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treatment only, and, if these cases be excluded, the percentage is reduced to 15.8
compared with 15.5 in the previous year, and 16.7 in 1933.
Each age group has its own peculiar constitution, by which liability to different
ills varies from age to age. The change in age groups inspected makes less certain
the comparisons formerly possible from year to year over the whole length of time,
twenty-four years, during which inspections were carried out in the three groups—
entrants, children aged 8 and children aged 12.
The smaller number of children in the 7-year group submitted to inspection also
makes less valid the combined figures for all the age groups, as they are underweighted
in respect to this age group, which normally is specially productive of certain
types of defect.
The state of
nutrition of
the children.
Unremitting attention has been given to the state of nutrition of the children.
Acute anxiety lest the children should suffer has been the key note of the past four
years. " The fear of underfeeding its children is haunting the conscience of the
nation."
The Board of Education syllabus provides for every child to be marked during
routine inspection as " 1," " 2," "3 " or " 4 " ; 1 being exceedingly good nutrition,
2 normal, 3 subnormal, and 4 definite pathological malnutrition.
The analysis, with regard to nutrition, of the results of routine medical inspection
in the elementary schools during 1935 are shown in the following table :-

On a careful clinical assessment of the state of the children's nutrition, 76.9
per cent, of the children fall into class 2 (nutrition normal), a further 17.4 per cent,
are classed 1 (nutrition exceedingly good), making 94.3 per cent, whose nutrition is
satisfactory.
The remaining 5.7 per cent., whose nutrition was adjudged unsatisfactory,
were mainly in class 3, nutrition subnormal (5.6 per cent.), but 152 (.08 per cent.)
children out of 189,203 examined fell into class 4.
Corresponding figures for the previous year are shown in the following table :—