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(j) Dental Defects.—The findings at Medical Inspection
mostly relate to oral sepsis, i.e., gum boils and inflamed gums due
to decayed teeth. These are matters of some urgency leading to
digestive and other troubles due to absorption of purulent matter.
The amount of dental trouble amongst entrants amounted to
55.07 per cent. This matter is further dealt with in the dental
surgeon's report on pages 34 to 36.
(k) Crippling Defects.—Marked deformities of such a degree
as to cripple a child are becoming less numerous, as these conditions
are being dealt with under the orthopaedic scheme now in existence
in the pre-school age. Such defects as come to notice are found in
Table II of the Appendix and consist of various degrees of fiat foot,
knock knee and spinal curvature. Cripple children are educated at
the cripple class of the Special School, Faircross.
(6) INFECTIOUS DISEASE.
As the School Medical Officers are also the Public Health
Medical Officers, the occurrence of infectious disease is known
to them at once and steps taken accordingly.
Code : Articles 45 (b), 53 (b) and 57.—No schools were closed
during 1927 for infectious disease, but the School Medical Officer
submitted in respect of two schools a certificate under the Board of
Education Amending Regulations, No. 2 (a), 1924, for purposes
of apportioning grant.
(a) Scarlet Fever.—117 children were reported in 1927, compared
with 78 in 1926, the contacts excluded numbering 183.
(b) Diphtheria.—39 cases were reported in 1927 compared
with 35 in 1926, contacts excluded, numbering 97.
(c) Measles and German Measles.—Only 1 child was reported
from schools during the year, compared with 353 in 1926.
(d) Chicken-pox and Whooping Cough.—99 children were
reported during the year.
137 home visits were paid by the school nurses in connection
with infectious disease during the year, whilst 312 visits were
paid by the sanitary inspectors in connection with notifiable
cases.