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21
REPORT OF THE SCHOOL MEDICAL OFFICER (DR. W. H. HAMER) FOR THE
YEAR 1916.
Part II.—Education.
Introductory Note.
In the Annual Report for 1915 some account was given of difficulties encountered up to the
end of that year as the result of the war, and it was stated that despite these difficulties the standard
of efficiency previously attained had not been materially lowered. The difficulties have not lessened
during the past year, though there was, fortunately, during 1916, no such suddenly developed difficulty
as had to be met in the early days of the war, when twenty school doctors volunteered for war service.
As stated in last year's report, thanks to the special effort made by the older men and the women
already employed as school doctors, it has been possible to engraft successfully into the service new
temporary officers (women or older men), and to carry out with a considerable measure of success the
work of medical inspection.
It has unhappily to be recorded that two of the Council's assistant medical officers, Dr. Walsh
and Dr. Owen Peters, have lost their lives while on Military Service.
The difficulty with regard to securing the services of doctors and dentists for the treatment of
children in the hospitals and centres included in the Council's scheme became from time to time very
acute during the year under review, but it has hitherto been successfully surmounted.
There was at first great difficulty in retaining a sufficient staff of nurses, but this was largely
met, so far as the Council's own nurses were concerned, when the Council decided, in February, 1915,
that in the interests of the public health, the staff must not be further depleted. Towards the end
of 1916, it became clcar that the position must be further safeguarded, and the Council, in February,
1917, on an urgent recommendation by the Committee concerned, decided to pay war wages to its
permanent nurses, and to raise the rate of pay of the temporary nurses. Following upon this, it was
decided to make a similar payment of war wages to assistant organisers. The work of following up
has been rendered particularly difficult by reason of the large reduction in the number of voluntary
workers on care committees. Special efforts have been made by the Central Care Sub-Committee
to cope with this difficulty, and the following up of the children has, on the whole, suffered less than
it was at one time anticipated might be the case. Special attention has necessarily been paid to schemes
such as that of the Heckfield-place area, whereby the care committees of adjacent schools have
grouped themselves together, with a view to effecting economies in home visiting, and thus carrying
on the work of following up the more urgent cases, in each school in the group, with a smaller total
number of workers.
Medical
inspection.
During the year, 256,817 children in the age groups were brought before the school doctors Medi
in elementary schools, and of this number 88,415 were found to require treatment for one or more lusPe
defects. A parent was present in 55.2 per cent, of the cases examined. This percentage is lower
than in 1914, when it was 67.8, the decrease being due to the number of mothers who are now
working at munition factories, etc.; the falling off occurred, however, chiefly between 1914 and 1915,
the percentage in the latter year being 56.4.
A further 2,487 children in the age groups were inspected in special schools, and 39,375 elementary
school children not in the age groups Were specially examined, giving a total of 298,709 children seen
during the year at primary inspections. In addition, the school medical staff inspected 4,781 children
for scholarship awards; 8,721 students in secondary schools and training colleges ; and 14,296 children
in connection with special defect in special schools.
As already mentioned in last year's Annual Report, the Council had in November, 1915, approved
the substitution of a preliminary inspection of entrants, followed by a detailed inspection of those
apparently ailing. This resulted in economy equivalent to the time of 4½ doctors and corresponding
nursing staff. It should be noted, however, that under the new procedure only 22.7 per cent, of all the
entrants were found to require treatment as compared with 35 per cent, in previous years.
The results of inspection of the older children showed no falling off' in the improvement, which
was such a marked feature in the previous year, in their general condition. A detailed analysis of these
results has been made bv Dr. C. J. Thomas, and is iriven on d. 23.
Medical
treatment.
With regard to medical treatment, the work previously undertaken has been continued, and,
in addition, two new dental centres have been provided, and the provision at certain of the existing
centres has been slightly increased. There are, however, some dental and nursing treatment centres
which have been authorised by the Council and Board of Education and which are not yet opened,
but there is every prospect that most of them will be opened during 1917. The number of children
who received treatment under the Council's arrangements was 111,456, as compared with 103,139 in
1915. Details as to the numbers of cases treated under each class of ailment, and of the results of
treatment are given on page 28.
Re-inspection.
181,035 re-inspections were made of children who, at primary inspections, had been found to
be ailing. As a result, it was found that 41.7 per cent, of the children had been brought under treatment