View report page

11
Lung defects were noted in 3,776 children (2.1 per cent.). This is an improvement
of .2 per cent. on last year.
Lungs.
The bulk of the cases are provided by the entrants (3.8 per cent.). These cases
are largely bronchial catarrh, which is especially prevalent amongst entrant infants
who present rickety manifestations, and the preponderance of incidence upon
infant boys compared with girls holds as in rickets.
Tuberculosis.
There were 62 children in the three age-groups reported to have symptoms
indicative of pulmonary tuberculosis, but only 12 of these were not already under
treatment. In addition, 48 children had other forms of tuberculosis. The incidence
of tuberculosis in any form found at routine inspections is .06 per thousand.
The figures show a definite decline, although for many years the amount of
tuberculosis amongst school children has been very small.
Nervous
diseases.
Epilepsy was noted in 52 cases, compared with 65 in 1931, 60 in 1930 and 73
in 1929 ; chorea in 158 cases, compared with 170 in 1931, 186 in 1930 and 178 in
1929 ; paralysis in 63 children, compared with 81 in 1931, 76 in 1930 and 122 in 1929.
Symptoms of rickets or the effects of early rickets were noted in 595 children.
This is .32 per cent., compared with .4 per cent. in 1931 and 1930. Infant boys
had an incidence of .9 per cent., and infant girls .4 per cent. The stigmata of early
rickets tend to disappear as growth proceeds and amongst older children signs were
recorded in the 8-year old group of boys in .3 per cent., and in girls .2 per cent.,
and in the 12-year old group of boys in .2 per cent. and in girls .1 per cent.
Here again the apparent decline needs to be considered in relationship to the
fact that the older groups examined were greater in numbers compared with the
entrant infants than in the previous year.
Rickets.
Deformities.
Spinal curvature accounted for 764 cases (.4 per cent.), the same proportion
as last year. Of these, 319 (.9 per cent. of those examined) were among the 12-year
old girls, while the 12-year old boys showed .5 per cent. Other deformities were
present in 1,789 children (1 per cent.). This is an increase of .1 per cent. on 1931.
Records are made of the presence or absence of vaccination marks when children
are stripped for medical examination, but no inquiries are made. The following
are the results of the doctor's observation of the percentage of children having
vaccinal scars: entrants, 47 .7; 8-year olds, 53 .1; 12-year olds, 52.1; and "leavers"
(131/2) 55.5. These figures show that the percentage of children with obvious vaccination
marks is less than last year, just as last year's percentages were less than those
of the previous year.
Thus the number of children protected from smallpox by vaccination grows
less with each succeeding year.
Vaccination.
The Council has undertaken the examination of a fourth age group, namely,
children who are leaving school. This examination takes place in the term prior
to that in which the children are due to leave school. The results of this examination
are available at the school-leaving conference, and are of assistance in determining
the choice of a suitable occupation. Coming at the end of the school career, the
examination is useful in estimating the results of medical attention received since
the children entered school.
The health
of the
leaving child.
This year's "leaver" group was formed of the children born in the year 1918-19,
and consequently the numbers are small, consisting of 19,649 boys and 19,471 girls
only. In nutrition they were found to be better than the younger groups, only 3.8 per
cent.of the boys and 3.2 per cent. girls being classed as poorly nourished, compared
with 5 per cent. boys and 4.3 per cent. girls in the 12-year age groups.
In personal cleanliness this group also shows an improvement on the 12-year
olds, 98.5 per cent. boys and 95.5 per cent. girls having perfectly clean heads. On
the other hand, the dental condition of this group was found to be slightly inferior
to that of the 12-year old group, for both boys and girls, the percentage with satisfactory
mouths being 74.1 in the case of boys, and 74.8 in the case of girls, compared with
75.1 and 78 respectively in the 12-year old group. In other respects the "leaver"
children showed an improvement in health over the 12-year old group, with the exception
of spinal curvature which affected the girls, but not the boys, to a greater
degree.