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253
Girls showed a slightly higher proportion of under-nutrition than
boys, the worst groups being the Intermediate girls and the
Leaver girls groups. The findings for Dental Defects are what
might be expected in view of the present lack of systematic
supervision of children of pre-school age, the Entrant group being
by far the worst. Enlarged cervical glands, which have a relation
both to dental defects and to under-nutrition, were commonest in
the Entrant group, and were more often found in boys than girls.
Defective vision increased as age increased and the effect of
scholastic routine, together with the strain of bodily growth, must
be held to be the main cause of this finding. As children who are
wearing spectacles which correct vision are included as having
normal vision, the wearing of spectacles masks the actual amount
of defective vision. Vision is more defective in the Secondary
Schools than in the Public Elementary.
The following Table was compiled from the findings at
routine medical inspections, in order to ascertain the amount of
visual defect in the particular children examined in the various
schools. It relates only to children who were referred from
routine medical inspections for treatment or observation and who
were consequently thoughtto be in need of spectacles.

Note.—Where a dash is placed, children were examined, but no visual defects
were found. The figures for the St. Mary's School may appear
unduly high. This is due to the fact that out of four Leavers
examined, two had defective vision.