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school inspections. Dr. C. J. Thomas and Dr. R. H. Norman have examined a series of random
samples " of completed records, with the following results :—
The first series consisted of 1,006 children, comprising 498 boys and 508 girls :—
Boys (498).
No tonsils or adenoids recorded, 395 (79.3%). Tonsils and adenoids recorded, 103 (20.6%).
No ear discharge or deafness, 379 (76.1%). I No ear discharge or deafness, 89 (17.8%).
Ear discharge or deafness, 16 (3.2%). Ear discharge or deafness, 14 (2.8%).
Girls (508).
No tonsils or adenoids recorded, 374 (73.5%). Tonsils and adenoids recorded, 134 (26.3%).
No ear discharge or deafness, 365 (71.8%). No ear discharge or deafness, 113 (22.2%).
Ear discharge or deafness, 9 (1.7%). Ear discharge or deafness, 21 (4.1%).
In this series 20 6 per cent. of boys and 26.3 per cent. of girls at some time in their school life
presented symptoms of adenoid overgrowth and 6 0 per cent. of boys and 5.8 per cent. of girls symptoms
of ear discharge and deafness. The close association of the two conditions is shown very significantly,
however, by the following figures, which represent the percentage of cases of ear discharge and deafness
found amongst children with and without unhealthy throat conditions —
Children without enlarged tonsils and adenoids—
Boys 4.0 per cent.
have ear discharge or deafness.
Girls 2.4 per cent.
Children with enlarged tonsils and adenoids—
Boys 13.5 per cent.
have ear discharge or deafness.
Girls 15 6 per cent.
In this series of cases, while the association of ear discharge and deafness with recorded enlarged
tonsils or adenoid growths is very significant in both sexes, a somewhat larger proportion of the ear
discharge and deafness was associated with throat conditions amongst girls than boys. In order to test
whether this was an accidental result, a further series was examined.
The second series consisted of 1,378 children, comprising 816 boys and 562 girls.
Boys (816).
No tonsils or adenoids recorded, 636 (77.9%). Tonsils and adenoids recorded, 180 (20.l%).
No ear discharge or deafness, 616 (75.4%). No ear discharge or deafness, 139 (17.0%).
Ear discharge or deafness, 20 (2.5%). Ear discharge or deafness, 41 (3.l%).
Girls (562).
No tonsils or adenoids recorded, 403 (71.8%). Tonsils and adenoids recorded, 159 (28.2%).
No ear discharge or deafness, 391 (69'6%). No ear discharge or deafness, 134 (23.9%).
Ear discharge or deafness, 12 (2.2%). Ear discharge or deafness, 25 (4.3%).
Children without enlarged tonsils and adenoids-
Boys 31 per cent.
have ear discharge or deafness.
Girls 2.9 per cent.
Children with enlarged tonsils and adenoids—
Boys 23.7 per cent. have ear discharge or deafness.
Girls 15.7 per cent.
In this second series of cases 20.1 per cent. of boys and 28.2 per cent. of girls were found to have
adenoid overgrowths or enlarged tonsils; while 5 6 per cent. of boys and 6.5 per cent. of girls were found
to have ear discharge or deafness. Here, again, the association between the two conditions is shown by
the overwhelming preponderance of cases of deafness and ear discharge amongst those with unhealthy
throats, but the proportion of cases of ear discharge associated with throat defects is in this series greater
amongst the boys.
In both series the percentage of children showing signs of enlarged tonsils and adenoids at some
period in their school life is between 20 and 30 per cent., and is higher amongst girls, while approximately
6 per cent. of both boys and girls suffered at one time or another with ear discharge and deafness
Association of the presence of enlarged tonsils and adenoid growths with subnormal mental capacity.
—It is usual at routine inspections to record the mental capacity of children by the figures 1, 2 and 3,
These figures necessarily vary from class to class and from observer to observer, and are found not to
be statistically reliable. The educational machine, however, sorts the bright and defective children
out very accurately. The brightest children are examined as scholarship candidates, and mentally
defective children are drafted into special schools. Dr. Thomas has analysed the results of examinations
during 1914 of scholarship children, of normal children examined as leavers in elementary schools, and
of children examined at the age 11 to 12 in special schools, with the following results:—