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*Including encephalitis lethargica.
Employment of School Children.
Applications were received for medical certificates in regard to employment
out of school of 3,312 children; only 57 of these were girls. 100 applications were
found to be for ineligible children or were withdrawn. 2,959 certificates were
granted unconditionally, 185 were granted conditionally and 68 (2 per cent.) were
refused for reasons of health. 2,104 were in connection with the delivery of newspapers,
221 of milk, 376 of parcels and goods and 219 in connection with shops.
Of the 68 rejections, 6 were for defective vision, 14 for heart defect and 17 for
general condition. The conditional certificates were issued subject to re-examination
in short periods in most cases, and restrictions on the weight to be carried or conditions
as to necessary treatment being obtained were imposed. In several cases
it was noted that children were in more than one occupation and in one case at
least the condition was imposed that the additional occupation should be given
up as the child was not strong enough to do the two jobs in addition to school
attendance.
Theatrical
children.
In addition to the above, 29 boys and 141 girls were under observation in
connection with licenses for employment in stage entertainments. Improvement
was noted in the care given to children sent on tour, but the conditions under which
they are lodged makes it difficult to ensure adequate attention to personal hygiene ;
five children were refused certificates on account of skin disease and one on account
of congenital syphilis. Eleven other children were refused for personal hygiene
until they were in a condition to be granted certificates. A party of about 12
children who were sent on tour in South Wales for th Christmas pantomime in 1923,
returned to London early in 1924, and most of them were suffering from scabies
which had been detected by the school medical officer at Swansea.
With the popularity of plays of an Asiatic setting, children of Negro and
Chinese extraction have been especially sought and a large proportion of children
inspected were of this type. Healthy dwarfs between the age of 12 and 14 are
also types frequently met with.
Physical Education.
Attention to physical education in the elementary schools is decidedly on
the up-grade. The refresher courses for teachers at the Council's College of
Physical Education have been most useful in promoting and maintaining enthusiasm.
The successful efforts made to supply the children, especially in the poorer schools,
with suitable gymnasium costumes in which to drill have increased the efficiency
of the work. In girls' schools above 11,000 girls have been taught to swim during
the year and 2,875 certificates in life saving have been gained. The chief organised