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86
Annual Report of the London County Council, 1914.
in the education year in which they first come to school, to distribute the work equally
over the three terms. It is hoped in consequence that the work of the treatment centres
will be more evenly distributed over the year. The infants are not tested for visual acuity, and it formerly
resulted that in one term there were very few cases for the treatment centres, while in another term there
were more cases than could be conveniently dealt with.
Special and urgent cases are examined at any time the doctor is present at the school, or the child
may be presented for examination at another school or other convenient centre in the neighbourhood.
Total
number of
children
inspected.
The number of children inspected in the calendar year was 228,414, made up of 94,723 entrants,
66,540 of the age group 8-9 years, and 67,151 leavers; but counting in addition all urgent cases and
special examinations, as well as the physical examination in the age groups of children in the special
schools, the grand total of children inspected amounts to 294,026. This total includes some scholarship
candidates examined in the schools, particulars concerning whom arc given in a separate portion of
the report.
Urgent and
special
examinations.
Urgent cases are those of children upon whom a medical opinion is required without delay, and
who are therefore presented to the doctor without notice whenever he may be in the neighbourhood.
They comprised:—
Boys. Girls. Examined at
7,242 8,324 Routine examinations.0
1,044 969 Re-examinations.
220 300 Special examinations at centres.
8,506 9,593 Totals.

The special inspections included:—
15,816 boys and 20,068 girls examined at infectious disease investigations;
2,222 boys and 2,818 girls examined at open air schools and classes;
949 boys and 909 girls examined for school journeys and country holidays; and
1,638 boys and 1,454 girls examined at other general inspections.
20,625 25,249
Routine
inspection
of age
groups.
The year just completed is the third since entrants and leavers have been examined in accordance
with the schedule of the Board of Education. In addition, during each of the three years, an intermediate
group of children has been inspected. There are now, therefore, three sets of complete records,
and in the following pages a comparison of the results of inspection during the three years is made for
the most important conditions met with. The analyses are confined to the routine examinations of
the age groups, and all special and urgent cases, etc., are excluded inasmuch as they form a varying
and selected class.
Presence of
parents at
inspection.
A parent or relative of the child was present at the medical inspection in 154, 927 cases or 68
per cent. The proportion was highest amongst the entrant group where there were 80 per cent.; among
the 8—9 and the leaver groups the percentages were 65 and 55 respectively. In all age groups the
parents attended more frequently when girls were being examined. Cases of requests for exemption
from medical examination by the Council's staff are comparatively rare. In some instances the wish
of the mother to learn the doctor's opinion and her inability to attend are reasons for withdrawing a
child, but in such cases arrangements are made for an inspection at a later date. The result of the
inspection is placed on a record card which is kept at the school. The information entered on the
cards is summarised, and a table in the appendix shows the details for the elementary and special schools
for the whole county. (Appendix III.)