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63
Phthisis is almost non-existent amongst the children in the age groups regularly
attending school, only one case in a thousand children examined being suspected
of phthisis. Other tuberculous manifestations, chiefly tuberculous glands, are
found more often amongst the younger boys and older girls, in whom 2 in every
thousand are found with tuberculous disease other than phthisis.
Phthisis and
tuberculosis.
About one per cent. of the children in the age groups are found with nervous
disease, including chorea, epilepsy and stammering. 350 stammerers were noted,
nearly all amongst boys, especially at the older ages. Stammering and speech defects
are much less common amongst English children than in foreigners.
Nervous
diseases and
speech
defects.
Rickets was noted in 3,900 children, or 2 per cent., the same proportion as in
the previous year. By far the highest percentage (3.3) is found in entrant boys;
this is twice as high as in entrant girls; the deformities noted amongst the infants
tend to disappear during school life.
Deformities other than rickety were noted in 1,626 children (0.8 per cent.). No
fewer than 764 of these cases were furnished by elder girls alone, amongst whom 2.2
percent. suffered from spinal defects and flat foot. These 12 year old girls, however,
are much better than their sisters of the previous year, who showed 2.9 per cent.
suffering from identical deformities. Special drill classes and greater attention
generally to physical training are undoubtedly doing much to improve the carriage
of girls, and to check the development of incipient deformities due often to faulty
postures adopted in and out of school.
Deformities.
2,668 children were found with skin diseases. This represents 1.3 per cent.,
compared with 1.5 per cent. in the previous year. 5,606 children suffered from
external eye diseases, or 2'8 per cent., compared with 3 per cent. in the previous year.
These diseases are largely if not entirely due to dirt and unhygienic home conditions.
Skin diseases
and external
eye disease.
It will be seen that steady and continuous progress is being made in the Improvement
of the health of school children in London. In the past year the improvement
has been maintained in every direction, and in no single instance has a
check been experienced. In the relief of dental disease a most noteworthy advance
is recorded and something has been done to reduce the excessive incidence of
visual defect, anaemia, heart-strain and deformity upon the older girls, which has
been consistently pointed out in these reports as the most striking difference
between the sexes due to preventable conditions.
Summary of
results of
routine
inspection.
It can be claimed, therefore, that progress is being made along the road indicated
by King Edward when he exclaimed " If preventable why not prevented."
In addition to the routine inspections, arrangements were made for the examination
of 35,066 ailing children not in the age groups, as special cases, and a
further 32,405 children were passed through the hands of the school doctors in general
reviews, such as the special investigation of outbreaks of infectious disease, or in the
course of selection of children for playground classes or other special forms of education.
Of the 67,471 children thus examined, 28,186 were found to be suffering from
definite disease, including 25,705 of the 35,066 children presented as ailing in some
respect. They included 1,808 cases of scabies, 770 of impetigo, 1,375 cases of external
eye disease, 478 case of phthisis or suspected phthisis, 363 cases of epilepsy,
and 544 of chorea. Many of the above children were not attending school at the
time but were brought up for examination bv the attendance department.
Special
examinations.
In connection with the continuation schools, 20,138 boys and 20,193 girls were
examined immediately before leaving in the spring and summer terms. This examination
was discontinued after the summer holidays, when it was decided to close
the compulsory day continuation schools.
The inspection of these children gave the full result of the efforts towards the
amelioration of the health of the children during elementary school life, and it is
satisfactory to find that further improvement takes place during the last two years.
Nutrition and cleanliness are decidedly improved, for instance the 14 year old girls
show 81.7 per cent. with satisfactory condition of the head as against 77.5 per cent. of
Condition of
children
leaving elementary
schools.