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112
Annual Report of the London County Council, 1911.
In the schools, obvious tuberculosis is cared for, so far as crippling diseases are concerned in the
invalid schools. The provision for many of these cases is incomplete and insufficient in that there are
no residential schools. The dangerous variety of tuberculosis, where the patient becomes infective to
others, exists in obvious conditions in about three per thousand of the children in school. There is the
whole strata of the child population already described, struggling chronically against this disease, who,
in spite of neglect probably will recover, but damaged for life. They need help of the kind of which
the Kensal House school is a beginning, but the help must go much further than at Kensal House.
The children known to be tuberculous from school inspections, have been listed. The names
entered in 1910 numbered 564, and in 1911 were 1,228. As the mortality at school ages in London from
tuberculous diseases recorded by the Registrar-General's returns, exceeds 500 a year, it is obvious that
these school lists are very defective. The new tuberculous regulations and the coming of the Insurance
Act will make effective following up of all tuberculosis cases a necessity. This following up is only
possible by joint action of the Council and the borough councils. The final solution of what is tobe do ne
in the case of poor tuberculous families is, however, a problem depending on the answer to many points
which at present it would almost seem pedantic to discuss, but which are worth close and exhaustive
investigation as they will aSect millions of public expenditure in the near future.
Residential
schools.
The treatment of ringworm at some of the residential schools might give rise to trouble.
Arrangements have now been made to treat all suspicious cases at once with tincture of iodine, and
to have any cases requiring it removed to the Metropolitan Asylums Board ringworm school, on the
certificate of the medical officer.
Cases of ophthalmia or trachoma occurring in residential schools ought also to be removed. The
question was raised in connection with a boy with some eye trouble, who was brought from Mayford
to Upton House to benefit by hospital treatment. The surgeon at the Royal London Ophthalmic
Hospital, became suspicious of the development of trachoma, and it was proposed to send the boy to the
ophthalmic school, but the Metropolitan Asylums Board stated that they were unable to arrange
for his admission. • :
Secondary
and trade
schools.
The greatest difficulty in secondary and trade schools is in connection with the treatment of
dental defects. The results are better in the girls' schools than in the boys' schools. Medical inspection
reveals pupils suffering from septic conditions of the gums of which they were quite unaware, but
the treatment obtained is often far from satisfactory. There is seldom any attempt to stop the teeth,
and some dentists appear to have little appreciation of the aseptic aspect of the case.
Training
colleges.
In some training colleges the number of dental deficiencies is excessive ; it is attributable to extra
county and particularly Welsh students who have neglected their teeth in early life, and who are
either wearing false dentures in the training colleges or have to be advised to do so.
Examination of Candidates.
Candidates taking up permanent appointments in the school service are examined in the Public
Health department before commencing work. Candidates for scholarships are also required to be
examined before the scholarship is finally awarded. The number of candidates submitting themselves
for a first examination during the year was 5,975. They may be classified according as they
are examined for the permanent service, under special references, or for the award of scholarships.
Permanent
service.
1 he first division includes ail who work on the staff ot the various educational institutions ; these
are teachers and instructors, matrons, nurses, schoolkeepers and caretakers in all classes of educational
establishments under the Council. The Appendix IX. gives particulars of the various candidates
examined and the conditions noted as present. The numbers medically examined will not coincide
with the number of appointments, as candidates from the Council's training colleges, having been under
regular medical inspection therein, are not further examined on entering the permanent service within
one year of leaving college. Of the 267 referred candidates 9 (5 male and 4 female) were referred a
second time owing to the conditions not having been remedied, viz., 3 (1 male and 2 females) to a dentist ;
5 (4 males and 1 female) to an oculist; and 1 female to an oculist and also for anaemia. Of the
candidates referred a second time, 1 female was referred for two defects.
References.
In addition to the first examinations, 763 references were dealt with, lhese references relate to
leave to be granted to employees absent owing to personal illness ; to teachers returning to duty after
extended leave of absence (a) owing to personal illness ; (b) in order to visit educational institutions
abroad or to study for degrees; (c) to married women, under No. 115 of the Regulations with regard to
the Education Service, and to teachers about to be superannuated.
In addition, about 200 claims were received from teachers for exceptional treatment as regards
sick pay, in respect of absences alleged to have been due to infectious illness contracted directly in the
course of the teacher's employment.
Scholarships
and
candidates
for teaching
profession.
lhe medical examination of candidates for the Council s scholarships serves a triple purpose. It
prevents unsuitable scholars from taking up awards ; it is a factor in promoting the health and wellbeing
of suitable scholars by insisting on the remedying of remediable defects ; and it safeguards the
Council against pecuniary loss due to the payment of grants to scholars who are physically unfit to take
advantage of a scholarship, and whose ultimate breakdown is but a matter of time.
The scholarships and awards granted by the Council fall into three divisions, each of which
requires different treatment in so far as the medical examination of the candidates is concerned. These
divisions are as follows—
(a) County scholarships enabling candidates to proceed to institutions of university rank.
(b) Technical scholarships enabling candidates to receive instruction in trades ; and
special scholarships.
(c) Awards enabling candidates to prepare for the teaching profession.