View report page

249
Three changes took place in the staff during the year, Dr. W. B.
Watson, the deputy school medical officer, left in May to take up
an appointment elsewhere. His post was filled by the promotion
of one of the Assistant Medical Officers, Dr. D. D. Payne.
Dr. J. T. R. Lewis took up his duties as an assistant medical
officer in July vice Dr. W. R. Martine, and Dr. C. G. Payton was
appointed in September to occupy the post vacated by Dr. Payne.
CO-ORDINATION WITH OTHER HEALTH SERVICES.
As all the assistant school medical officers are also assistant
medical officers of health, and the Medical Officer of Health is also
the School Medical Officer, there is consequently a very desirable
degree of co-ordination which leads to efficiency in time and methods
and also extends the sphere of influence of the medical officers.
At the end of the year, following the issue of Circular 1550 by
the Ministry of Health, the Public Health Committee decided that
facilities for the treatment of children under 5 years should be given
through the school clinics. Although up to the present very little
use has been made of this provision, doubtless as it becomes better
known, more advantage will be taken. In this way it is hoped to
bring about some improvement in the standard of health of the
Entrant Group. By far too great a number of children are found
medically unsatisfactory at this examination, and the defects from
which the majority suffer could either have been prevented or mitigated
if appropriate treatment had been put in hand during the
pre-school years. More especially does this apply to dental defects,
so that the appointment of an additional dental surgeon by the
Maternity and Child Welfare Committee, will, it can confidently
be predicted, exert a beneficial effect.
There was no severe or widespread epidemic disease among the
public elementary school population during the year. The outbreak
of Typhoid Fever in an area of the Town affected largely adults, and
children attending private schools in the area. Among public
elementary school children only 16 were attacked.
A rather severe, but localised outbreak of Diphtheria
occurred in the Kingsley School during October, November and
December (64 cases in all). The type of the illness was severe
and it is unfortunate that so few children had been immunised at
this School although in 1936, it showed the highest number of
Diphtheria cases. The outbreak, however, stimulated the demand
very markedly, and by the end of the year some 126 children had
been immunised or were in process of becoming immunised.