 
ten  years  and  more. 

The  First  Act  in  Canada. 

The  third  stage  began  in  Ontario  when  the  Hon.  Dr.  Pyne,  Minister  of  Edu- 
cation, introduced  Bill  No.  200,  3rd  Session,  12th  Legislature,  I.  George  V.,  1911. 
An  Act  respecting  Special  Classes. 

First  Reading,  March  10,  1911. 

Second  Reading,  March  13th,  1911. 

Third  Reading,  March  20,  1911. 

This  Act  gives  power  to  the  Board  of  Education,  or  Public  School  Trustees, 
or  Separate  School  Trustees,  in  any  city  to  cause  a  Register  to  be  made  of  all 
children  who  are  backward  or  abnormally  slow  in  learning,  or  who  from  physical 
or  mental  causes  require  special  training  and  education.  It  also  prescribes  for 
their  admission  to  such  classes,  for  the  Medical  Inspection  and  course  of  study, 
and  for  the  apportionment  of  all  sums  of  money  appropriated  as  a  special  grant 
therefor. 

Public  opinion  is  undoubtedly  in  favor  of  this  Act.  The  Hamilton  Spectator 
(March  11,  1911),  for  example,  refers  to  it  as, 

Wise  and  Necessary. 

Hon.  Dr.  Pyne  has  introduced  a  measure  in  the  legislature  which  is  of  con- 
siderable importance  to  school  boards  throughout  the  province,  dealing  as  it  does 
with  the  cases  of  defective  and  backward  children.  It  is  generally  admitted  that 
our  public  school  system  does  not  adapt  itself  to  the  special  needs  of  this  par- 
ticular class. 

This  new  legislation  should  be  generally  welcomed.  For  some  months  now 
the  Hamilton  board  of  education  has  been  conducting  just  such  a  class,  and  there 


5G  REPORT  OF  THE  No.  23 

is  need  for  the  formation  of  another.  Representations  have  been  made  to  the 
Department  by  the  Hamilton  board  along  the  lines  suggested  in  Dr.  Pyne's  bill,  and 
with  its  passage  the  way  will  be  opened  for  a  more  general  carrying  on  of  this  very 
necessary  work,  upon  a  basis  that  will  divide  responsibility  fairly  between  the  muni- 
cipality and  the  state.  There  is  no  large  centre  lacking  its  full  share  of  children 
of  this  type.  That  their  needs  are  now  to  receive  special  consideration  is  additional 
evidence  that  the  Whitney  government  is  not  slow  to  assume  its  responsibility  when 
that  responsibility  is  made  clear  to  it. 

Who  Are  The  Feeble-Minded. 

In  some  countries  (vide  seq.)  a  definition  of  Feeble-Minded  persons,  has  been 
emboodied  in  one  or  more  statutes.  This  is  a  help  in  dealing  with  them  and  may 
soon  render  it  advisable  to  define  the  powers  of  the  Lieutenant-Governor  in  Council 
as  to  the  detention  of  such  persons,  and  their  removal  if  necessary  from  Charitable 
Institutions  and  prisons  to  some  other  more  suitable  place  of  detention. 

The  National  Council  of  Women. 

The  National  Council  of  Women  of  Canada,  the  first  public  body  to  advocate 
the  care  of  the  Feeble-Minded,  have  adopted  as  part  of  their  platform  that : 

(1)  Immediate  provision  shall  be  made  by  the  Provincial  Government  for  the 
adequate  segregation  and  care  of  the  feeble-minded  of  the  Province. 

(2)  Separate  classes  for  Feeble-Minded  children  should  be  made  compulsory 
in  connection  with  public  schools. 

New  Hampshire. 

The  State  of  New  Hampshire  has  recently  amended  the  Act  to  provide  for  the 
Care  and  Education  of  Feeble-Minded  Children,;  as  follows: 

Section  1.  The  state  shall  establish  and  maintain  a  school  for  the  care  and 
education  of  the  idiotic  and  feeble-minded,  between  three  and  twenty-one  years  of 
age,  which  shall  be  known  as  the  New  Hampshire  School  for  the  Feeble-Minded 
Children.  All  children  supported  by  towns  or  counties  in  the  state,  who  in  the 
judgment  of  the  selectmen  of  towns  or  county  commissioners  of  the  county  or  State 
Board  of  Charities  are  capable  of  being  benefited  by  school  instruction,  shall  be 
committed  to  this  institution.  Provision  shall  also  be  made  for  the  detention,  care 
and  custody  of  feeble-minded  girls,  who  are  inmates  of  the  school,  after  they  reach 
the  age  of  twenty-one,  if  in  the  judgment  of  the  board  of  trustees  their  segregation 
seems  to  be  for  the  best  interests  of  the  community. 

