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37
School Hygiene.
The recently published report of the Inter-Departmental
Committee on Medical Inspection and feeding of children attending
Public Elementary Schools is one that well repays
careful reading.
Part I. of the report deals with Medical Inspection. It
appears that comparatively few Education Authorities have
established any definite system of medical inspection, although
in the majority of urban districts in England special attention
is paid to the detection and prevention of the spread of
infectious disease.
The nature and extent of the work already undertaken
varies considerably, but the Committee reported favourably on
the general results, and were of opinion that medical inspection
had done much towards bringing to view defects, the treatment
of which would secure the child from unnecessary suffering,
and might save him from serious trouble in after life.
Treatment of any defect is usually considered outside the
duties of the school doctor, even if it were legally possible for
a local authority to provide treatment under the existing law.
The opinion expressed by the Committee on Physical Deterioration
is referred to in this connection:—That "in no instance
should the inspector do more than state the facts that require
the attention of the parent, cases of poverty or neglect being
left to the proper authorities to deal with."
Apart from dealing with cases of infectious disease, the
three principal objects of medical inspection are to ascertain
1. What children are unfitted for the ordinary
routine of school life.
2. Whether existing physical or mental defects are
likely to be benefitted by treatment.
3. In what directions school conditions might be
modified to meet special cases.