-------------+------------------+----------------- Age. | Defectives. | Unstable. -------------+------------------+----------------- 7 years | 2 } | 1 } 8 " | 5 } | 9 } 9 " | 5 } | 7 } 10 " | 3 } Total, 31 | 10 } Total, 43 11 " | 6 } | 11 } 12 " | 10 } | 5 } 13 " | 9 } | 4 } 14 " | 2 } | 0 } 15 " | 3 } Total, 15 | 0 } Total, 4 16 " | 1 } | 0 } -------------+------------------+----------------- The defectives remain in the schools till the end of the prescribed terms, whilst the ill-balanced hasten to leave before the time. Thus the defective, like an inert mass, become a dead weight which encumbers the school. They adapt themselves as well as they can to their environment. Their parents are apt to leave them at school as long as possible, because they do not know what to do with them, and probably the teachers do not complain very much, but are ready to put up with these defectives who do not interfere with discipline. The ill-balanced, on the other hand, find the school environment irksome, the discipline hostile. They do not wish to stay at school; their parents do not keep them there, owing to the constant complaints of the teachers; and the teachers do not want to have anything more to do with them. Conclusion: The ill-balanced leaves school early, and takes his place in society, where, owing to his character, he may very easily become a danger. To sum up, the simply defective remain at school, while the ill-balanced leave early. Another observation may be made. Since the ill-balanced are so numerous at ten years of age, and even at eight, we conclude that in many cases the mental instability is not the result of the perturbation which precedes puberty. This physiological explanation is not of such general application as is sometimes supposed.