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Generally speaking these tables show that both our boys and girls
are at most age periods somewhat above the average in height and
below the average weight when compared with the result of an
investigation of the British Association into the height and weight of
children of all classes. The deficiency in weight of Croydon children
is somewhat more marked in those attending infant schools, At the
moment no useful purpose would be served by comparing the measurements
in different schools. I hope it may be possible during the
current year to make detailed investigation into the comparative
physique of children attending different types of schools.
During the past year our principle efforts were directed towards
obtaining a general survey of the situation and no attempt has been
made to classify the defects with great detail. Certain broad facts
however at once call for the consideration of the Committee.
These facts must however be interpreted with due regard to
their limitations. Thus, in judging of nutrition and uncleanliness,
there is no absolute standard and the personal factor of the
individual investigator will entirely modify the results obtained
in different schools. Again, many of the defects noted under some
of the headings would have been found more frequently if each
child had been specially examined from that point of view. Thus,
if every child's chest had been stripped and examined, there is
no doubt that a somewhat larger proportion of heart and lung
trouble would have been discovered, but at the present moment any
such procedure is neither practicable nor desirable. Should the
necessity arise for estimating more accurately the incidence of
special ailments we should have to examine each particular child
from that point of view, and the results obtained in different schools
would then be comparable both with one another and with those
obtained in other towns where similar methods were adopted.
With these limitations the facts noted at the inspections may now
be considered.
UNCLEANLINESS OF BODY.—This was noted in 469 out of
3,659 children examined, or 13 per cent., and was considerably more
prevalent among the girls than the boys. This figure considerably
understates the actual amount of uncleanliness met with in school
children, as we were constantly informed by head teachers that the
children and their clothing had been specially prepared for the
medical inspection. At one school it was suggested that the
condition of the children would be vastly improved if an inspection
could only be held each week. It is a matter for consideration
whether more attention might not be profitably paid by the
teachers to conditions which must have a very unfavourable effect