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biological standpoint, one must be impressed with the fact that the mammalian
teeth, which have been inherited by man from progenitors who needed instruments
to wrest a precarious livelihood by gnawing fibrous roots or tearing raw flesh, are
no longer needed to do the work for which they were originally destined. The
earlier inventions by man, such as the art of cooking, and the later developments
of civilised customs, have resulted in an abundance of foods which require scarcely
any mastication at all. The teeth have lost their survival value. Although the
teeth of puppies may be rendered badly shaped and imperfect in structure by repeating
in them the usual dietetic regimen of human babies, it is impossible to induce
in them dental caries at will. One cannot help thinking that modern man has lost
an hereditary factor, "Resistance to Caries," much in the same way as certain lands
of wheat have lost an hereditary factor, "Resistance to Rust."No other organ in
the body shows such a universal tendency to decay as do human teeth; they stand
apart, and their especial vulnerability must be recognised as a phenomenon sui
generis. Only by the exercise of constant and unremitting care can the ravages
of dental decay be kept within bounds. The school medical service is playing its
part in this campaign, keeping the teeth of the children under constant supervision
and inculcating at all times the necessity for dental cleanliness. There should be
even more attention paid to regular organised and definite instruction on the care
of the teeth in schools. What is equally needed, however, now is the instruction
of the mothers on the proper feeding of infants in order to ensure that when the
teeth are being laid down in the jaws during babyhood the elements necessary for
strengthening them are abundantly present.
10,168 children in the statutory age groups were referred tor treatment for
enlarged tonsils or adenoid growths as compared with 12,876 in 1925 and 8,944
in 1924. Of these 10,168 children, 5,724 were entrant infants amongst whom the
greatest proportion of diseased throat conditions is always found. The diminution
in the total number of children referred for operation is due in some measure to
the smaller number of children comprised this year in the entrant group. The percentage
of children referred for treatment in the age groups was 5.5 compared with
6.5 in 1925.
Tonsils and
adenoids.
Though some of the variations from year to year in the number of cases of
tonsils and adenoids found is to be explained by alterations in the age constitution
of the children inspected, it is also probable that the prevalence of these conditions
is connected with climatic conditions and with the incidence of particular infectious
diseases predisposing to catarrh. Hence there are times of serious pressure on the
treatment centre alternating with periods of comparative remission, and the arrangements
must possess a certain amount of elasticity which it is not easy to ensure.
Otorrhcea (or running ears) was found in 2,564 children or 1'4 per cent, of
routine examinations. This is identical with the findings of the previous year.
Defective hearing was reported in 869 children or 0 5 per cent, being a slight improvement
on previous findings.
Ear diseases.
In view of the suggestion which has been made that children suitable for hard
of hearing classes are unduly retained or overlooked in the elementary schools,
special instructions were issued to the school doctors to guard against any possibility
of this happening.
Deaf children.
The present instruction to the school doctors on this point is as follows:—
"It is essential that at all examinations an estimate should be made of the
acuity of hearing of children inspected and when any doubt arises a special test
should be made and the result recorded. When selecting suitable children for
nomination for hard-of-hearing classes, and in recording all cases of deafness, an
estimate of hearing should always be given. The forced whisper should be used,
and in each case the distance at which the child responds to the test should be
entered on the medical record card. It is necessary to nominate deaf children