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It still obtains, however, that only 6,224 children were found satisfactory as
far as tonsils and adenoids are concerned and in my opinion this is not a sufficiently
high number. As the Committee knows I am anxious that the co-ordinated
medical services of the Council should have an Ear, Nose and Throat Clinic.
Its first duty would be to investigate the whole problem in the hope of bringing about
a happier state of affairs. That such a Clinic of course would have to indicate
remedial measures goes without saying, but I do hope it will lead to a large measure
of prevention.
(f) Ear Disease and Defective Hearing.—So far as hearing and the health of
the ear are concerned, it is found that quite a high percentage of the children are
normal. Of the children examined, 96 per cent. were found to be normal, but
contrasting this with what I have said about external eye disease, which is usually
slight and transient, the 4 per cent. children who have trouble with their ears
oftentimes present medical difficulties of some magnitude.
What I have said about the establishment of an Ear, Nose and Throat Clinic in
the preceding section, can be repeated here with emphasis, because undoubtedly
defective hearing does militate against the development and happiness of the
child in later life.
(g) Dental Defects.—Details of the healthfulness of your children's teeth are dealt
with, in detail, in that section of this Report for which I am indebted to Mr. W. H.
Foy, your Senior Dentist. I would further emphasise that the large incoming
school population seems to have had somewhat less dental service than your own,
and the relatively large floating school population makes it difficult for me to compare
from year to year the value of the work you are doing in maintaining oral hygiene.
(h) Orthopa'dic and Postural Defects.—The findings of routine medical inspection
show a condition of affairs which is, on the whole, satisfactory. The years which
you have given to the study of this problem, and the work which you have carried
out through your officers, particularly Mr. B. Whitchurch Howell who is your
Consulting Orthopaedic Surgeon, have borne fruit. Of the children examined 99.2
per cent. were found to be quite normal from this aspect, and the 114 children who
were found not quite normal were mostly suffering from relatively minor defects.
In saying these were relatively minor defects I am speaking from the surgical
standpoint. These minor defects are oftentimes of the utmost importance to the
child—flat feet for instance, whilst by no means a major surgical defect, can lead to
a degree of tiredness and consequent nervous exhaustion which militates against
the health and happiness of the individual. Minor degrees of a crooked spine can
alter the poise of the body and the position of the internal organs with resultant
impairment of health and comfort.