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101
Thanks are due to the head teachers of the three schools for their kindly courtesy
and assistance. The amount of work and time expended, particularly by Mr. G. C.
Johnson, head teacher at Capland-street, and by his assistant teacher, Mrs. Gents,
in selecting, weighing and measuring 130 children age for age with the poorer
children, has been much appreciated.
Dr. Mabel Russell has submitted the following notes upon the effect of slum
environment on the school child.
Dr. Mabel
Russell's
observations
upon slum
children.
In the course of conducting medical inspections at a small Church school, it
was noted again and again that the children drawn from one particular slum street,
afterwards called "X" street, were what could be described as generally subnormal
in health and nutrition, indeed it is quite possible in reviewing a class to pick out
the children coming from this street for they are anaemic and of bad colour. "X"
street itself is a narrow sunless cul de sac, which was once a mews.
Knowing the street and having examined so many unhealthy children inhabiting
it, a small enquiry was made in the following manner:—The head teacher of the
Infants' department was asked to pick out from the children present those living
in "X" street, and an equal number of children living in other streets, picked out
at random from the register, to act as a control. The "X" street children and
controls were mixed up and sent to the Examiner without information, except that
they were named. Their medical record cards were not produced until after the
examination.
The result of the enquiry is here tabulated:—

Following Up.
The following up of children found defective at medical inspections is entrusted
by the Council to the school care committees, of which the number is now 931.
The number of voluntary workers who are full members of committeees is 5,297,
and there are in addition 534 other workers. The work of the care committees is
under the direction of a paid staff consisting of a principal organiser (Miss T. M.
Morton), two principal assistant organisers, twelve district organisers, five divisional
treatment organisers, and 142 assistant organisers.
The formal re-inspection in school of children previously found in need of treatment
or requiring observation makes it possible to compile a statistical record of
"following-up." During the year the total number of re-inspections was 198,088,
an increase of 4,772 over the previous year. 125,782 of these were primary reinspections
and 72,304 were second re-inspections of cases not completely cleared
up at the primary re-inspection (which generally takes place about four to six months
after the child first comes under notice.) Combining the results of first and second
re-inspections, it is found that 78.9 per cent. of children found ailing were finally
treated or discharged as not needing treatment; this is the best result that has yet
been obtained.
Results of
reinspeotion
of ailing
school
children.
Dental troubles still account for the largest amount of leakage, and when these
are eliminated from the figures the results of re-inspection show that 83.1 per cent.
of children suffering from non-dental ailments were treated or discharged during the
year.