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26
Cases
referred to
the
N.S.P.C.C.
If all this fails the school doctor issues a certificate in accordance with the
provisions of section 12 of the Children Act, 1908, and the case is forwarded to the
National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, which in appropriate
circumstances undertakes prosecution.
During 1933, 547 cases, involving 629 defects, were reported to the Society:
these included 345 dental defects, 188 vision cases, 60 nose and throat affections
and 11 cases of ear disease or deafness. These figures are appreciably smaller than
in 1932, except those for dental defects, which were 303 in 1932.
Difficulties of
" followingup"
resulting
from the
re-organisation
of
schools.
As the result of strenuous efforts the social care organisation has been most
successful in the past year. More children needing treatment than ever before have
obtained it. They have been shielded from the adverse influences of the times.
Amongst the difficulties encountered of late in following-up must be mentioned
the Hadow reorganisation of schools. Here is an unappreciated result of that
endeavour to promote the educational welfare of the children. The separation of
the children of one family and their distribution in several schools has greatly
hampered medical work.
The mother has to attend more inspections. The family can no longer be
treated as a' whole. Formerly it was possible to collect other members of a family
in a school for inspection by the doctor when the mother attended, now that cannot
be done. The following-up of families in consequence of inspections for cleanliness
by the nurse must now be done piecemeal. Inquiries into outbreaks of infectious
disease in the schools are also hampered, as contacts from the same family are often
at different schools.
Medical treatment.
The arrangements made by the Council for the medical and dental treatment of
school children have proceeded upon similar lines to those of the past few years.
There are 74 centres and 17 hospitals included in the Council's medical and
dental treatment scheme. In addition to these the special centre for in-patient
treatment of tonsils and adenoids at Woolwich, viz., the Cyril Henry centre, and
the dental centre for the children resident at the King's Canadian camp school,
Bushy Park, were continued. One new centre was opened at Streatham providing
annually for 440 refraction cases, 660 minor ailments and 1,540 dental cases.
Reduction
in numbers
treated.
The number of defects dealt with under the Council s scheme has in all
departments somewhat declined. On the face of it this result would appear to be a
matter of congratulation as indicative of a healthier condition amongst the children.
To some extent at any rate this is true, but there are other factors which have
affected the flow of cases to the hospitals and centres. Varying influences have
contributed to the decline in the different treatment departments, but the exact
weight of the particular influences is difficult to assign. There are, however, two
influences which are universal, viz., (i) the decline in the school rolls, and (ii) the
influence of economic depression. A third is the healthier condition of the children,
to which reference has already been made, but this influence, whilst not being so
universal, has had a marked effect in certain complaints.