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of all able bodied men at the war, the birth rate was so remarkably affected. Furthermore,
60,297 children were inspected in detail in the term before they were due to
leave school (i.e., approximately the age of fourteen).
38,029 children not falling in the above age groups were specially inspected at
the instance of care committee workers, school teachers, head teachers, or attendance
officers, and an additional 44,365 children in connection with school journeys, open
air classes, camp schools, and so forth. A further 1,950 children were inspected in
the statutory age groups in special schools.
The grand total of children medically inspected in 1927, therefore, was 338,517,
being 8,122 more than in the year 1926.
The number of children previously found ailing who were re-inspected was
193,260, an increase of 2,078 over the previous year. These re-inspections are not
included in the totals shown above. There was no disturbing factor during this
year, such as epidemic prevalence of measles, or the general strike of 1926, and
the immense work which the above figures represent was carried through smoothly
and satisfactorily.
Parents are invited to attend all routine inspections. In 64.4 per cent, of
invitations, a parent responded. Parental attendance is poorest when elder boys are
being inspected, only 32.5 per cent, responding in the case of leaver boys, who hate
to have their mothers dancing attendance upon them at school. On the other hand,
in the case of entrant infants, parental attendance rose to 88 per cent.
Refusals to allow children to be examined are very few in number. During the
year 1927, the parents of 151 (186) children refused to allow them to be examined
by the Council's assistant medical officers. Of these objections 17 (14) were subsequently
withdrawn, and in 5 (12) cases the medical record cards were filled up by
a private medical practitioner. The figures in brackets indicate the corresponding
figures for 1926.
Applications were received during the year from other local authorities for the
medical record cards of 483 children who had left London and removed to other
areas. These requests were received from numerous authorities throughout England
and Wales. Of the cards asked for, 316 (or 65.4 per cent.) were sent; of the remainder,
in 47 (or 9.9 per cent.) instances the children had not been examined,
95 (or 19.7 per cent.) could not be traced, and 25 (5.2 per cent.) belonged to other
neighbouring authorities, i.e., Willesden, East Ham, etc.
111,978 children in the four age groups were referred for treatment for various
ailments. The proportion referred of those inspected was 44 per cent., compared with
42 per cent, in 1926. Out of the 111,978 children, however, 78,492 were referred with
or without some other defect, on account of dental decay, the chief scourge of child
life in England.
The analysis of the results of medical inspection immediately following will be
limited to the three statutory age groups, in order to facilitate comparisons with
previous years.
The returns this year show that the children in the schools are better nourished
than they have ever been before. 10,318 children in the three age groups were found
to be under-nourished. This is 5.3 per cent, of those examined, compared with 6.2
per cent, in 1926 and 6.3 per cent, in 1925. The absence of industrial strife throughout
the year has assisted to make this improvement possible. Girls at each age are found
to be better nourished than boys; for this no reason can be assigned other than that
girls are constitutionally more resistant to depressing influences than boys ; this is
an old established fact of medicine and is shown alike in the greater mortality of
boy babies and the greater incidence of rickets on boys than on girls.
At the medical officer's suggestion Mr. T. E. Grier, the head teacher of the
Winstanlev Road Council school (boys' department), Clapham Junction, arranged
for continuous weighings to be made throughout the year of 40 boys of each age
Attendance
of parents.
Refusals of
parents to
submit
children for
medical
examinatioin.
Requests
from other
local
authorities
for medical
record cards
Children
referred for
treatment.
Results of
medical
inspection.
Nutrition.
Weight
records.