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89
The present organization is briefly as follows :—
Medical inspection cards are supplied to all the head teachers
and as soon as possible after 20 cards have been prepared for children
who have become subject to inspection, dates are fixed for medical
inspections to be held at certain particular schools, and the. head
teachers are asked to forward the necessary notices to the parents,
The health visitor for the district is present at the inspection and
assists in weighing, measuring and other ways. Should the parents
not be present at the inspection, any necessary directions are conveyed
by the health visitor who also keeps under observation all
children concerning whom special advice has been given. Practically
the whole of the routine inspections of the children at the schools
have been carried out by Dr. Jackson. Since the new Act has come
into force I have not found it possible to make myself responsible
for any large share of the routine inspections though I hope it will
always be possible for me to undertake a small proportion in order
that I may keep myself familar with the many difficulties incidental
to the work. The necessity for offering facilities for the attendance
of parents at the medical inspection makes it essential to fix the
dates at which the children in the various schools will be inspected
For this reason it is impracticable for the school medical officer to
undertake any large share of the routine work as he would otherwise
be unable to devote himself to the many emergencies which frequently
arise in large districts. In my own case all my available time is
more than filled in attending to these emergencies, in examining
mentally defective children, in certifying truants, advising the
attendance officers, in examining teachers, and in endeavouring to
solve the thousand and one special medical problems of elementary
schools. During the past year this emergency and incidental work
has grown to an extent which I had hardly anticipated. At present
Dr. Jackson is able to rather more than cover the work required by
Article 58 (b) of the current code. Should these requirements be
increased, further medical assistance must be provided.
The Ophthalmic Surgeon has carried on his work in the schools
as heretofore. More than a year ago I pointed out that the regulations
of the Board of Education make it essential that the vision of each
child should be examined and recorded, and that efforts should be
made to remedy any defect found. In order to economise the time
of the ophthalmic surgeon the present method of dealing with eve
cases should be modified. The initial examination of the eyes should
be made at the general medical inspection. This would enable us
to sort out the children who require detailed study by a specialist.
These selected cases should then be referred to one or more selected
centres where the ophthalmic surgeon could attend at such hours and
on such days as may be arranged. The ophthalmic surgeon would
then advise whether spectacles or other remedial measures were