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5
titioners. Dr. Prior performs much of the medical inspection
and also the Ophthahnic work. The part-time assistants conduct
the work at the minor ailments clinics, give anaesthetics for the
dentists and operate for enlarged tonsils and adenoids. Three
dental surgeons (and, towards the end of the year, four) undertook
the examination and treatment of dental defects. There
are three school nurses, one of whom spends all her time at work
in the School Clinic. One clerk keeps the considerable records
of the service, and last December some temporary help was
provided, since it is more than one person can reasonably
perform.
EXTENT AND SCOPE OF THE WORK.
During the year the school nurses made 861 visits to the
schools, and 883 visits to the homes of children. At these visits
to the schools the nurses made a cursory examination of no lesi.
than 29,251 children, inspecting them for obvious defects, such
as skin disease, sore eyes, discharging ears or verminous conditions.
These inspections, though rapid and superficial, are of
the greatest value, since they usually result in securing treatment
for the condition before it becomes chronic and difficult
to be cured. These "class-to-class" inspections are also of
definite educative value to the children, to their parents and
to the teachers. A summary of the work of the school nurses
will be found in Table 8.
The Routine Examination of children has been carried out
as usual during the year, and does not call for special comment.
The number of children examined in each school will be seen
on reference to Table 6. The defects that were discovered at
the routine inspection are shown in Table 2.
GENERAL REVIEW OF FACTS DISCLOSED BY MEDICAL
INSPECTION.
Malnutrition.— Out of 2,506 children examined at the
routine inspection during the year, 45 were found to be suffering
from malnutrition. The chief causes of malnutrition are (1)
lack of sufficient food; (2) improper and indigestible food; (3)
unsuitable home conditions; (4) excessive employment out of
school hours; (5) illness and disease.