… The same important problem was touched upon by Mrs. Hume Pinsent in her address in Sheffield last night on “The care and control of the feeble-minded.” Continuity of control, she asserted, was of the utmost importance in order that the reproduction of their kind might be avoided. Feeble-minded parents brought forth feeble-minded children, who frequently became paupers, criminals, or lunatics, throwing great expenses on the community. There was no restriction on the number of children these people had, and while smaller families were becoming the rule not only among the upper and middle cases, but also in the artisan class, large families still came from the degenerates and defectives. The offspring are tended by the community with scrupulous care, but when all that is possible has been done by the provision of special schools, they go forth altogether unfitted for the battle of life. It is not a pleasant problem, but it is high time it was resolutely tackled.
Transcribed in whole or part from scanned originals: Presented with or without modified text and punctuation. For absolute accuracy refer to the original newspapers. Source: The British Newspaper Archive.
Referenced
GRO0245 Devonport: Ellen Frances Parker: 1866 – 1949