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Report of the Medical Officer (Education). 177
Health. Six lectures. Air, light and warmth. The house—points to avoid ; darkness, damp
ness, disorder, defective drainage, dust and dirt. How to keep the body in health—rest and sleep,
exercise and work. Cleanliness—habits good and bad. How to dress. What to eat.
Special club classes at elementary schools.—Six lectures on early life. Motherhood—simple
hints on the care of the health of the mother and child ; infant clothing Childhood—training of infants;
common ailments of childhood. Early youth—training and precautions of girls and boys at this time.
Consumption—its cause, forms and how to avoid it. Lantern lectures.
Six lectures about children. The functions of the body—digestion and indigestion; foodstuffs
required at different stages of development. The development—needs and slight ailments of the
infant. The growth—needs and slight ailments of children. Before the school age—rickets. The
care of the child during school years—food, sleep, play, work, clothing, and cleanliness. Common
ailments—infection.
Training colleges.—Lecture I.—Personal hygiene; care of the skin and clothing. Lecture II.
—The eye and ear. Lecture III.—The teeth, nose, and throat.
If time permits a few words on fatigue might be appended.
The general lectures on hygiene and physiology under the Board of Education syllabus cover
details as to the structure of the organs, so that the special lectures deal mainly with questions of
general and personal hygiene from the medical aspect in such a manner as to appeal personally to the
students.
The syllabus is intended for general guidance and is not necessarily to be rigidly followed as if
for examination purposes ; the aim of the course being to arouse general interest and an appreciation
of the importance of early attention to any defects.
Personal hygiene.—The importance of cleanliness, not only of skin, but of hair, teeth, nails,
clothing, and in all our habits.
Skin.—Structure, function.
Dirt.—What it is. How it interferes with function of skin; results of this ; how best removed.
Soap.—Composition ; necessary to remove oily matter.
Baths.—Cold, warm and hot; uses of each and temperature. Necessity for daily bath or daily
all-over sponge.; warm bath at least twice weekly ; washing of hands before each meal.
Hair.—Washed once a fortnight with soap and water.
Pediculi.—How to avoid it; how to get rid of; applications. How to care for ; use brush and
comb night and morning regularly; younger children to wear hair plaited in school; separate hat pegs;
avoid contact of heads.
Nails.—How to clean; keep short; dirt and germs; remember toe nails need to be clean.
Clothing.—Materials; relative warmth; wool next the skin; why; undergarments to be changed
at least once a week; no garment worn during day to be slept in at night, but hung out to air;
remember dirt is in dark garments even though it does not show, and these need cleaning too; clothing
to be loose; why; ill effects of tight clothing, e.g., bands, stays, tight sleeves, garters; boots and
deformities. Illustrate nature's chest; chest of tight clothing; ditto feet. Suggest proper garments
for children. Suggest proper garments for adults.
Good habits.—Rest; sleep; how to encourage; amount necessary; exercise necessary to
health; good effects of exercise; bad effects of too little; suitable exercise at different ages; effects
of exercise on heat regulation. Constipation—what it is; how avoided; importance of daily regular
action. Menstruation—personal care; fallacies. Value of fresh air; windows to be open night and
day; effect of living and sleeping in badly ventilated rooms.
Eye and ear.—Eye.—Structure ; signs of defective sight (a) attitude, (b) objective signs, (c) effect
on work, (d) headache. Long sight; short sight. Accommodation (ciliary muscles; elasticity of
lens). Eye strain; spectacles. Convergence.
Sore eyes.—Relation to bad hygienic conditions and malnutrition. Need of fresh air and good
food; precautions against spread; need of separate towel.
Care of the eyes.—Light. Avoid working in dim light. Test of lighting; see diamond print
in darkest corner at 10 inches. Direction of light; colour of walls. Fine work to be eschewed in
infants' schools. Working distance at least 1 foot. Books to have large clear type. Child's eyes
compared with adults ; vision testing.
Ears.—Structure briefly; connection with the throat.
Deafness.—Causes; frequency; how to test; foreign bodies; leave alone; refer to doctor.
Discharging ears.—Causes; dangers; should be medically treated.
Adenoids.—Mouth breathing; appearance; results.
Teeth, throat, and nose.—Teeth.—Structure of a tooth; use of teeth; how and when to clean;
apparatus; early use of tooth brush ; each child should have a separate brush. The importance of
sound teeth; mastication; digestion. The results of neglect (a) Local—foul breath, abscess, toothache;
(b) General—on health, decay. How caused. The importance of immediate attention. Consult properly
qualified dentist. Age at which teeth, especially those of the second dentition, are cut. Much trouble
arises from thinking the early teeth of the second dentition belong to the first, with the result that they
are neglected.
Throat and nose.—Structure very briefly; importance of breathing through the nose; tonsils
and adenoids, their effects and importance. Use of handkerchief; value of handkerchief drill.
Infection through the throat; glands in the neck.
Fatigue.—Nature, stages and symptoms of fatigue; importance of ample sleep; evils of overpressure
during period of growth.