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188
Annual Report of the London County Council, 1913.
accompanying diagram (E) the first four curves are based on the routine examination of beds in common
lodging houses; the curve for 1913 is based mainly on the examination of school children, but the gaps
caused by the holiday periods, when no children were examined, have been filled in from the common
lodging house figures. It is found that the two methods of inquiry give results which correspond
sufficiently closely to justify the interpolation of the figures. The curves show a considerable amount
of correspondence in the several years.
The possibility of the intermediation of certain common biting insects in causing the spread of
diseases which have a high autumnal prevalence is deserving of further study. The subject has been
referred to in previous reports (vide reports of the County Medical Officer of Health for the years 1909,
1911 and 1912). Great stress should in any event be laid upon the importance of the efforts of public
health authorities now directed to diminishing the prevalence of vermin. Even if the risk of communication
of disease be set aside insect pests cannot be tolerated, for the bad effects of their influence upon
the health of young children is clearly demonstrated by a study of the results of medical inspection in
the schools.
Examination of Candidates.
Candidates taking up permanent appointments in the school service are examined in the
Public Health department before commencing work. Candidates for scholarships are also required
to be examined before the scholarship is finally awarded. The number of candidates submitting
themselves for a first examination during the year was 6,045. They may be classified as
(a) candidates for entrance to the permanent service, (b) cases specially referred, and (c) candidates
for award of scholarshins.
Permanent
service
candidates.
This division includes all who work on the staff of the various educational institutions,
i.e., teachers and instructors, matrons, nurses, and needlewomen, schoolkeepers and caretakers in all
classes of educational establishments under the Council. The numbers medically examined will not
coincide with the number of appointments, as candidates from the Council's training colleges, having
been under regular medical inspection, are not further examined on entering the permanent service
within the year after leaving college. Appendix XVI gives particulars of the various candidates
examined and the conditions noted as present. Of the 294 referred candidates, 16 (5 males and 2
females with defective teeth and one male and 7 females with defective vision) were referred a second
time, owing to the condition not having been remedied; one female was referred a second time for
both defects.

Cases
specially
referred.
In addition to the first examination, 798 referred cases were dealt with. These referred cases
relate to leave granted to employees absent owing to personal illness; to cases in which questions
have arisen in regard to students in institutions for higher education whose health is considered such
as to render exceptional attention advisable; to teachers returning to duty after extended leave of
absence (a) owing to personal illness, (b) for educational purposes, (c) to married women under No. 115
of the regulations in regard to the education service, and to teachers about to be superannuated. The
number of references under review, compared with those for the preceding year, shows a decrease of
143, or 1519 per cent.
In addition, 203 cases (an increase of 89.7 per cent.) were medically investigated in which
claims were received from teachers and others in the permanent service for exceptional treatment as
regards sick pay and re-imbursement of medical and other expenses in respect of illnesses alleged to
be due to conditions under which they were required to carry out their duties.
Scholarships
and candidates
for the
teaching
profession.
The medical examination of candidates for the Council s scholarships serves a triple purpose.
It prevents unsuitable scholars from taking up awards; it is a factor in promoting the health and
well-being of suitable scholars by insisting on the remedying of remediable defects; and it safeguards
the Council against pecuniary loss due to the payment of grants to scholars who are
physically unfit to take advantage of a scholarship, and whose ultimate breakdown is but a matter of
time.
The scholarships and awards granted by the Council fall into three divisions, each of which
requires different treatment in so far as the medical examination of the candidates is concerned.
These divisions are as follows:—
(a) County scholarships enabling candidates to proceed to institutions of university
rank.
(b) Technical scholarships enabling candidates to receive instruction in trades; and
special scholarships.
(c) Awards enabling candidates to prepare for the teaching profession.
The county scholarships are of four grades (junior, supplementary junior, intermediate, and
senior) and provide a complete scheme by which a boy or girl may proceed by various stages from the
public elementary school to the highest grades of education, whether at a university, technical college,
or other institution, providing advanced training for a professional career. In medically examining