View report page

50
(10) Various Diseases.
boys. Girls.
Slight or convalescent cases of chorea (excluding cases with cardiac
lesions) 9 12
Epilepsy (petit mal and slight cases) 6 13
Phthisis 3 6
Hæmophilia, 2. Exophthalmic goitre, 1.-
Fragilitas ossium and ventral hernia 4 1
(11) Defects of Eye and Ear only. There is a very small group of children whose
defects are insufficient to necessitate classification as blind or deaf, but which are unfit for ordinary school.
(12) Delicate Children without definite existing Disease. Some anæmic,
some with adenoids, some delicate after past illness. Every elementary school contains such children,
and the few, in the physically defective centres, have only been admitted temporarily for observation.
They, undoubtedly, improve rapidly both physically and educationally in these classes.
Frequency of various other defects amongst 1,050 children in physically defective schools:—
Boys; Girls; Notes;
Phthisis 8 8 Only 7 with active signs;
Chronic bronchitis 6 7
Eye defects 9 21 Nebulae. 10 Interstitial keratitis, 5, Congenital
cataract, 4. Squint, 5. High Myopia. 2;
Nystagmus, 2. Ptosis, 1. One eye lost, 2;
Ear defects 9 13 Otorrhæa, 18 (4 with adenoids).; Old otorrhæa, 1.
Deafness from adenoids, 3.
Adenoids, etc. 12 11 Only 3 operated on.
Tuberculous glands - 5 3 had had glands operated on.
Anaemia 6 6
Skin defects 2 3 Lupus, 4.- Chronic eczema, 1;
Various 7 3 Cleft palate, 4. Hernia, 3; Fistula, 1; Incontinence,
2.
59 in 56 77 in 66
boys. girls.
Except for the cases of phthisis, and any defects of eye or ear previously quoted, these were all
secondary defects.
Backwardness of Children in P.D. Schools. A large proportion of children are
several years behind their educational level. This was more marked in children with long illness from
tuberculous disease than among the rest.
Educational Status.
Up to
proper
standard
Behind proper standard.
1 year
2 years
i years
4 years
5 years
6 years
Total
Abilities
Exceptionally low
Number
Percentage.
1. Tuberculous disease of the spine 9 42 49 46 23 11 6 186 36 19.3
2. „ „ hip 10 19 56 58 37 15 8 203 40 19.7
3. „ „ knee 4 12 22 15 14 12 4 83 19 22.9
4. „ „ Other bones or 2 4 10 8 2 1 1 28 2 7.1
joints
5. Various deformities 19 36 30 28 23 3 2 141 28 19.8
6. Infantile paralysis 22 35 30 15 37 5 1 115 20 17.4
7. Spastic paralysis 1 7 13 9 13 12 9 64 33 51.5
8. Progressive paralysis 0 3 2 2 2 0 0 9 3 33.3
9. Morbus cordis 11 26 36 29 14 8 0 124 19 15.3
10. Various diseases 8 10 12 15 6 1 2 54 11 20.4
11. Defects of eye or ear only 0 0 5 3 5 1 3 17 9 52.9
12. Delicate (without definite disease) 4 8 16 11 10 7 0 56 19 33.9
Grand Total 90 202 281 239 156 76 36 1,080
In children with spastic or progressive paralyses the accompanying mental defect is well recognised.
In the last two groups, those with only eye and ear defects and delicate children, the degree
of backwardness is great and the proportion with low ability considerable. These children are only a