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192
Annual Report of the London County Council, 1913.
Training
colleges
Avery Hill Training College.—During the year the health of the students in the training
colleges has oh the whole been excellent, the great majority showing a definite improvement as a
result of their college course. This improvement was most noticeable in the cases of the older women
who entered college after teaching for some years. The striking feature of the first examination of
these latter was the bad condition of their mouths, which presented a contrast to those of the young
students who had been under medical observation in their school davs. It was rare to find a good
set of teeth; several students were almost edentulous, and many had septic mouths, with resultant
anæmia, digestive troubles, etc. A considerable proportion had untreated visual defects, or were
wearing unsuitable glasses. Treatment of these conditions relieved the frequent headaches, of which
many complained.
The actual weight records of students at Avery Hill have been analysed by the Physical
Exercises and Hygiene Lecturer, with the results shown in the following table.

Islington Training College.—Dr. A. C. Williams has noted the relation of ability and phvsical
conditions in the students at the Islington Training College. From information given by the authorities
of the college the students were divided into two nearly equal groups according to their intellectual
ability, and these groups contrasted in respect to nutrition, and the conditions of the hearing,
vision, spine and teeth. Complete records were available for 102 senior students. As regards
nutrition there were no very striking differences, but those existing tend to show that ability and good
nutrition go together. Visual defect was slightly more common in those of lesser ability. The spinal
defects, which were usually very slight, were more prevalent in the superior group. There was no
marked difference in the two groups as regards the condition of the teeth.
London Day Training College.—Dr. Fairfield draws attention to the relatively less satisfactory
physical condition of the students at this College, at which many students take a course for a
degree and train for the teaching diploma at the same time. The students suffer from the drawback
attached to absence of opportunities for recreation attached to a non-residential college, while the
calls of home life and the need of working under adverse conditions add materially to the difficulties.
Many students admitted that they had insufficient sleep and inadequate midday meals.
Moorfields Training College.—A large proportion of the students now attending Moorfields are
women who have already been teaching in the Council's service for a varying number of years.
The Principal takes the keenest interest in medical inspection and is herself present at all the
examinations. The college maintains its high level for hygiene and successful treatment of defects
discovered by medical inspection. Excellent dinners are provided at a cost of 6d., and the Principal
insists on the students partaking; of them, to their great advantage.
Secondary
and Trade
Schools
Cleanliness.—The doctors visiting the girls' trade schools point out the advances in hygiene
which have been made during past years. While the general standard of cleanliness is high
throughout the Higher Educational institutions, individual evidences of carelessness in the
hygiene of skin and teeth are still found in all classes of institutions, more especially among fhe
eleven and twelve year old girls. This is probably due to the withdrawal of maternal supervision at
an age when the children are supposed to be able to look after themselves. Unexpected inspection
is a very valuable stimulus in counteracting this childish carelessness. The custom adopted at one
school of giving 12 lessons in elementary hygiene to all eleven-year-old children, thereby including
the scholars immediately after entrance, has proved most valuable.
A serious difficulty in tbe way of reform is bad home tradition. Certain unhygienic practices,
such as the habit of retaining the day garment at night for fear of catching cold, and the dread of
touching water at certain times for fear of innumerable evils, are widespread. Thus apparent
evidences of neglect are frequently due to excess of care on the part of the mother, who is only acting
up to what she has learnt from all her female relatives since childhood. In one instance when a
would-be teacher had been advised to continue her regular washing, the parent came to the school
and stated that the doctor had given instructions which would kill the child.
Lack of opportunity of proper cleansing in the home is another very important factor in
preventing instruction in hygiene from being effective. For example, at one trade school, out of 85
girls questioned only four had hot water or baths in the house. A few had boilers, but for the vast
majority there was only a cold water tap in the scullery or kitchen, and the kettle was the only
source of hot water for cooking, laundrying, or personal washing. At another school the trade and
domestic economy students were offered the use of baths on the premises once a week, if they cared
to apply. Sixty girls who sent in their names were questioned about the conditions in their homes.
Eighteen of the 60 had no water in their room at all, 16 of these had a tap on the landing, but in