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the elementary school children in all areas, the exact
percentage depending on the standard of nutrition and
physique taken as normal or satisfactory. The number
entered in Table III. is 9, all of whom were at Certified Residential
Open-air Schools on December 31st, 1930. The
explanation of this apparent contradiction is that, though I
am fully aware of the existence of "delicates" in considerable
numbers in the elementary schools, I am unable to say that
these children are "so physically defective as to be incapable
of receiving proper benefit from the instruction in ordinary
elementary schools."
Indeed, I do not believe that the provision of special
schools is the best method of dealing with the general problem
of malnutrition and debility and anaemia in school children.
The best way is sound feeding. Just as modern developments
in orthopaedics and their application in properly organised
schemes to school children have rendered the school for cripple
children unnecessary, except in the very large cities, so I
believe that a nutrition campaign would so improve the
physique of the children as to render special schools for
delicate children unnecessary.
A Nutrition Campaign.
The principles upon which a nutrition campaign should be
conducted are—
(1) That the most important factors in the maintenance of good
health and sound physical development are:—(a) Good food;
(b) adequate rest; (c) exercise; (d) fresh air.
(2) That the most important of these are good food and adequate
rest, and if these are secured for the growing child he will
naturally take sufficient exercise, and in doing so will get plenty
of fresh air.
(3) That good food means fresh milk, eggs and butter, fresh meats
of all sorts (including beef, mutton, veal, liver, fish, fowl), bread
and other cereal foods, fresh fruits and vegetables, including
such raw vegetables as carrot, turnip, radish, etc.
(4) That it is unnecessary and indeed undesirable that the diet
of healthy persons, and more particularly of children, should
include patent or proprietary or tinned foods, or food extracts,
or concentrated vitamins.