Minnesota  . 

The  following  is  an  extract  from  the  Statutes  of  Minnesota : 

Be  it  enacted  by  the  Legislature  of  the  State  of  Minnesota. 

Section  1.  That  section  1914  of  the  Revised  Laws  of  1905,  be,  and  the  same 
hereby  is  amended  so  as  to  read  as  follows: 

1914.  All  feeble-minded  persons,  resident  of  the  state,  who,  in  the  opinion  of  the 
superintendent  of  said  school  are  of  suitable  age  and  capacity  to  receive  instruction 


1912  FEEBLE-MINDED  IN  ONTARIO.  57 

in  said  school  and  whose  defects  prevent  them  from  receiving  proper  training  in  the 
public  schools,  may  be  admitted,  under  such  conditions  and  regulations  as  said 
board  shall  prescribe.  The  person  legally  responsible  for  the  support  of  any  person 
so  admitted,  shall  pay  annually  to  the  superintendent  of  said  institution  a  sum  not 
exceeding  forty  dollars,  to  be  fixed  by  the  board,  but  if  the  person  so  liable  be  unable 
to  pay  such  sum,  of  which  inability  the  certificate  of  the  Judge  of  Probate  of  the 
county  from  which  said  person  is  admitted,  shall  be  prima  facie  evidence,  it  is 
hereby  made  a  charge  upon  the  county,  and  upon  the  presentation  of  a  certificate  to 
the  superintendent  of  said  institution  certified  to  by  the  secretary  of  the  board  of 
control  to  the  auditor  of  said  county,  that  such  indigent  person  is  a  regular  and 
proper  inmate  of  such  institution,  and  of  the  sum  so  fixed  by  the  board  as  a  con- 
dition of  admission,  said  auditor  shall  immediately  remit  to  the  superintendent  of 
said  institution  the  sum  so  fixed,  and  a  like  amount  annually  thereafter,  so  long  as 
such  person  remains  an  inmate  of  said  institution;  said  superintendent  shall  trans- 
mit the  funds  so  received  to  the  state  treasurer  to  be  credited  to  the  proper  funds  of 
said  institution  as  required  by  law  in  the  case  of  other  current  receipts. 


Massachusetts. 

The  State  of  Massachusetts  has  a  similar  enactment: 

Section  12.  If  upon  application  in  writing,  a  Judge  of  Probate  finds  that  a 
person  is  a  proper  subject  for  said  school  for  the  feeble-minded,  he  may  commit  him 
thereto  by  an  order  of  commitment  directed  to  the  trustees  thereof,  accompanied 
by  the  certificate  of  a  physician  who  is  a  graduate  of  a  legally  organized  medical 
college  and  who  has  practised  three  years  in  this  Commonwealth,  that  such  person 
is  a  proper  subject  for  said  institution. 

Section  13.  A  person  who  intends  to  apply  for  the  commitment  of  a  feeble- 
minded person  under  the  provisions  of  the  preceding  section  shall  first  give  notice  in 
writing  of  such  intention  to  the  overseers  of  the  poor  of  the  city  or  town  in  which 
such  feeble-minded  person  resides;  but  if  such  feeble-minded  person  resides  iD 
Boston,  such  notice  shall  be  given  to  the  institution's  registrar  instead  of  the  over- 
seers of  the  poor.  Satisfactory  evidence  that  such  notice  has  been  given  shall  be 
produced  to  the  judge  and  shall  accompany  the  order  of  commitment. 

