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cent. girls, and in the 12-year old group 35.9 per cent. boys and 37.5 per cent. girls
were unable to pass the normal vision test. These figures show a very considerable
improvement on the results obtained in 1932 when 41 per cent. of 8-year old
boys, 43.2 per cent. of 8-year old girls, 34.6 per cent. of 12-year old boys and 38.2
per cent. of 12-year old girls, and in 1931, when 45.6 of 8-year old boys, 46.1 per
cent. of 8-year old girls, 38.4 per cent. of 12-year old boys and 40.6 per cent. of
12-year old girls failed to pass the tests.
The improvement year by year in the condition of the children in this and in
all other respects is very gratifying and encouraging to the service.
Defects of a more serious character (i.e., vision of 6-12 or worse in either eye)
occurred in 14.7 per cent. boys and 14.4 per cent. girls in the 8-year old group
and 17.7 per cent. boys and 17.4 per cent. girls in the 12-year old group, compared
with 15.1 per cent. boys and 15.8 per cent. girls in the 8-year old group, and in
17.1 boys and 18 per cent. girls in the 12-year old group in 1932. This again shows
steady improvement which has been going on for several years—in 1925 the 8-year
old group showed 18.4 per cent. with serious defect, in 1927 the percentage was 18,
and in 1929 and 1931, 16.8 and 16.9 respectively; the 12-year old group in 1925
showed a percentage of 20.6, in 1927 it was 20.9, in 1929 this percentage was 19.3,
and in 1931 it was 18.5. The improvement is most marked among the 12-year
old girls, and there is little doubt that the importance of the early correction of
visual defect is becoming more widelv recognised among the parents.
Heart and
anaemia.
Heart defect (functional or organic) was reported in 3,012 children or 1.9 per
cent., the same percentage as in 1932, compared with 1.8 per cent. in 1931, and 2 per
cent. in 1930. As usual, older girls presented a percentage (2.4) in excess of older
boys (1.7).
In studies of rheumatism in the metropolis it is found that girls suffer to a greater
extent than boys in the proportion of about 3 to 2. It is reasonable to deduce that
the figures for heart defect reflect this excessive incidence of rheumatism. Anaemia
was found in 1,537 cases, or .9 per cent., an improvement upon the years 1931 and
1932, when the percentage was 1.1 compared with 1.2 per cent. in 1930. This is
less than half the proportion found in 1926 and corresponds with the general
improvement in nutrition.
Lung defects.
Lung defects were noted in 3,314 children (2.0 per cent.), compared with 2.1 per
cent. last year.
The bulk of the cases are provided by the entrants (3.5 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 bovs compared with girls holds as in rickets.
Tuberculosis.
There were 67 children in the three age-groups reported to have symptoms
indicative of pulmonary tuberculosis, but only 11 of these were not already under
treatment. In addition, 32 children had other forms of tuberculosis. The incidence
of tuberculosis in any form found at routine inspections is .6 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 61 cases, compared with 52 in 1932, 65 in 1931, 60 in
1930 and 73 in 1929; chorea in 132 cases, compared with 158 in 1932, 170 in 1931,
186 in 1930 and 178 in 1929; paralysis in 56 children, compared with 63 in 1932,
81 in 1931, 76 in 1930 and 122 in 1929.
Rickets.
Symptoms of rickets or the effects of early rickets were noted in 445 children.
This is .3 per cent., compared with .32 per cent. in 1932, and .4 per cent. in 1931
and 1930. Infant boys had an incidence of .7 per cent., compared with .9 per cent.
in 1932 and infant girls .3 per cent., compared with .4 per cent. in 1932. The
stigmata of early rickets tend to disappear as growth proceeds. The returns of
routine medical inspection therefore do not support the view that rickets is on the
increase in London, though the results in school children only indicate what has
happened some years before.