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eye. Furthermore, twelve children were found to be suffering
from spinal curvature needing treatment, 24 from defective hearing,
and that 17 children suffering from organic disease of the
heart needed to be kept under observation.
These facts, I would humbly submit, are a justification for the
continued surveillance of the School Medical Service, as a safeguard
of the health of the children. It should be maintained even at
great sacrifice.
There are one or two figures which are well worth noting.
In the first place 53 per cent, of our elementary school population
were immunised against Diphtheria during the course of 1941.
This is a source of great encouragement. I think that the willingness
of parents and, in fact, their anxiety to have their children
immunised is largely due to broadcasts by the Chief Medical Officer
of the Ministry of Health, for it was noticeable that these broadcasts
were always followed by a local demand for protection against
Diphtheria. They achieved more than local or newspaper propaganda
had done in the past. I am of the opinion, in addition,
that the showing of a film locally advocating immunisation against
Diphtheria was of great value.
I would call the attention of the Committee to the fact that
only four school children died during the course of the year, and
in two cases the cause of death was accident, and not illness. In
previous years I have had to record a figure of about thirteen deaths.
In one respect the amenities of the School Medical Service
have been improved, and I refer to arrangements with the War
Memorial Hospital and the North Middlesex County Hospital
whereby X-rays may be obtained by our School Dentists where
this is required.
Mr. James's report, which space does not permit me to print,
shows a very satisfactory increase in the work that has been carried
out both in our elementary and secondary schools. No less than
5,149 children received treatment. Of the children found to need
treatment, parents asked for this treatment to be carried out through
the aegis of the School Dental Service in 76 per cent, of the cases.
Orthodontic treatment was carried out for 33 children. On an
average each dentist treated 1716 children. This number,according
to Mr. James, can only be increased if treatment becomes curative
rather than conservative, i.e., if extractions replace fillings, and this
I should be very sorry to see. In one school the entrants were
found in 35.5 per cent, of the cases to be dentally fit ; in other
schools this figure dropped to about 10 per cent. In general there
was an improvement in the condition of the teeth of the children,