Section  17.  The  charges  for  the  support  of  each  inmate  in  the  custodial 
department  of  said  school  shall  be  three  dollars  and  twenty-five  cents  a  week,  and 
shall  he  paid  quarterly.  Such  charges  for  those  not  having  known  settlements  in 
the  Commonwealth  shall  be  paid  by  the  Commonwealth,  and  may  afterwards  be 
recovered  by  the  treasurer  and  receiver  general  of  the  Commonwealth  of  such" 
inmates,  if  of  sufficient  ability,  or  of  any  person  or  kindred  bound  by  law  to  maintain 
them,  or  of  the  place  of  their  settlement,  if  subsequently  ascertained;  for  those 
having  known  settlements  in  this  Commonwealth,  either  by  the  persons  bound  to  pay 
or  by  the  municipality  in  which  such  inmates  have  their  settlement,  u  urity 

to  the  satisfaction  of  the  trustees  is  given  for  such  support.  If  any  person  or  muni- 
cipality refuses  or  neglects  to  pay  such  charges,  or  such  amounts  as  may  be  charged 
and  due  for  the  removal  of  any  inmate  whom  the  trustees  are  authorized  by  law  to 
remove,  the  treasurer  may  recover  the  same  to  the  use  of  the  school  as  provided  in 
section  seventy-nine  of  chapter  eighty-seven  of  the  Revised  Laws. 


58  REPORT  OF  THE  No.  23 


Rhode  Island. 

Legislation  of  a  more  satisfactory  character  still  has  been  passed  by  the  State  of 
Rhode  Island: 

An  Act  for  the  Establishment,  Maintenance,  Management  and  Control  of  the 
Rhode  Island  School  for  the  Feeble-Minded. 

Section  3.  In  said  school  shall  be  maintained  a  school  department  for  the 
instruction  and  education  of  feeble-minded  persons  who  are  within  school  age,  or 
who  are  in  the  judgment  of  said  board  capable  of  being  benefited  by  school  instruc- 
tion ;  and  a  custodial  department  for  the  care  and  custody  of  feeble-minded  persons 
beyond  school  age,  or  who  are  not  capable  of  being  benefited  by  school  instruction. 

Section  6  provides  that  where  complaint  is  made  that  any  person  within  the 
District  is  feeble-minded  so  as  to  require  restraint  for  his  own  welfare,  or  for  the 
welfare  of  the  public,  such  person  shall  be  brought  before  the  district  court  for 
examination  and  if  the  court  "  shall  adjudge  such  complaint  to  be  true,  it  shall, 
unless  some  provision  for  the  adequate  restraint  of  such  person  satisfactory  to  said 
court  shall  be  made,  commit  such  person  by  warrant  under  its  hand  and  seal  to  the 
Rhode  Island  School  for  the  Feeble-Minded,  there  to  be  detained  until  in  the  judg- 
ment of  such  district  court  or  in  the  judgment  of  the  board  of  trustees  of  the 
Rhode  Island  School  for  the  Feeble-Minded  such  person  shall  be  no  longer  under 
the  necessity  of  restraint." 

A  Century  Ago. 

It  was  in  1808  that  County  Justices  in  England  were  first  empowered  to  estab- 
lish County  Lunatic  Asylums.  It  has  taken  a  little  more  than  a  century  to  get 
similar  legislation  to  secure  the  rights  of  the  Feeble-Minded,  and  they  are  not  yet 
secured.  Still  it  is  unthinkable  that  much  more  time  will  elapse  before  this  is 
done. 


English  Deputations. 

Lancashire  and  Cheshire. 

The  Government  has  received  many  deputations  on  the  subject  of  which  the 
following  is  a  good  example,  both  in  the  requests  of  the  deputation  which  fairly 
represent  public  opinion  on  the  subject,  and  in  the  reply  of  the  Home  Secretary, 
which  indicates  that  Legislation  is  already  prepared.  The  deputation  urged  that 
the  promised  legislation  with  regard  to  the  care  of  the  feeble-minded  should  pro- 
vide: (1),  power  of  compulsory  committal  or  detention  in  certified  residential 
schools  or  other  training  establishments,  institutions,  or  colonies  of  feeble-minded 
children  when  necessary;  (2),  adequate  Government  grants  for  such  residential 
schools  and  training  institutions;  (3),  that  the  Education  (Defective  and  Epileptic 
Children)  Act,  1899,  be  made  compulsory  instead  of  permissive  as  at  present;  (4) 
the  extension  of  the  age  up  to  Which  feeble-minded  children  can  legally  be  detained 
on  a  further  renewable  certificate;  (5),  that  it  be  rendered  obligatory  on  county 
councils  to  provide  suitable  homes,  institutions,  or  colonies  for  the  reception  of 
mental  defectives  after  training. 


1912  FEEBLE-MINDED  IN  ONTARIO.  59 

The  Home  Secretary's  Promise. 

