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67
the 'seventies, 'eighties, and 'nineties. Increased sobriety has beyond all doubt
exercised considerable influence—it is unquestionably one of the ways in which
education has worked for good. But undue stress must not be laid upon such
correspondence as is exhibited between the fall of infant mortality and that in the
mortality at ages 45-54. This question of fluctuations of mortality at different
ages was touched upon in my Annual Report for 1917 (p. 4). It was there pointed
out that graphs showing deviation from an even rate of decline (at ages 0-5 and
35-75) exhibited notable correspondences, in marked contrast with the graph for
ages 5-35. In fact, at the extreme ages—in infants and at ages beyond middle
life, as distinguished from the intermediate ages—there has been, following upon
a comparative absence of decline in the closing years of the last century, a marked
fall in the 25 years of the present century. As was noted at the time (loc. cit.) no
theory purporting" to account for the behaviour of mortality at the youngest ages
can be complete which fails to explain the correspondence shown to exist at the
other extreme of life." The statistics certainly justify the statement made in the
quotation at the head of Dr. Gibson's paper, and support the view that education,
by removing negligence and ignorance, has materially influenced the mortality at
the ages of comparative helplessness, childhood and advanced age.
Sir John Simon, in the final sentences of his " English Sanitary Institutions,"
touches again upon the question as to the meaning of " Education in the full sense
of the word." He notes that in the closing years of the nineteenth century the
Natural Sciences were " obviously the giants of the hour." He says, students of
Nature are almost " spellbound as they contemplate the stupendous magnitude of
new generalisations which are being set before them, with regard to the elementary
constitution and the mysterious chemical rhythmicality of all which we call the
material universe." (He is writing in 1890, just after discovery of MendelejefE's
Periodic Law). But, he adds—turning in thought to the advances made since
the far away time of "The stone breaking cave-dweller, whom our present generations
call our ancestor"—"I doubt whether modern man be more ahead of him
in science than he is ahead of him in conceptions of social duty . . ." "My
thankfulness," he says, " is not more for the great interpreters of Nature than for
the men, who in newer and more distinctive senses have been the organisers of help
and hope for their kind and have made human sympathy a power in politics." The
thirty-five years which have passed since these words were written have abundantly
confirmed their truth.
Medical
Inspection,
During the past year 192,885 children in the three statutory age groups were
examined by the school doctors in London elementary schools and 74,215 of them
were found to require treatment for one or more defects. 1,486 children in the
prescribed age groups in special schools were examined and 41,348 children not in
the age groups were brought forward for special examination. In addition the
school medical staff examined 6,486 candidates for scholarships or for permanent
positions in the school service and 25,164 cases in connection with their specific
defects in special schools. A detailed analysis by Dr. C. J. Thomas of the results
of inspection is given on pp. 68 to 75.
Medical
treatment.
The number of children treated under the Council's scheme was 226,368, the
highest number yet recorded. There have been increased attendances in all the
departments of the treatment centres except in those dealing with ringworm in which
there has been a marked decrease.
Re-inspections.
The number of re-inspections was 197,413. The combined results of first
and second re-inspections showed that 75.5 per cent. of the children found defective
had been dealt with.
Three years'
programme
of educational
work.
The Council, on 22nd July, 1924, approved in principle a programme of
educational work for three years from 1st April, 1925. This included the following
developments in connection with the school medical service:—(i.) Systematic