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Infectious Disease.
45
work carried out by the school dentists, school nurses,
and health visitors, who have for years been trying to
inculcate in to the minds of the parents recent views on
the prevention of caries.
One factor may have been at work in bringing about
the marked improvement in the second group in 1921,
and that is the inspection and treatment of the children
on admission to school instead of when they reach the
age of 6 to 8 years.
One need not reiterate the damage that it is generally
recognised may be done to health by defective teeth.
The improvement recorded must mean a great gain in
health to the children.
(j) Crippling Defects.—In the report for 1920 a
Special Report was given of all the crippled children
coming within the knowledge of the School Medical
Department, the nature of the crippling being specified
and a note being made of the provision for their care,
treatment and education. This report in the main still
holds good excepting in the actual number of the
crippled children (Table III.), who vary in number from
year to year, and in the provision of treatment at the
King Edward Hospital, which scheme was sanctioned
by the Board in February, 1921.
In Table III. are indicated 10 cases of crippling due
to tuberculosis, five of whom are at school, and 53 cases
of crippling due to other causes, all being at school.
Infectious Disease.
The head-teachers send to the School Medical Officer
on Friday in each week a Return on which are indicated