Mr.  McKenna  said  that  the  Bill  which  he  was  going  to  bring  in  required  a  good 
deal  of  pressure  behind  it  before  it  could  be  passed  through  Parliament,  and  he  was 
pleased  to  receive  that  deputation  and  to  hear  their  views.  Such  a  measure  as  was 
proposed  could  not  be  passed  without  provision  for  the  money  required.  There 
would  have  to  be  provided  a  large  number  of  homes  in  addition  to  those  already 
in  existence,  and  there  were  no  means  of  increasing  the  number  except  by  financial 
assistance  from  the  State  and  local  authorities.  He  hoped  the  local  authorities 
would  be  willing  to  bear  their  share  of  the  expense,  as  the  treatment  of  the  feeble- 
minded in  national  homes  must  lead  to  a  reduction  in  the  Poor  rate.  He  would 
do  his  best  to  secure  adequate  money  from  the  Exchequer,  but  he  must  rely  upon 
the  members  of  the  deputation  doing  their  best  to  secure  adequate  contributions 
from  the  local  authorities  also.  He  agreed  that  no  doubt,  ultimately,  permanent 
segregation  would  prove  to  be  the  only  remedy.  They  could  now,  at  any  rate,  upon 
lines  which  they  knew  from  experience  to  be  satisfactory,  ensure  to  these  unhappy 
persons  a  certain  amount  of  usefulness  and  happiness  in  comparison  with  the  lives 
which  they  had  to  live  at  present.  He  assured  the  deputation  of  the  sympathy  of 
the  Home  Office  with  their  wishes. 

Mr.  C.  N.  Nicholson,  M.P.,  in  thanking  Mr.  McKenna  for  receiving  the  depu- 
tation, said  that  there  was  no  doubt  that  the  local  authorities  would  favourably 
receive  the  Home  Secretary's  remarks  with  regard  to  the  sharing  of  the  cost  of  the 
scheme  which  had  been  proposed  to  him.     The  deputation  then  withdrew. 

The  County  of  Chester. 

The  County  Councils  of  England  have  largely  expressed  their  views  as  to  the 
urgent  need  for  legislation.  The  County  Palatine  of  Chester,  for  instance,  has 
acted  by  passing  the  following  resolutions,  sending  them  under  date  of  August  17th, 
1911,  to  the  Government,  Members  of  Parliament,  and  all  County  Councils: 

(a)  That  in  view  of  the  fact  that  three  years  have  elapsed  since  the  Report  of 
the  Royal  Commission  on  the  Care  and  Control  of  the  Feeble-Minded  was  issued; 
that  the  evils  attendant  on  the  present  system  owing  to  the  want  of  powers  of  control 
and  segregation  are  if  anything  increasing;  that  race  deterioration  is  consequently 
threatened,  and  vast  expense  incurred  which  might  be  avoided,  this  Council  urges 
the  Government  to  promptly  undertake  remedial  legislation  which  is  long  overdue 
and  should  be  no  longer  delayed. 

(&)  That  copies  of  the  foregoing  Order  be  sent  to  all  the  County  Councils,  the 
Prime  Minister,  the  President  of  the  Local  Government  Board,  and  the  Members 
of  Parliament  for  the  County. 

Wiltshire. 

Preparations  of  a  practical  character  are  also  being  made  to  deal  with  the 
matter  by  combining  Local  Authorities.  "At  the  Devizes  Board  of  Guardians 
meeting  last  month  there  was  a  long  discussion  on  a  motion  by  the  Mayor  (Mr.  R. 
H.  Caird),  who  moved,  That  application  be  made  to  the  Local  Government  Board 
to  issue  an  order  combining  any  or  all  unions  situated  within  the  administrative 
county  of  Wiltshire,  and  constituting  a  joint  committee  under  the  provision  of 
Section  8  of  the  Poor  Law  Act,  1879,  for  the  purpose  of  providing  and  maintaining 
an  institution  for  the  maintenance  and  treatment  of  persons  chargeable  to  the  poor 
rates  who  are  certified  under  Section  24  or  25  of  the  Lunacy  Act,  1890,  or  who  are 


60  .  REPORT  OF  THE  STo.  23 


epileptics  or  feeble-minded,  but  not  certified  as  lunatics.  There  was  some  opposi- 
tion on  the  ground  of  expense.  Eventually  the  resolution  was  agreed  to  by  a  large 
majority." 

