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255
Defective Hearing.
The commonest causes of deafness in children are middle
ear disease and adenoids. Routine medical inspection showed
that 0.5% entrants, 0.3% intermediates and 0.4% leavers in the
children examined had defective hearing.
Speech Defects.
A special class of stammerers and the treatment of other
speech defects commenced in October. The class is held twice
weekly, and is conducted by two qualified lady teachers. During
1934,13 children attended. The class has not been in being long
enough to give any statistics.
Routine medical inspection findings showed in the Entrant
group 0.8% children defective, in the Intermediate group 0.4%,
and 0.4% in the Leaver group.
Skin Diseases.
The findings show only the incidence in the groups examined
at a specific examination and must not be taken to indicate the
total incidence of skin disease in school children. Entrants gave
2.5 per cent. incidence in boys and 2.4 per cent. in girls; Intermediate
boys 1.9 per cent and girls 1.5 per cent.; Leavers 3.0
per cent. boys and 2.8 per cent. girls; a total in all groups of 2.5
per cent. boys and 2.3 per cent. girls.
Deformities.
Among children examined at Routine Medical Inspection
0.9 per cent. of the boys and 0.5 per cent. of the girls showed
evidences of rickets; 5.6 per cent. boys and 5.2 per cent. girls had
some abnormal degree of spinal curvature, and 4.1 per cent. boys
and 4.3 per cent. girls showed some other physical deformity.
External Eye Diseases.
Squint was present in 1.9 per cent. of all children examined
in the various groups and was most frequently found in the
Entrant group (3.4 per cent. boys and 3.1 per cent. girls). Its
incidence declined as age advanced. Blepharitis occurred in 1.4
Per cent. of all the children. Conjunctivitis was present in 0.2
Per cent. of all the children, and other external eye defects were
noted in 0.2 per cent.