View report page

26
Dr. E. M. McVail has made a comparative study of the nutrition of 250 Jewish and 250 Gentile
boys, all of whom had been twice medically inspected—viz., at the ages of 11 and 13 years. The average
nutrition of the Jewish boys was more satisfactory than that of the Gentiles at both ages, but it is curious
to note that while at the age of 11 the Gentile boys were returned as very considerably below the Jewish,
they had in the interval between 11 and 13 improved comparatively to such an extent that the percentage
showing good nutrition, which was no less than 17.6 below that of the Jews at the age of 11, was at
the age of 13 only 2.4 below. Similarly, the percentage showing poor nutrition, which was 5.2 worse
amongst the Gentile boys at 11 was only .8 worse at the age of 13.
The actual numbers at each age were as follows:—
Age 11—250 Gentiles—Good, 53; Fair, 143; Poor, 54.
Age 11—250 Jews—Good, 97 ; Fair, 112; Poor, 41.
Age 13—250 Gentiles—Good, 77; Fair, 143; Poor, 30.
Age 13—250 Jews—Good, 83; Fair, 139; Poor, 28.
A comparison of the heights and weights of the two groups of boys showed that while the average
weight of the Jews was considerably above the normal London average at 11, and was still further above
at 13, that of the Gentile boys was slightly below the average at each age; with regard to height,
however, a very different state of affairs was found, thus while the Gentile boys reached the London
average at both 11 and 13 years, the Jewish boys from slightly below the average at 11, shot up to
considerably above the average at 13.
These facts lead to the supposition that the state of nutrition of the children is to be explained
only partly by the greater care exercised by Jewish parents, as compared with Gentile parents of the
same social grade, and that there is an important racial factor determining the rate of growth at each
age, which also has an effect upon nutrition.
Condition of
the teeth.
Although much dental defect is still found, the steady improvement in the condition of the
children's teeth recorded during the last few years is well maintained. Amongst the selected entrants the
conditions were naturally much more unsatisfactory than amongst the entrants, as a whole, examined
in previous years. No less than 31.4 per cent, of the boy entrants and 31.9 of the girl entrants examined
in detail, had severe caries associated with oral sepsis, whereas the proportion of entrants, as a whole,
with mouths in this condition, as shown in the figures for previous years, is less than 15 per cent.
There was an increase in the percentage of children in the intermediate age groups with sound
dentures—viz., 47.6 per cent., and 47.7 per cent., in boys and girls respectively, as compared with 45.9
per cent, and 46.6 per cent, in the previous year. Amongst the leavers, the results of continued following
up and progressive increase in the facilities for obtaining treatment, is shown by the percentages of
children with severe caries and oral sepsis in this age group, which show a steady decline during the
four years 1913-1916. Boys, 1913, 10 per cent; 1914, 9.2 per cent.; 1915, 7.2 per cent.; 1916, 6.5
per cent. Girls, 1913, 8.6 per cent.; 1914, 7.7 per cent.; 1915, 6.7 per cent.; 1916, 5.8 per cent.
Adenoid
growths and
enlarged
tonsils.
A conspicuous feature of the results of medical inspection has been the considerable decline ii
the number of children referred for treatment for tonsils and adenoids. This decline still continues
and the figures for the present year are the lowest yet recorded. The intermediate age group show
a larger percentage (Boys, 5.0 per cent.; Girls, 4.8 per cent.) than the leaver group (Boys, 3.4 per cent.
Girls, 3.7 per cent.), but at each aee the incidence on the two sexes is nearly the same.
Skin and
external eye
diseases.
Although there was an increased number of children suffering from communicable diseases of the
skin, and on that account excluded from school, the mimber of children found at the routine inspections
to be suffering from skin diseases remains unaltered, forming 1.9 per cent, and 1.5 per cent, amongst
boys and girls respectively, at the intermediate age, and 17 per cent, and 1.3 per cent, at the leaving
age. Amongst children presented as urgent or special cases, the percentage found to be suffering from
skin complaints was 6 7, and from external eye diseases was 51.
Vision.
A high percentage of the children inspected fail to reach the normal acuity of vision. 20.2 per
cent, of the boys, and 21 per cent, of the girls in the intermediate age group, and 21.6 per cent, of the
boys, and 23.3 per cent, of the girls in the leaver group are returned as having relatively severe
and uncorrected visual defect. On the other hand, the percentages reaching normal visual acuity
increased from 40.6 in boys and 36.0 in girls at the intermediate age, to 54.4 in boys and 48.4 in girls at
at the leaver group. Attention must again be drawn to the constant excess of visual defects amongst
girls, which never fails to be brought out in the results of medical inspection and appears to constitute a
conclusive demonstration that close application to fine work is a potent means of producing defect in
childhood.
It is regrettable that the figures for visual defect show some increase over those of the previous
year. This is no doubt due to the loss of facilities for treatment which became apparent during the
year owing to many hospitals being compelled to refuse treatment for refraction cases.
Ear disease
and defective
hearing and
defective
speech.
Diseased conditions of the throat and ears found in school children appear to have no selective
incidence upon one or the other sex. The percentages of children reported with ear disease and defective
hearing are again, this year, practically identical for boys and girls—viz., ear disease, 1.9 and 2.1 for
boys and girls respectively at the intermediate age, and 2.1 alike for boys and girls at the leaving age;
defect of hearing, 1.5 and 1.6 for boys and girls respectively at the earlier age, and 1.7 and 1.8 at the
later.
Defects of speech, including stammering, are rare among the children in the schools. Boys
constantly exhibit a greater amount of speech defect than girls. At the leaving age, only .5 per cent,
of the boys are stammerers, and .5 per cent, have other speech defects,while amongst girls the percentages
are, .2 and .4 respectively. In the special schools for the mentally defective, speech defect is much