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Report of the Medical Officer (Education).
145
It will be observed that the examinations this year have continued to be of a stringent character
in regard to personal cleanliness, the experience of past years having shown that candidates who
will not attend to this matter are undesirable scholars and a source of annoyance and danger to
other pupils and teachers in the institution.
Training Colleges, Pupil Teacher Centres, Secondary and Trade Schools.
Medical inspection is now carried out in all the Council's secondary schools, training Medical Inspection,
colleges, trade and technical schools. It is just as important in these institutions as in the
elementary schools, and, from the economical point of view, probably more important. Each
student is examined once a year, and each institution visited once in six weeks, so that the doctor can be
consulted about pupils presenting any symptoms likely to affect their health or work. Every student
has a medical record card showing, at a glance, the condition, so that the students are continuously
under observation, and if through illness or other causes become unfit they are not permitted to
continue at the institution. Appendix XII. shows the defects noted.
Personal Cleanliness.—The personal hygiene scheme in girls' secondary schools and kindred
institutions has continued in operation during the past year. The inspection is carried out by the two
assistants to the superintendent of nurses, one working in institutions north and the other south of
the Thames. At the beginning of each term a thorough inspection of each pupil is made and a card
containing instructions for cleansing the hair is given to all unsatisfactory cases and they are
excluded from the school. At an interval of a week the excluded cases are re-examined, and if again
unsatisfactory they are excluded for a second period of one week. Few cases are unsatisfactory at
the second visit, and a still smaller number at the third, but during the year 12 pupils were permanently
excluded from the school either because the parents or guardians could not or would not cleanse them.
The following table shows the conditions found during the past year:—

The results of the personal influence of the teachers and the instruction of the doctors and
nurses is making itself felt. The innovation of a lecture each term on hygiene by the school doctor
at the training colleges has been warmly received both by the principals and students, several of whom
have thanked the lecturer for practical hints on personal matters of health. In the secondary schools
hygiene has as yet no definite place in the school curriculum. Occasionally an address is given by the
headmistress to the girls. Seeing that this is the best school age at which to inculcate laws of health,
there is a great need of more systematic teaching in this subject. That there is still room for
improvement with regard to general knowledge of personal hygiene will be gathered from the following
facts obtained by a show of hands at a secondary school in the course of a short talk on "Personal
Hygiene" to the upper school:—
(a) None have a cold bath or rub down daily, although all have a bath once a week.
(b) Two-thirds have no bath room in the house.
(c) None clean their teeth at night.
(d) None go to bed by 9 p.m.
(e) Two-thirds have supper immediately before going to bed.
(/) One-half share beds ; but none sleep with closed windows.
It would probably be advantageous to institute in the secondary schools once a term or even
once a year, regular talks on hygiene similar to those in the training colleges, accompanied by some
questions eliciting defects; and it might be interesting to all concerned to keep a record of the
answers, which could be compared from time to time. In certain areas, however, the application of
the most elementary hygienic rules leaves much to be desired, and it is still uphill work to get these
scholars to attend to personal hygiene. As an instance of the neglect of cleanliness one pupil stated
that her mother objected to her washing more than her face and neck daily. In two known cases the
only means of a daily wash was at a kitchen sink. During the year it has been necessary to exclude
a few students for a compulsory bath, and this in spite of indefatigable efforts on the part of the
head mistress in regard to hygienic matters. Cleanliness has been considered from a threefold standpoint,
viz., unclean heads, neglected skins, and dirty underclothing—this last nearly always in those who
sleep in their undergarments, and this habit continues largely in spite of continuous teaching to the
contrary.
Teeth.—There is a marked improvement in dental conditions both in regard to caries and
cleanliness. All cases noted as defective are slight, or in students who have not been previously
examined.
Clothing.—The drill costume is worn compulsorily at drill and games, and special attention is paid
by the drill mistresses to the presence of stays and similar unsuitable clothing. The comfort and
convenience of this drill costume are so much appreciated that it is practically worn continuously,
at any rate in school. Where this costume is adopted the underclothing as a rule is satisfactory, the
enforced absence of heavy petticoats and the substitution of knickerbockers having a salutary effect
and setting an example that will probably last throughout life.