London. 

The  London  County  Council  has  dealt  with  the  matter  as  follows,  by  reports 
from  its  Education  Committee,  Finance  Committee  and  General  Purposes  Commit- 
tee, and  finally  by  unanimous  resolution  from  the  whole  Council : 

The  Education  Committee  submitted  proposals  with  regard  to  the  report  of 
the  Royal  Commission  on  the  Care  and  Control  of  the  Feeble-Minded  in  so  far  as 
it  dealt  with  mentally  defective  children.  Experience  gained  of  the  working  of 
special  schools  for  the  mentally  defective  was  convincing  as  to  the  undesirability 
of  withdrawing  such  children  from  public  control  on  their  attaining  the  age  of 
sixteen  years.  Legislation  was  urgently  needed  to  enable  the  Council  to  make  pro- 
vision for  children  lacking  in  moral  sense,  especially  elder  girls,  who  were  con- 
sidered unfit  for  ordinary  or  special  schools.  If  provision  were  made  only  for  the 
latter,  accommodation  would  be  required  immediately  for  at  least  thirty,  and  might 
have  to  be  found  eventually  for  100.  The  cost  for  building  would  be  about  $150 
a  child,  and  for  maintenance  10s.  a  week,  an  average  contribution  of  Is.  being 
obtained  from  parents.  The  Council  had  permissive  powers  to  provide  institutions 
for  mentally  defective  children  up  to  the  age  of  16,  but  it  had  no  powers  to  send 
the  children  to,  or  retain  them  in,  such  institutions  against  the  will  of  their  parents. 
Until  there  was  legislation  to  enable  the  Council  to  make  provision  for  such  chil- 
dren at  least  up  to  the  age  of  21  years  the  Committee  could  not  recommend  any  steps 
in  that  direction.  It  was  desirable  to  send  a  deputation  to  the  Home  Secretary 
offering  to  place  at  his  disposal  the  experience  gained  by  the  Council  in  dealing 
with  mentally  defective  children  in  its  special  schools,  and  urging  that  action  should 
be  taken,  provided  it  was  made  quite  clear  that  the  Council  adhered  to  the  views 
stated  in  its  resolutions  of  December  13th  last  that  any  further  duties  placed  on  the 
Council  in  this  connection  should  be  accompanied  by  an  appropriate  grant  from  the 
Imperial  Exchequer. 

On  this  report,  the  Finance  Committee  expressed  considerable  doubt  whether 
the  Education  Committee  had  not  underestimated  the  number  of  children  for  whom 
provision  would  have  to  be  made,  and  strongly  deprecated  any  proposal  which  would 
have  the  effect  of  placing  upon  the  Council,  as  local  education  authority,  any  further 
responsibility  in  respect  of  feeble-minded  children,  or  of  placing  upon  the  Council, 
in  any  capacity,  such  enhanced  responsibilities,  except  under  the  conditions  con- 
templated by  the  Council's  resolutions  of  December  13th,  1910 — namely,  the  sub- 
stantial provision  of  Exchequer  contributions.  The  General  Purposes  Committee, 
reporting  concurrently,  thought  that  legislation  with  regard  to  persons  lacking  in 
moral  sense  should  not  be  restricted,  as  the  Education  Committee  suggested,  to  those 
under  21  years  of  age,  but  should  cover  all  such  persons  irrespective  of  age.  The 
Committee  submitted  the  following  resolution,  which  the  Council  unanimously 
adopted : 

"That  it  is  desirable  that  legislation  should  be  promoted  on  the  whole  question 
of  the  care  and  control  of  the  feeble-minded,  and  particularly  to  confer  on  the 
Council  authority  to  make  provision  for  persons  lacking  in  moral  sense,  in  accord- 
ance with  the  recommendations  of  the  Royal  Commission;  and  that  the  Home 
Secretary  be  asked  to  receive  a  deputation  on  the  subject." 


1912  FEEBLE-MINDED  IK  ONTARIO.  61 

The  Deputation  from  London. 

