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25
At each session twenty children are invited to attend for
this special examination, but as not all of these attend it has been
possible to arrange for the Medical Officer present to see special
cases referred to her by one of the Nurses.
The following table shews the result of this work:—
Total number of appointments made 4,102
Total number kept 1,769
Total number of additional examinations 562

Total number of appointments made, not including birthdays,
3,137.
Total number kept, 1,336.
It will be seen that 43.1 per cent, of the appointments made
were kept, but this figure should really read as higher for although
some appointments were not kept on the specified date they were
kept a week or two later and are recorded as appointments kept.
This percentage is very satisfactory for the first year of the
scheme. The scheme has resulted in bringing to the Clinics for routine
examination a large number of children who would not otherwise
have attended.
It must be remembered that routine examination is the basis
of the prevention of disease. By this means a large number of
ailments, some serious and some of a minor character, have been
referred for treatment to their own Doctor or to a Hospital. Many
children have thus been cured of serious diseases, whilst others
have received treatment for an ailment that would have become
.serious had it not been dealt with in its early stages.