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112
Meals for children in Group III are planned to contain 20-25 grammes of firstclass
protein ; 25-30 grammes of fat; and 400 milligrammes of calcium.
The diet of the children taking meals was under the supervision of the Council's
honorary nutritional consultant, Dr. T. F. Macrae, O.B.E., D.Sc.
To provide a close check on the quantities and qualities of served meals, random
samples were analysed by the Council's chemist-in-chief from time to time (see
page 34).
School buildings and furniture
In considering the plans for the new comprehensive high schools, it was found
necessary to make considerable modifications to the standards laid down in the
Building Regulations 1945. It was hoped, however, that, by careful design, the
reduction in the size and number of rooms available for medical purposes would
not lead to any reduction in efficiency.
It was more difficult to provide an efficient medical unit in the smaller schools,
as the rooms needed to be as large as those in larger schools but would not be in
such continuous use.
Arrangements were completed for the design and manufacture of bins for the
disposal of sanitary towels. These bins will be placed in closets of all secondary
girls' schools. Sanitary towels are kept in each school and are available on application.
Audiometric testing
After new electric gramophone audiometers and modified portable gramophone
audiometers were supplied it was possible to extend the tests of the hearing of pupils
over seven years of age to schools in five of the nine divisions. It is hoped that it
will be possible to provide a service in all divisions in 1951, which may entail the
purchase of an additional audiometer. When this position has been reached it is
proposed to change the present scheme, which is a hearing test of all pupils in a
school, to a test of all new entrants as soon as possible after their admission into a
junior school.
Any child with a loss of nine decibels or more in either ear was tested a second
time with the gramophone audiometer, as many, especially younger children, fail
in the first test through lack of attention or other causes. A number of children
who failed the second gramophone audiometer test were given a further test with a
pure tone audiometer with a view to obviating the reference for treatment to special
ear, nose and throat centres of those not in need of it.
The total number of children tested by a gramophone audiometer was 21,843
of whom 6,320 failed the first test and 1,446 failed in the second. It was possible
to arrange for 854 of the latter to be tested by a pure tone audiometer and of these
405 failed. These last together with the remaining 592 of those who failed the
second gramophone test were referred to special ear, nose and throat centres. A
total number of 571 children completed treatment at these centres during the year
and, of this number, 212 again failed the audiometer test and were referred to aurists
for consideration as to further treatment.
Rheumatism Scheme
The number of beds provided for institutional treatment of children at Queen
Mary's Hospital, Carshalton, is now 250 and the average number of beds occupied
in 1950 was 185. In 1938 there were 900 beds provided in five hospitals, including
two for mild and convalescent cases (200 beds). The average number of beds occupied
was 794. The decrease in the number of children nominated for institutional treatment
mentioned in last year's report continued in 1950 but the fall was considerably
less, viz. from 348 to 274 compared with 638 to 348. The reasons for the fall are
by no means certain but it is probable that juvenile rheumatism is less prevalent