This  deputation  duly  appeared  before  the  Home  Secretary  in  November,  1911, 
and  received  a  reply  which  is  more  encouraging  than  ever  before.  The  substance 
of  what  the  Rt.  Hon.  Mr.  McKenna  said  is  as  follows : 

Mr.  McKenna  stated  that  both  he  and  the  President  of  the  Board  of  Education 
were  deeply  interested  in  the  subject,  and  in  securing  a  remedy  very  much  on  the 
lines  asked  for  by  the  Council  for  the  evils  described  by  the  deputation ;  that  he  had 
in  draft  an  Inebriates  Bill,  and  also  the  heads  of  a  bill  for  dealing  with  the  feeble- 
minded, both  of  which  he  trusted  would  become  law  in  the  next  session  of  Parlia- 
ment, and  that  in  the  last-named  bill,  which  would  be  compulsory  and  not  adoptive, 
provision  would  be  made  for  the  care  after  the  age  of  16  of  feeble-minded  children 
and  for  the  care  of  imbeciles;  and,  further,  the  Home  Office  were  in  entire  agree- 
ment with  the  Council's  contention  for  the  establishment  of  a  central  authority. 


Boards  of  Guardians. 

Boards  of  Guardians  everywhere  are  feeling  the  pressure  of  the  problem  of  the 
Feeble-Minded. 

The  Horsham  Board  of  Guardians  are  circularizing  the  various  unions  in  the 
country  as  to  their  views  on  the  following  resolution  which  they  have  passed,  and 
which  has  been  sent  to  the  Home  Secretary  and  the  President  of  the  Local  Govern- 
ment Board :  "  The  Board  of  Guardians  of  the  Horsham  Union  are  strongly  of 
opinion  that  an  appreciable  amount  of  the  suffering  and  pauperism  of  the  present 
day  can  be  traced  to  causes  which  have  their  origin  in  the  absence  of  proper  provision 
for  the  control,  care  and  maintenance  of  the  feeble-minded.  They  are  agreed  in 
thinking  that  all  grades  of  mentally-defective  persons,  whether  idiots,  imbeciles, 
feeble-minded,  epileptics,  or  confirmed  inebriates,  should  "be  removed  out  of  the 
Poor  Law  altogether,  and  that  it  should  be  possible  to  place  them  under  the  care  of 
one  central  authority,  which  should  be  entrusted  with  large  powers  for  the  general 
supervision,  protection,  and  control,  and  for  the  regulation  of  the  provision  made 
for  the  accommodation,  maintenance  and  treatment  of  all  persons  so  afflicted.  They 
believe  that  by  means  of  more  extended  powers  of  control,  adequate  provision  for 
care  and  maintenance,  together  with  uniformity  of  treatment  throughout  the  coun- 
try, much  lasting  good  will  result,  and  they  would  respectfully  but  earnestly  urge 
the  Government  to  undertake  legislation  without  delay  which  will  provide  a  suitable 
remedy  for  a  state  of  affairs  which  all  are  agreed  is  deplorable,  but  which  all  alike 
are  now  powerless  to  avert." 

Halifax. 

One  of  the  best  statements  of  the  case  is  that  passed  as  a  resolution  by  the  Town 
Council  of  Halifax: 

"  In  the  belief  that  the  absence  of  control  of  the  adult  feeble-minded  is  a  con- 
tributory factor  of  great  importance  in  relation  to  crime,  to  immorality  and  to  the 
problem  of  unemployment,  and  belieping  furthermore  that  this  lack  of  control, 
oecause  of  the  greater  fecundity  of  the  feeble-minded,  seriously  reduces  the  mean 
average  of  the  health,  the  intelligence,  the  morality  and  the  physique  of  the  race, 
this  council  earnestly  begs  his  Majesty's  Government  to  place  in  the  hands  of  some 


62  REPORT  OF  THE  No.  23 

authority,  subject  to  such  safeguards  as  may  be  thought  advisable,  the  permanent 
control  of  these  unfortunates.  That  the  above  resolution  be  forwarded  to  the 
Prime  Minister,  the  President  of  the  Board  of  Education,  President  of  the  Local 
Government  Board,  Boards  of  Guardians  and  the  Education  Committees  of  all 
County  Boroughs  and  County  Councils  in  the  country,  accompanied  by  a  wish  for 
their  support."  Tins  resolution  is  being  adopted  by  public  bodies  all  over  the 
kingdom. 

The  Bill  is  Peepaeed. 

Mr.  Winston  Churchill,  then  Secretary  of  State  for  the  Home  Department, 
stated  twice,  during  1911,  in  the  House  of  Commons,  in  answer  to  enquiries,  that 
he  proposed  to  introduce  next  session  (1912)  a  Bill  in  regard  to  the  Feeble-Minded, 
and  that  such  a  Bill  was  in  preparation. 

