The medical diseases of children . in the case of cretinism (p. 441), play but a smallpart in the treatment of defective children. Sedative drugs, such asthe bromides, chloral hydrate, and antipyrin, are of value in con-trolling fits, restlessness, and screaming. Classification.—Imbecility is a term used indicative of a slightergrade of mental defect than idiocy. By a mentally-backward child ismeant, as Dr. C. West has put it, one who would be normal at an 436 DISEASES OP THE NERVOUS SYSTEM earlier age ; while by a mentally-deficient child is meant one who wouldbe abnormal at any age. Mental d
The medical diseases of children . in the case of cretinism (p. 441), play but a smallpart in the treatment of defective children. Sedative drugs, such asthe bromides, chloral hydrate, and antipyrin, are of value in con-trolling fits, restlessness, and screaming. Classification.—Imbecility is a term used indicative of a slightergrade of mental defect than idiocy. By a mentally-backward child ismeant, as Dr. C. West has put it, one who would be normal at an 436 DISEASES OP THE NERVOUS SYSTEM earlier age ; while by a mentally-deficient child is meant one who wouldbe abnormal at any age. Mental deficiency is usually considered under the two headings ofCongenital and Acquired. Congenital Idiocy may be classified into various groups : Mongolian,Cretinous, Microcephalic, Hydrocephalic, Spastic, and Genetous. Thesewill now be considered. 1.—CONGENITAL IDIOCY. MONGOLIAN Langdon Down has given this name to a class of imbecileswhich is easily recognizable on account of certain peculiar Fig. J7.—Mongolian Imbecility : Facies. Etiology.—This group shows more clearly than any other theinfluence of the exhaustion of the maternal reproductive are very commonly found as the last born in a large family, andas the children of elderly women. The sexes are about equally form, according to Dr. Stills figures, 22 per cent of the cases ofmental deficiency in hospital classes; but in institutions for imbeciles(only those over 5 years of age being admitted), the proportion of MONGOLIAN IMBECILITY 437 Mongols is at the most 5 per cent (Shuttleworth), a fact which suggeststhat the death-rate amongst these children is exceedingly high duringthe first few years of lite. It is interesting to notice, as Dr. A. has pointed out, that Mon-gols are particularly prone to showcongenital heart malformations,while complete transposition of theviscera has also been recorded inthem. In a series of 52 Mongolianimbecile
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, booksubjectpediatrics, bookyear1
