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26
Malnutrition
1,318 children were reported as suffering from pathological malnutrition, or 0.51 per cent., compared
with 0.48 per cent. in 1912.
Special
examinations.
22,676 boys and 25,130 girls were presented for examination on special or urgent grounds apart
from the routine inspections. Of these, 5,179 boys and 6,048 girls were found to require treatment for
various conditions.
Special
examination
of children
referred for
nursing
treatment.
In their reply on the 2nd July, 1914, to the letter addressed to the Council by the Board of
Education on Medical Inspection and Treatment, the Council stated that it was proposed that arrangements
should be made whereby the school doctor should inspect at the treatment centres children requiring
nursing treatment referred by care committee workers, school nurses, teachers and attendance
officers, with a view to referring immediately to the proper department those cases found to be suitable
for treatment under the Council's arrangements.
Owing to the conditions which have arisen since the reply was sent, the full carrying out of this
proposal has been delayed, but arrangements were made at the end of May, 1915, for the school doctor
to attend one treatment centre in each of the five divisions as follows :—
Eastern, Old Ford Centre; North-Eastern, Finsbury Centre; North-Western, Exeterstreet
Centre; South-Western, St. George's Mission; South-Eastern, Greenwich Treatment
Centre.
Between May and December each of the above centres was visited from twice to four times weekly,
the school doctor in each case attending for fifteen to twenty minutes after the close of the school session.
The total number of children seen during this period was 1,236, viz., Old Ford 185, Finsbury 272, Exeterstreet
421, St. George's Mission 75, Greenwich 283.
The conditions from which the children suffered were very similar at all the centres, and in the
great majority were cases requiring urgent attention, and the inspections were frequently the means of
detecting contagious conditions requiring the exclusion of the children from school.
The following analysis of the cases seen at the Greenwich Centre serves to show the need which
is being met by the inspections:—
Conditions of the skin (162).—Including impetigo, eczema, septic wounds and abscesses,
cuts, scabies, ringworm (body and scalp), psoriasis, urticaria, chilblain, boils, burns, herpes.
Conditions of the eye (48).—Conjunctivitis, phlyctenules, blepharitis, corneal ulceration
hordeolum, iritis, squint, tumour, dacryocystitis, foreign body, ptosis.
Conditions of the ear, nose and throat (48).—Otorrhœa, enlarged glands, tonsils and adenoids,
rhinitis, tonsilitis.
Conditions connected with teeth (7). Unclassified (16).—Including mumps, chorea, sprain.
Medical and dental treatment.
During the year there has been little change in the arrangements for the medical and dental treatment
of school children, the opening of the new dental centres at Chelsea and at the Women's Hospital,
Paddington, being the only material variations. It has not been possible to put into operation seven
of the new centres which have been sanctioned, viz.: South Hackney (teeth), North Islington (nursing
treatment and teeth), Mile End (nursing), Peckham-rye (nursing and teeth), St. Georges-in-the-East
(teeth), Seven-dials (nursing and teeth), Somers-town (nursing and teeth); but it is hoped that two of
these centres will be opened shortly. Requests have been received from local associations and school
care committees for the provision of further facilities in Chelsea, Hammersmith, Hampstead, and Marylebone,
and the question of the inclusion of certain hospitals in the scheme has been considered. The
Council has, however, recently decided that the present time is not opportune for extending the scheme
beyond the establishment of the centres which have already been sanctioned but not yet opened
and, in one or two instances, increasing the provision at existing centres. For comparison with the
figures given in previous reports, the numbers under the agreements in force on 1st January, 1916, were
as follows:—
Eyes, 22,920 ; ear, nose and throat, 14,360 ; ringworm, 2,246; nursing treatment, 19,520;
teeth, 52,360 ; total, 111,406.
Eye defects.—The number of cases treated under the Council's arrangements was 25,216, against
25,052 during the previous year, and 22,920 the number provided for under the agreements. Towards
the end of the year some difficulty was experienced in dealing with refraction cases owing to the inability
of the authorities of certain hospitals, not included in the Council's scheme, to continue to treat school
children. This has led to congestion at certain of the Council's centres which has to some extent been
met by increasing the provision at the Fulham Centre and the Metropolitan Hospital and by authorising
a certain number of extra sessions, to be used as required, at all the centres.
Ear, nose and throat defects.—The decline in the number of children referred for ear, nose and
throat defects, noted in recent years is again apparent. The agreements provided for the treatment of
14,360 cases, while the actual number treated was 11,159, as compared with 12,961 in 1914. In the
arrangements for the year commencing 1st April, 1916, provision has been made for 880 fewer cases.
Ringworm.—There is evidence that the number of children suffering from ringworm is gradually
decreasing and it has been possible to reduce the provision slightly. During the year 1,470 cases have
been dealt with, as compared with 1,733 in 1914. The number provided for under the agreements was
2,246.
Nursing treatment.—The nursing treatment of minor ailments has been particularly satisfactory.
Provision was made for 19,520 cases, and during the year 20,419 children were treated as against 14,634
in 1914. Five additional centres sanctioned have not yet been opened, but it is hoped that two will be in