Report of the Royal Commission on the care and control of the feeble-minded, Volume VIII.
- Great Britain. Royal Commission on the Care and Control of the Feeble-minded.
- Date:
- 1908
Licence: In copyright
Credit: Report of the Royal Commission on the care and control of the feeble-minded, Volume VIII. Source: Wellcome Collection.
Provider: This material has been provided by Royal College of Physicians, London. The original may be consulted at Royal College of Physicians, London.
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![Summary of the Report Showing briefly the Proposed Application OF THE ABOVE PRINCIPLES—continued. 21. We have taken first the administration of Poor Law relief in town and country, apart from the Metropolis, and have come to the conclusion that intervention in the case of mentally defective persons should be based as we have said, on the principle that such persons are suffering from mental incapacity rather than on the principle that they require aid as poor and destitute, and we have concluded that the provision made on their behalf should be organised on that understanding. And as we have recognised the fact that mentally defective persons are found who are being dealt with by several central authorities and at many administrative centres, we have argued that for their sufficient treatment and supervision there should be one central authority, a “ Board of Control,” for the general protection and supervision of all mentally defective persons and for the regulation of the provision made for their accomm-odation, and main- tenance, care, treatment, education, training and control. We have further proposed that the local authority which should co-operate with this central authority should be a Statutory Committee of the Council of the County or County Borough for the Care of the Mentally Defective that should take over the duties of the Visiting Committee of Asylums of the Council. Part of the duties of the Education Committee of the Council would also be transferred. Subject to the approval of the Board of Control this authority would have power to contract for the accommodation of mentally defective persons with any Poor Law or other public authority, public or voluntary agency or private person. The Poor Ijaw and the central and local authority. Part I. below. Recommendation» I. and V. Recommendationss ] XXVIIL.XLIL, ^ LXXIV. .Ha , | fe. f^rrn ■ 22. We have next dealt with the special conditions of the provision which has The Metropolis, been made for the care and maintenance of the mentally defective in London, and have pointed out the necessity of establishing a united and self-consistent administration; and we have recommended that a Statutory Committee of the London County Council for the care of the mentally defective should be the Committee of administration for the Metropolis, and that the functions of the Metropolitan Asylums Board, so far as they refer to the mentally defective, should be transferred to this Committee. Part II. below, and Reco mm endation XCVI. 23. We have then discussed the education of the mentally defective in its Education, chief bearings; and we have advocated a system of record and limited notification. ni. below, and We have also recommended that for the education and training of all mentally i.rLXXiv.,^*^”*^* defective children the Board of Control, and the local authorities, represented by Lxxix., lxxxl the Committees for the care of the mentally defective, should be responsible, sub- ject to ample powers being given to these Committees to contract with the education authority for the supply of special schools and classes, or to take other suitable measures for their education. We have urged that the childhood and schooling of mentally defective children cannot rightly be treated apart from their after life, and that no age can be fixed in their case as separating school time from supervision and after-care. So far as it maybe necessary, therefore, the super- vision exercised over them by or on behalf of the local authority would be continuous; and both in the education and control of children it is proposed that many methods besides special classes or special homes should be adopted, such, for instance, as “ colonies,” family supervision and friendly guardianship and wardship till the age of twenty-one. 24. Passing to other administrative centres we have examined the state of the Prisons, casual mentally defective who are in prisons, casual wards and common lodging houses, wards, juvenile and we have considered much detailed evidence in regard to juvenile offenders and children in remand homes. We have shown how widespread Part iv. beW, and and unanimous is the opinion that in many cases separation or detention is ^wj^mmendations indispensable, if offences of certain kinds are not to be perpetually perpetrated Lxxxix. by weak minded offenders, and perpetually punished without effect. We have recommended that feeble-minded juvenile offenders should be most carefully examined by medical officers and dealt with in various ways ; and that the procedure for the commitment of feeble-minded prisoners, their treatment, and the arrangements for their discharge should be entirely reformed. ^ 25. We have shown to how large an extent habitual inebriates are Habitual mentally defective, and we have recommended that the care and control of inebriates mentally defective inebriates should be placed in the hands of the Board Reco^i^emiaTi^^^ of Control and of the local authorities which would hereafter be responsible for xci. the care of mentally defective persons generally. 103.—VIII. 9 B](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b28038551_0041.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
