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58
The influenza epidemic of 1921-22, which reached its maximum severity in
the second week of 1922, caused about the same number of deaths as that of
February-March, 1919.
The increased case-mortality from scarlet fever which was observed in the
great influenza epidemics of 1918 and 1919, also occurred in the last epidemic, the
case-mortality during its course being about twice the normal. There is some
increase in the number of cases of scarlet fever notified during influenza epidemics,
but this is not solely sufficient to account for the increase of deaths on the ground
of confusion in diagnosis.
Some notes in relation to diphtheria by Dr. J. Graham Forbes are set out on
p. 84; the facts as to measles, whooping-cough, smallpox and ringworm during 1922
are given on p. 86.
Number of
children
inspected.
Routine
inspection.
The results of medical inspection.
The number of elementary school children inspected in the three age-groups
prescribed by the Board of Education was 199,812. These were made up by 33,083
entrant boys, 31,502 entrant girls, 33,514 eight-year-old boys, 33,151 eight-year-old
girls, 34,647 twelve-year-old boys and 33,915 twelve-year-old girls. In addition
2,002 boys and girls of the age-groups were inspected in special schools.
In the two earlier terms of the year 20,138 boys and 20,193 girls were inspected
on approaching the age of 14, but with the discontinuance of the continuation schools
after the summer holiday the medical examination of this group was discontinued.
Special
inspections.
During the year 1922, therefore, 242,145 children in elementary and special
schools were inspected in accordance with the official syllabus of the Board of
Education. Further, 67,471 children were passed through the hands of the school
doctors as special cases, nearly all outside the routine groups, making in all 309,594
children in elementary schools (allowing for a small number of children seen twice)
inspected during the vear.
Number of
ailing
children.
Attendance
of parents.
75,874 children in the official age groups were found to be suffering from ailments
for which treatment was considered necessary. This is a smaller percentage than
obtained in any previous year, being 37.9 per cent., compared with over 39 per cent.
in 1920 and 1921, over 42 per cent. in 1919 and 44 per cent. in 1918. In addition
23,150 children were referred for treatment as a result of special inspections. Eighty
per cent. of parents attended the inspection of entrant children, but there is a fallingoff
of maternal solicitude in regard to the health of the older children and only
39 per cent. of parents attended in the case of twelve-year-old boys.
Nutrition.
Between five and six per cent. of the children were found in 1922 to be subnormal
in nutritional condition. The story of the reactions of economic conditions
on the physical state of the children, as shown in the accompanying diagram, is very
illuminating. The artificial prosperity during the war years produced a rapidly
increasing improvement in the conditions, which was maintained until 1919. In
1920, however, this came to an end and in that year at each age group there was
shown a rise in the number of children found to be under nourished. Remedial
measures on the part of the community were at once brought into play; as a result of
school feeding and unemployment allowances the number of under-nourished children
showed again a reduction in 1921 and this improvement was maintained in 1922.
Although the general measures established by the Government in a time of widespread
unemployment are to be mainly credited with this result, there is no doubt
that the children's care organisations working with the medical service in the schools,
by concentrating effort upon particular children, also greatly contributed. Had it
not been for these beneficent measures who can doubt but that the condition of the
children would have receded to what it was in the days preceding the war, or even to a
worse state than has hitherto been recorded. Instead, as the figures show, although
the general nutritional state of the children is not so good as it was when the temporary
war prosperity was at its height, the numbers of children actually suffering
from under nourishment are now even lower than they were during that time.