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in nutrition, while 3 pupils were suffering from malnutrition; dental decay was
present in 374 (22.9), being of serious degree in 37 (2.3 per cent.); 528 (32.3 per cent.)
failed to pass the vision test and 281 (17.2 per cent.) had more serious visual defect;
246 (15.1 per cent.) were wearing glasses; 12 had ear disease; 14 defective hearing;
17 speech defects; 45 defects of circulation; 38 (2.3 per cent.) were anæmic; 9 had
lung defect; 5 defects of nervous system ; 22 spinal defect; 33 were flat-footed.
Of female pupils in secondary schools, 1,000 were examined in detail at age 12.
115 (11.5 per cent.) were below normal in nutrition; 8 were not satisfactory in cleanliness,
though pediculosis was completely absent in all girls examined; 188 (18.8
per cent.) had caries of the teeth, of these 13 had severe caries; 82 (8.2 per cent.)
had nose and throat defects; 320 (32.0 per cent.) failed to pass the vision test, of these
162 (16.2 per cent.) had serious visual defect; 140 (14.0 per cent.) were wearing
spectacles; 8 had ear disease; 10 defective hearing; 1 speech defect; 29 defects of
circulation; 28 anaemic; 8 lung defect; 13 defects of nervous system; 137 (13.7
per cent.) spinal defects; 162 (16.2 per cent.) were flat-footed.
At age 15, 1,491 female pupils were examined; 102 (6.8 per cent.) were below
normal in nutrition and one was suffering from malnutrition; 34 (2.3 per cent.) were
not satisfactory in cleanliness; 301 (20.2 per cent.) had dental caries, of whom
15 (1 per cent.) had serious decay; 74 (5 per cent.) had nose and throat defect;
523 (35 per cent.) failed to pass the vision test of whom 296 (19.8) had more serious
visual defect; 290 (19.4 per cent.) were wearing glasses; 17 had ear disease; 17
defective hearing; 4 speech defects; 44 defects of heart and circulation; 68 (4.6
per cent. were anaemic; 12 had lung defects; 24 defect of nervous system; 263
(17.6 per cent.) had spinal defect; 160 (10.7 per cent.) were flat-footed.
Comparison
of health of
male and
female
pupils.
At either age, male pupils appear better nourished than female pupils; both
boys and girls attain a high standard of personal hygiene, and in one case alone
was pediculosis found and that in a 12-year-old boy. Dental caries is more prevalent
in boys than in girls; visual defect, on the other hand, is more prevalent in girls
than boys; spinal defect (chiefly due to bad carriage and posture) and flat foot are
recorded much more frequently in girls than in boys.
Progress in
health during
secondary
school life.
Nutrition improves in both sexes while at the secondary school, dental caries
shows a little increase amongst the girls; vision deteriorates considerably and many
more are wearing glasses at the older ages; together with the deterioration in vision
goes an increase in defects of posture.
The traditional physique of the student, bespectacled with narrow chest and a
stoop, is evidently still the fate of a large proportion of the pupils at institutions for
higher education.
Following-up.
In the normal case the mother of the child attends the inspection of her child
at school. If a defect requiring treatment is found, the care committee representative
who is also present at the inspection discusses with the mother there and then ways
and means of obtaining treatment. If the mother has no private medical attendant
or is not in a position to pay for private attendance and the case is one suitable
for treatment under the Council's arrangements, a voucher is applied for entitling
the mother to attend a treatment centre. Should the appointment made not be
kept, the care committee representative is advised, who visits the parent, ascertains
the reason for non-attendance and if the parents consents applies for a new appointment.
If the parent does not attend the inspection, the school nurse visits and
delivers an advice card signed by the school doctor, which states the defect and urges
the necessity for treatment. The representative of the care committee follows this
up and if the parent is unable to secure treatment herself a voucher is applied for if
the parent consents.
Many parents readily take advantage of the facilities provided; this is well
seen amongst the children who win scholarships; it is now extremely rare to find