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53
ROUTINE INSPECTIONS, 1920.
Routine Inspections refer to those made on the School premises
of the Groups of children prescribed for examination by the Board
of Education. The number examined at these inspections during
1920 was as follows:—
Entrants 596
Leavers 343
Intermediate Group 230
In addition to the above, the Medical Inspector examined,
either at the Schopl or in the School Clinic, 443 other children, who
were presented for examination by the Teachers, School Nurse,
or School Attendance Officers, on account of some obvious or suspected
physical defect. A summary of the numbers inspected and
the defects found is given in tabular form in Tables 1 and 2.
DEFECTS FOUND.
A brief reference to the defects given in Table 2 and the results
of treatment may be pf interest.
Malnutrition.—It is difficult to adopt a precise standard as to
what constitutes defective nutrition. Many of these children suffer
from other defects which undermine their general health, and are
in consequence below standard, and this latter group does not
present much difficulty. Others are not suffering from any obvious
defect, but are undersized, under weight, with pale mucous membranes,
and generally wanting in the signs of good health. I have
returned all such children this year as suffering from Malnutrition,
and I think I have adopted a higher standard as to what constitutes
normal nutrition than in previous years. On enquiry into these,
one is forced to the cpnclusion that the condition is due in many
instances to imperfect hygiene, personal and domestic, in the home.
Of the 43 children classified as defective under this heading, 6 were