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129
elementary school owing to the fact that children at nursery schools remain there
as a rule until five years old, whereas other infants may enter at three or four.

It is seen that in spite of the fact that delicate children are selected for both
the Rachel McMillan and Notting Hill Nursery Schools after attendance there they
are in almost all respects somewhat better than the controls.
As regard nutrition, an exception is noticed, for whereas 19 nursery school
children are well nourished as compared with 17 controls, four nursery school
children are under-nourished as compared with only one control. In the poorest
schools the most poorly nourished in the two groups were nursery school children.
Concerning teeth, only nine nursery school children had three or more decayed
teeth as compared with 19 controls.
As regards tonsils and adenoids, 34 nursery school children as compared with 42
controls showed signs of defect. Considering the facilities for operative treatment
in connection with the nursery schools a better result might have been anticipated.
That the more serious cases do, however, receive treatment from the nursery schools
is indicated by the fact that none of the children who had attended there were suffering
from otorrhœa or deafness, whereas of the controls three had otorrhoea and one had
slight deafness. In addition, the figures for catarrhal lung conditions, also frequently
associated with adenoids, bear out the above statement, as only nine nursery school
children as compared with 17 controls were so affected. On the other hand glands
were slightly enlarged in ten nursery school children as compared with six controls.
As regards cardiac affections, the nursery school group contained two cases
of functional disease whereas three controls had functional and one organic disease.
Other defects varied only slighty in the two groups.
With reference to height and weight, the nursery school children averaged
0.9cm. and 0'37 kilos more than the controls. The difference is slight, but,
remembering the original handicap of the nursery school children, it is not insignificant.
Concerning the physical condition of individual children on entering and leaving
the nursery school, records of some fifty children were last year obtained from the
Rachel McMillan Nursery School. These show conclusively the beneficial results
of the regime there, associated as it is with good food, fresh air, cleanliness and medical
treatment on diseased and debilitated babies. At the Rachel McMillan School
conditions are specially advantageous for the poor in that the hours are longer
{8 a.m. to 5.30 p.m.) than at other schools, the institution is run on open-air lines
and three meals a day in addition to such extras as cod liver oil are provided.
Physical
condition of
children
entering and
leaving
nursery
schools.
The following cases are illustrative:—
(1) D.M. (M.) born 13.10.20, admitted 27.8.23.
On admission at 2 10/12 years child was considerably under weight and unable to
walk owing to marked rickets of the legs. Was sent to hospital where irons were
obtained. He received cod liver oil and malt at school and dental treatment at the
clinic. At six years old he was well nourished and above average weight, the
deformity of the legs was very slight and irons had been discarded.