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56
On referring to the Table at the end it will be seen
that the percentage of badly nourished children found increased
with their ages.
At the examination of entrants only 1.6 per cent.
were badly nourished; at the age of 8., 3.2 per cent.; at
the age of 11, 6.36 per cent., and leavers 9.76 per cent.
There was in no case any obvious cause for the condition,
such as any definite disease, or want of proper food.
Nose and Throat.
On referring to the table at the end, it will be seen
that 71.27 per cent. of all the children examined were
found to be free from any disease of the nose and throat.
The commonest defect was enlargement of the tonsils, in
3 per cent. of the children this was marked, and in 19 per
cent. slight; the defect found to be next in frequency of
occurrence was enlargement of the cervical glands, which
was present in 16 per cent. of all cases. Adenoids were
found in some degree in 5.5 per cent. of all cases.
Teeth.
The table at the end gives the figures showing the
percentage of children with all teeth sound, those having
fewer than four decayed, and those having four or more
decayed. It will be noted that only a little over 27 per.
cent. of all children examined have sound teeth, 30 per
cent. have four or more decayed, and 42 per cent. fewer
than four decayed.
At the two intermediate age periods the percentage of
children with sound teeth is as low as 19 and 22, respectively,
with corresponding increase in the number of those
with decayed teeth.
The pareuts seem to regard any attention paid to the
decayed milk teeth of their children as waste of time and
money, and do not'realise the fact that the presence of
decayed temporary teeth renders the infection of the permanent
teeth almost certain, and judging by what I have
been told by many parents, there seems to be considerable
reluctance on the part of many dentists to extract milk
teeth, even when very much decayed and very foul.
Ear Disease.
In only 28 cases was any ear disease found at the inspection,
while 52 children were found to have some degree
of deafness in one or both ears.