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and reformatories. Dr. Shrubsall also deals with the work under the Mental Deficiency
Acts, the Blind Persons Act, and the medical examination of the Council's staff.
In this section are included the services of a part-time consulting surgeon for aural
disease (Mr. P. M. Yearsley) ; a part-time consulting surgeon for orthopaedics
(Mr. K. J. Acton-Davis); a part-time ophthalmic consultant (Mr. N. Bishop Harman);
two divisional medical officers (Drs. A. C. Williams and E. J. Boome) and an assistant
medical officer who is attached for half his time to Ponton-road place of detention.
The results of medical inspection.
The number of elementary school children examined in the three statutory
age groups (entrants, children aged 8 and children aged 12) during the year 1931
was 180,245—11,997 more than in 1930. In addition, 38,754 children were examined
in detail in the term prior to that in which they were due to leave school, and 1,601
children in special schools were examined on reaching their respective age groups.
Children referred for examination by nurses, school teachers, care committee
workers, divisional officers, etc., for special reasons numbered 90,248 ; and 25,596
were examined in connection with outbreaks of infectious disease.
The total inspections amounted to 336,444. To this must be added the children,
169,029 in number, who were re-inspected because of some previously noted defect.
The school doctors thus see each year a very large proportion, considerably more
than one-half, of the children attending school.
Parents are invited to be present at all routine inspections, and attended in
74-5 per cent, of the examinations in the three statutory age groups. At the inspection
of entrants, the proportion was 89 per cent., and in the " leaver " group 40-1 per
cent. The presence of the parents at inspections is very important, as it brings them
into touch with the school doctor and care committee workers, whereby they are
led to realise the importance of obtaining any necessary treatment without delay.
Refusals of parents to submit children for medical inspection are so few in
number as to be almost negligible. During the year 1931, the parents of 76 children
(28 boys, 48 girls), compared with 112 in 1930, refused to allow them to be examined
by one of the Council's assistant medical officers. Four objections were subsequently
withdrawn, and in nine instances either medical record cards were completed by a
private medical practitioner or medical certificates as to physical fitness were
produced. The cases were distributed amongst the divisions as follows : N., 6 ;
N.E., 14; N.W., 17; S.E., 22; S.W., 17.
Refusals
It is noticed that the number of objections received in the winter is larger than
for the other terms, probably owing to the parents' fear that the children will "catch
cold" when they are undressed for the medical inspection.
During the year 1931, other authorities asked for the medical record cards of
697 children who had removed to areas outside London. In 413 cases cards were
obtained and forwarded, 175 could not be traced, 39 had not previously been examined
and 32 concerned children who were not attending schools in the County of London.
In the remaining 38 cases inquiries are still being made.
The number of children subjected to routine inspection who were referred for
treatment was 78,902, 43-8 per cent, of the number examined. This figure includes
cases noted by the school doctors for dental treatment, and, if these cases be excluded,
the percentage is reduced to 18-9. These percentages remain practically constant
from year to year, varying only as the proportions in the different age groups vary.
The analysis of the results of medical inspection immediately following is limited
to the three statutory age groups, in order to facilitate comparison with previous
years. The results of the examination of the " leaver " group are dealt with separately.
Requests foi
medical
cards.
The proportion of poorly nourished children found at routine inspections was Nutrition
4 • 8 per cent. This is the same percentage as last year, which was noted as being the
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