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The attendance of so many children under school age will not
only assure better results through the early treatment, but they
will save the greater cost of treatment at a later period when, in
the absence of such early treatment, the deformity is more firmly
established and less easily rectified.
(j) Heart Disease.— In previous reports the importance of
the prevention of rheumatism, which is the most common cause of
heart disease, was emphasised and attention was drawn to the need
for care in the upbringing of children in whose families there is a
susceptibility to the disease. At the same time attention was
drawn to the need for proper treatment and medical supervision
of those suffering from rheumatism to avoid severe heart involvement
and of those affected with valvular disease of the heart to
prevent serious results from strain.
A list is kept of all children suffering from heart affection.
Each child is examined at least once a year to determine his condition
and appropriate advice is given to the parents or head-teachers.
During the year there were found in the course of routine
and special inspections 65 children suffering from organic, and 49
from functional disease of the heart. The latter condition, which
is often found in anaemic children, usually disappears as the general
condition of the child improves.