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107
It is not surprising that the children dislike games, as the
weight of clothing is considerable, and the restricting effect on
their arms and chest renders any movement difficult. When
the skin is reached, it is found sodden with perspiration and the
remains of the latest drug applied. This excess of clothing is
largely confined to the upper part of the body, the lower part
of the trunk and the legs having no close cover.
Some of these overburdened children wear short socks and
sleeves even in the coldest weather.
It is rather difficult to persuade mothers to leave off superfluous
clothing owing to their preconceived idea that the child
is " weak in its lungs " (an idea not supported by medical evidence),
though many consent to give up one layer of padding " to oblige
the school doctor," and the task is easier now than when medical
inspection was first instituted.
Unsuitable Clothing.
The evils of unsuitable clothing due to maternal ignorance
are found all through the school life of the child. In the poorer
part of the district the children inherit the clothes of the elder
brothers and sisters: small boys appear with trousers hitched
up to their armpits with braces of a tight, cord-like nature, often
crossed over the sternum to obtain the correct length. Small
girls wear stays with many restricting tapes, which cut into
the shoulders and afford the maximum opportunity for faulty
position. In both sexes the marks of the binder are often revealed
by the lateral compression of the thorax.
In other parts of Acton, defective carriage was found due
to clothing which had become so shrunken in the process of
washing that it was no longer of use. One small boy was noticed
with a forward droop of the shoulders and very stiff movements
of the arms. He was wearing a woollen jersey of most suitable
shape and size, but a closer inspection revealed another jersey
underneath which the child had completely outgrown, and which
was so tight at the shoulders that the child's circulation was
impeded.