View report page

Report of the Medical Officer (Education). 173
alteration in position of the point where the apex beat is noted. This dilation seems to be directlyrelated
to increased nutrition, good feeding, and physical exertion. On the other hand, in many cases
there is an actual decrease in the size of the heart (even to the extent of three-quarters of an inch in the
dulness). This decrease is more evident in the seaside journeys than in inland expeditions. The final
result on the heart appears to be the outcome of various factors, exertion and high feeding tending to
enlargement, whilst on the other hand skin stimulation from sea air, bathing, the open-air, etc., tends
to increase the tone of the heart and cause some diminution in size. The boys from Holbeach-road
(Lewisham), a school in a good suburban neighbourhood, were in a very fit condition before beginning
the journey and presented practically no heart changes. Examination of the pulse did not give material
information. Among the girls considerable numbers showed hearts larger than normal. Want of
condition and flabbiness of tissues are the predisposing causes of cardiac strain in many cases. The
girls are often soft and out of condition, and exertion is liable to lead to strain.
The average need of the elementary school child is mainly physical. As the social scale is
ascended the physical requirement may be overlooked and mental and moral considerations chiefly
regarded. Dr. Riviere, therefore, takes it that physical considerations should be the chief for the
ordinary school except in suburban schools where the class approaches, say, the secondary school type
of children. Two types of journey are thus differentiated.
A.—The holiday journey with special regard to the physical needs of the ordinary school child.
Abundant skin stimulation being useful as a nervous tonic, and as increasing appetite and digestion,
and the tone of the heart muscle. For these requirements the seaside is most suitable. An ideal holiday
of this kind was spent by the scholars from St. Mary Magdalene's Schools (Paddington, North), at
a farm close to the seashore at Dymchurch. They spent time on the farm and the seashore. Lessons
on farm animals and their feeding, poultry, kitchen gardens and the meadows, alternated with shells
and seaweeds, fishing and the geography of the coast. The feeding was admirable and there was a
good rule restricting drinks to the end of meals.
B.—Holidays for sightseeing and long excursions. The children should be carefully selected.
Boys who are flabby or out of condition or with malnutrition should be excluded. Boys of somewhat
similar age and physique should be taken on the same excursion so as to avoid unnatural competition.
In such holidays a stimulating climate lessens risk of cardiac strain, but it is to be remembered
that fatigue may be less easily felt and the boys worked to exhaustion. The boys appear to do best with
short spells and short rests. Frequent small drinks probably act well through their stimulation of the
heart. Adequate meals are required, but large meals must be avoided especially when tired. Lunch
should be carried and a good meal taken in the evening after a short rest. Plenty of sleep, probably
10 hours, is necessary.
Private Study of Hebrew.
In this connection some enquiries were made by Dr. Chaikin into the hygienic aspects of the
religious instruction given out of school to many children among the Jewish population in the EastEnd.
Some of the texts used are of comparatively small print, but generally speaking Hebrew is
printed in large enough characters. The work of 95 boys of the ages of 8 to 14 in Council elementary
school was analysed. Of the 32 who did not study Hebrew the majority were over 13 years of age ;
the remainder studied Hebrew by reading, writing and oral methods. Reading was the chief subject.
In 50 of these the work was not excessive, averaging not more than 10 hours weekly. A few worked
excessively. One boy, for instance, was found who worked at Hebrew four evenings a week, five
mornings from 7.30 to 8 a.m., five days between 12 and 2 p.m., on Saturdays and on Sundays nearly
all day. Three-quarters of the work is evening study, but some also work in the day either at home
or in small classes. Fatigue symptoms were only marked in five cases, and there was an average for
all of 10 sleeping hours. On the whole, it may be taken that from this work there is only serious
strain in very exceptional cases.
Disinfectants and Cleansing.
In June, 1910, the Council decided to accept the offer of the Poplar Borough Council to supply
disinfectant for the purpose of cleansing the floors of six L.C.C. schools in the borough, as an experiment
for six months. As a concurrent experiment the floors of the infants' departments of six neighbouring
Council schools were to be cleansed thoroughly every week with soap and water for a similar period.
The chosen schools for the disinfecting fluid were : Alton-street, Knapp-road, Marner-street, Bromley
Hall-road, Culloden-street and Ricardo-street. Those for the soap and water were : Broad-street,
Dalgleish-street, Gill-street, Heckford-street, Northey-street and the Highway.
Disinfection.—Disinfection with the electrolytic disinfecting fluid was carried out in accordance
with the instructions given to the schoolkeepers to soak with the fluid the sawdust used for
sweeping purposes, to sprinkle the floors with the fluid, in the proportion of 2 to 1 water, by means of an
ordinary galvanised iron watering can with a large rose, and to add the fluid to the water when
scrubbing floors. The amount of fluid required varied from 20 to 30 gallons wreekly.
Careful observations were made at the schools. This disinfecting fluid being somewhat sticky
appears suitable for allaying dust which tends to form into little balls. It has a further quality of
materially sweetening the air immediately after spraying, but to be effective as a deodoriser it would be
necessary to spray every hour. The disinfecting properties of the fluid may be effective if used undiluted,
as was done for the offices ; it is doubtful, however, whether by spraying occasionally in such