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75
The medical officer of Stormont House School called attention to the satisfactory
nature of the figures given on the last page. It will be seen that it has not been
necessary to transfer any children to a hospital or sanatorium during the year.
'The following paragraphs are quoted from the Medical Officer's report:—
"The open-air school is, in my opinion, serving a very useful purpose.
Quite a number admitted to Stormont House would, if no such school existed,
have to be recommended for sanatorium treatment. Children receiving
sanatorium treatment usually do well when actually in the institution, but
frequently lose ground again after returning home. On the other hand, one
notices that the progress of a child at an open-air school is steadier, and
certainly more lasting.
"In this connection, it was very gratifying to learn at the old scholars
yearly re-union, inaugurated by the head teacher, that the children had maintained
their health after leaving school, and that all of them looked so well.
The after care committee is, I think, to be congratulated on the fact that all
were in employment. It would appear that contrary to the usual belief, the
fact that a child had attended a school for the treatment of consumptives did
not lessen his chance of obtaining suitable work."
Arrangements have been in operation for some years for co-operation between
the school medical service and the tuberculosis dispensaries for the detection of
early tuberculosis in children and for the observation of doubtful cases by the
school medical officer at the schools.
A scheme has been put into operation during the year with a view to the
earliest possible diagnosis of tuberculosis in children. For this purpose systematic
examination and supervision of child contacts is essential. To effect this the
tuberculosis officers have been requested to fill up a card for every unsatisfactory
child, whether a contact or not, who, after observation at the dispensary, is considered
to be probably non-tuberculous but who requires supervision; for all
child contacts who on the first examination appear healthy, and for all other contacts
who have not been examined. The cards are then sent to the divisional medical
officer, who arranges for the supervision of these children in the schools. Cases, seen
by the assistant medical officers at school medical inspections, which appear to be
tuberculous are referred by them to the dispensary, and the result of examination
by the tuberculosis officer is communicated to the assistant medical officer. The
cases are reviewed once a year at a conference with the tuberculosis officers concerned.
Children absent from school on account of ill-health.
The co-operation which has been established between the attendance department
and the school medical service remains close and thorough. The local officers
of the two services are in constant touch one with another and avoidable loss of
school attendance is reduced to a minimum. All cases in which the child has been
absent from school for 3 months are made the subject of a special report in order
that the question of examination for special education, convalescence or other
remedial measures may be explored in each case. A census of such children is made
every year and the following table gives the result classified under heads of special
diseases:—
Complaint. Number of Children and Percentage of Whole.
1919 1920 1921 1922
Rheumatic Diseases 412 (14.4) 537 (20.2) 659 (21.6) 682 (23.5)
Nervous Disorders 211 (7.4) 291 (8.2) 238 (7.8) 245 ( 8.4)
Tuberculosis 586 (20.6) 595 (22.3) 613 (20.1) 502 (17.3)
Anaæmia (Debility) 226 ( 7.9) 155 ( 5.8) 219 (7.2) 212 ( 7.3)
Ringworm129 ( 4.5) 125 ( 4.7) 231 ( 7.6) 200 ( 6.9)
Other Skin Diseases 161 (5.6) 102 ( 3.8) 77 ( 2.5) 52 ( 1.8)
Eye Disease 180 ( 6.3) 167 ( 6.3) 150 ( 4.9) 144 ( 5.0)
Other Diseases 951 (33.3) 765 (28.7) 862 (28.3) 865 (29.8)
Total 2,856 (100) 2,665 (100) 3,049 (100) 2,902 (100)
10161 F 2