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84
Of the 2,803 children who were in.patients at the hospital schools at the end of
the year, 690 were suffering from tuberculosis.
Special inquiries and reports
Abstracts of special inquiries and reports will be found in their appropriate
sections. Attention may be directed to the reports by Mr. A. G. Wells on the audiometer
(p. 16), and the aural work (p. 63); by Dr. E. M. McVail on sight.saving classes
in central and secondary schools (p. 82); by Dr. C. E. Thornton on rheumatism
(p. 38); by Dr. J. W. D. Pearce on juvenile delinquency (p. 65); by Dr. Agnes
Francklyn on a comparison between children in a nursery class and those in an
ordinary infants' class (p. 77); by Dr. Nora Cotter on a comparison between children
in nursery classes and in a nursery school (p. 79); by Dr. G. D. Morgan on the nutritional
standard of ten.year.old children in a Council school (p. 25); by Dr. Wilfred
Oakley on an investigation of home diets of boys at a Council school (p. 25);
and by Dr. Leslie Harris on an investigation of hypovitaminosis A (p. 26).
During the past three years a special inquiry into the incidence of certain rare
congenital conditions has been carried on in London by the school medical staff at
the request of the Medical Research Council.
Foot
inspection
An important investigation into the condition of the feet of 608 unselected
children in two west London schools was made by Miss E. H. Jebens, F.R.C.S., whose
report will be printed in full in the medical supplement (Vol. IV, Part III). In the
course of a complete and detailed survey of all the pathological and physiological
variations found, Miss Jebens classified the feet according to the height of the
arches as high, medium and low.
The great majority (75.4 per cent.) were of the medium.arch type, 10.5 per cent,
were of the high.arch type, and only 5.4 per cent, were of the low.arch type.
These last were more frequent among the youngest children, and are looked upon as
transitional from the flat foot, which is normal in the infant, to the medium arch of
the adult. In the whole series there was no child with completely flat foot.
Wage.earning employment of school children
In the year 1937, 4,212 applications (4,183 boys and 29 girls) were dealt with
under the by.laws for medical certificates in connection with the employment of
school children out of school hours. In the subjoined statement the numbers
first given are in respect of boys, the figures for girls being given in brackets.
Certificates were granted unconditionally in the following cases : delivery of
milk, 311 (—); delivery of newspapers, 2,242 (12); carrying or delivery of goods
or parcels, 781 (5); in, or in connection with, a shop, 359 (8); in a coal yard, 5 (—);
industrial work at home, 2 (—); house work away from home, 13 (2); as a messenger,
14 (—); miscellaneous, 6 (—).
In 321 other cases (320 boys and 1 girl) the certificates were granted subject
to medical treatment being obtained, or special conditions being observed. Certificates
on medical or other grounds were refused to 130 boys and 2 girls for the following
reasons: rheumatism, 8 (—); dental condition, 4 (—); defective vision, 4 (—);
heart condition, 4 (1); scoliosis, 2 (—); poor general condition, 7 (—); otorrhcea, 1
(—); personal hygiene, 2 (—); fatigue signs, 3 (—); enuresis, 1 (—); epilepsy,
2 (—); anaemia and malnutrition, 9 (—); and for non.medical reasons such as
" withdrawn," illegal hours, failed to attend, work unsuitable, under or over age,
etc., 85 (1).
Employment
of children
in entertainments
During the year, 707 children were medically examined at the County Hall in
connection with employment under licence in entertainments, comprising 605 girls
and 102 boys. Of these, 146 were referred for treatment, including : refraction error,
14 ; dental decay, 110 ; throat affections, 1 ; skin disease, 7 ; personal hygiene, 8 ;
discharging ears, 1 ; catarrh, 2 ; scoliosis, 3.
Four were refused certificates on account of the presence of the following conditions
: heart disease, 3 ; high myopia, 1.