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93
Report of the County Medical Officer—Education.
The age and sex distribution of speech defects for the three years was as follows :—
Entrants.
8—9.
Leavers.
Stammering.
Other defects.
Stammering.
Other defects.
Stammering.
Other defects.
Boys, 1914
0.2
1.1
0.4
0.76
0.6
0.7
„ 1913
0.24
1.3
0.44
1.10
0.88
0.9
„ 1912
0.26
0.8
0.62
1.26
0.57
0.46
Girls, 1914
0.1
0.6
0.1
0.46
0.22
0.45
„ 1913
0.1
0.9
0.15
0.7
0.24
0.78
1912
0.15
0.6
0.21
0.75
0.18
0.36
The special incidence upon boys as compared with girls, is well marked at all ages. There is to
be noted also an increase in stammering during school life. The very small percentage of London school
children who are stammerers is very gratifying, and when it is compared with the conditions described in
reports of medical inspectors in foreign countries, it suggests that our nation is not the one with the
weakest nerves.
Heart disease was reported in 6,199 cases, or 2.7 per cent, of cases, compared with 2.2 per cent. Heart disease
in 1913 and 2.25 per cent, in 1912. The increase in 1914 is due to a larger proportion of
entrants reported as defective. As the numbers referred for treatment did not rise in the same proportion
it is probably due to an alteration in standard on the part of the examining doctors. The
percentages are here tabulated :—
Entrants.
8—9.
Leavers.
Cases of
defect.
Referred for
treatment.
Cases of
defect.
Referred for
treatment.
Cases of
defect.
Referred for
treatment.
% % % % % %
Boys, 1914 24 02 26 018 j 27 0 39
1913 1.5 0.2 2.2 0.2 2.6 0.4
1912 1.85 0.34 2.3 0.3 2.24 0.62
Girls, 1914 2.1 0.2 3.0 0.29 3.7 0.48
1913 1.6 0.2 2.3 0.3 3.5 0.5
1912 1.73 0.35 2.7 0.45 3.0 0.77
A specially heavy incidence of heart defect is to be noted upon the older girls in all three years
and is probably associated with the special incidence upon them of anaemia. This in turn, is probably
due to the fact that they are less in the open air than are boys.
6,442 children were returned as anaemic or 2.82 per cent, compared with 3.1 per cent, in 1913 and Anaemia.
2.2 per cent, in 1912.
Entrant girls are slightly less anaemic than entrant boys, but at other ages the girls are more
anaemic and this is especially so at the leaving age. The special and increasing incidence of anaemia
on girls, clearly shown in the following table, appears to be due to the less healthy life they live as
compared with boys.
Entrants.
8—9.
Leavers.
Cases found.
Referred for
treatment.
Cases found.
Referred for
treatment.
Cases found.
Referred for
treatment.
% % % % % %
Boys, 1914 2.8 1.0 2.6 0.76 2.4 0.62
" 1913 2.9 0.7 3.2 0.7 2.7 0.8
" 1912 2. 13 j 0. 93 2.7 0.8 1 .4 0.5
Girls, 1914 2.6 0.8 3.0 1.0 3.4 1.08
1913 2.6 0.7 3.5 0.8 3.7 1.2
1912 1.93 0.8 2.9 1.1 2.2 1.07
Disease of
the lungs
Diseases of the lungs, other than tuberculosis, were reported in 9,417 instances or 4.12 per cent,
of all children examined, as compared with 5 per cent, in 1913 and 3.25 per cent, in 1912. As the following
table shows, the incidence is almost double as great upon entrants as upon children of the higher
ages, and at each age boys are distinctly more often affected than girls.
Entrants.
8—9.
Leavers.
Cases found.
Referred for
treatment.
Cases found.
Referred for
treatment.
Cases found.
Referred for
treatment.
% % % % % %
Boys, 1914 6.1 1.6 3.2 0.87 3.0 0.62
1913 7.8 2 .0 4. 0 0.92 3.9 0.79
1912 4.58 2.01 3.75 1.03 1.55 0.52
Girls, 1914 5.7 1.5 2.6 0.52 2.74 0.51
1913 6-7 2 .0 3.66 0.90 3.60 0.87
1912 4.45 2. 0 3.40 0.96 1.42 0.49