Questions  in  the  House. 

Mr.  Houston,  M.P.,  asked  whether  the  Home  Secretary  was  aware  that  a 
medical  man  had  stated  in  a  lecture  at  Liverpool  that  he  knew  of  sixteen .  feeble- 
minded women  who  had  become  collectively  the  mothers  of  over  one  hundred  ille- 
gitimate children,  and  whether  with  the  object  of  preventing  degeneracy  from  the 
propagation  of  imbecile  weakly  and  diseased  children  he  would  introduce  legislation 
to  segregate  imbecile  males  and  females  and  those  suffering  from  incurable  trans- 
mittable  and  hereditary  diseases. — Mr  Churchill  answered  that  he  had  no  knowledge 
of  the  lecture  referred  to;  but  the  considerations  mentioned  in  the  question  had 
frequently  been  brought  before  him,  and  he  was  deeply  impressed  with  their  impor- 
tance. The  scope  of  the  Bill  in  preparation  would  not  extend  beyond  mental 
deficiency  and  possibly  epilepsy. 

"Within  this  month  (December,  1911)  the  Government  has  repeated  its  promise 
of  legislation. 

Caee  of  the  Feeble-Minded. 

The  Home  Secretary,  in  reply  to  a  question  by  Mr.  Morton,  said  that  he 
intended  next  session  to  introduce  legislation  dealing  with  the  care  of  the  feeble- 
minded. 


Two  Feeble-Minded  Girls  al  Vinelai 


Two  Feeble-Minded  Girls  at  a  Charitable  Institution  in  Ontario. 

By  our  present  law  they  must  be  plac  .d  out.     Will  you  help  to  protect  them  ? 

'J' 


1912  FEEBLE-MINDED  IN  ONTARIO.  63 


FEEBLE-MINDED  GIRLS  IN   ONTARIO. 

Once  discharged  from  that  Institution,  these  two  Feeble-Minded  Ontario  girls 
are  in  great  danger.  This  Department  hears  every  day  of  just  such  girls  and  their 
fall.  Forethought,  business  sense,  economy,  sound  financial  principles,  decency, 
patriotism,  kindness,  Christianity,  all  urge  us  to  protect  them  from  wrong. 

The  wrong  is  not  against  them  alone.  It  is  also  a  wrong  against  our  country 
and  our  children,  who  have  to  bear  the  unbearable  burden  of  their  children.  It  is 
a  crime  against  Canada. 

The  exceeding  bitter  cry  of  the  wronged  Feeble-Minded  woman  is  a  silent  cry. 

She  does  not  know  how  great  the  sin  against  her  is.     We  do. 

She  cannot  protect  herself  against  her  great  wrongs.       We  can. 

And  if  we  do  it  not,  at  our  hands  will  God  require  it. 

Summary. 

(1)  There  are  not  less  than  2,000  Idiots,  Imbeciles  and  Feeble-Minded  persons 
in  Ontario,  and  probably  there  are  4,000.  The  Orillia  Institution  can  take  care  of 
about  800.     The  rest  was  ignored. 

(2)  The  Feeble-Minded  cost  us  a  great  deal  of  money  because  we  ignore  them 
and  have  not  considered  their  case. 

(3)  We  can  save  at  least  half  this  money. 

(4)  The  Feeble-Minded  are  increasing  with  alarming  rapidity,  and  more 
rapidly  than  normal  people. 

(5)  A  Register  of  Feeble-Minded  persons,  especially  of  Feeble-Minded  chil- 
dren, is  needed  in  Ontario  and  should  be  prepared  forthwith.- 

(6)  Legislation  enabling  the  Province  to  protect,  care  for  and  control  the 
Feeble-Minded  is  needed. 

(7)  Institution  care  is  the  only  way  to  deal  with  the  Feeble-Minded.  Farm 
Colonies  with  Industrial  and  Agricultural  Training  and  Employment  are  most 
successful.     The  cost  of  these  should  be  partly  borne  by  the  municipalities. 

I  have  the  honour  to  be, 

S,, 
Your  obedient  Servant, 

Helen  MacMurcht. 


RC 

446  Feeble-minded  in  Ontario 

053F44 

1907 

-1912 

c.  1 

GERSTEIN 


I3EKS 


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