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71
28 boys examined, the clothing of 27 was noted as sufficient,
and in one case as insufficient. Of the 32 girls examined at
this school, in all cases the clothing was noted as sufficient.
At Squires Lane the clothing of all the boys and girls was
noted as sufficient. Of the remaining 326 boys examined at
other schools, in 39 instances the clothing has been noted as
Excellent; in 155 as Good; in 99 as Fair; and in 33 cases
as Poor, that is, insufficient or barely sufficient. Of the 380
girls examined (excluding those attending Albert Street and
Squires Lane), in 106 instances the clothing has been noted
as Excellent; in 142 as Good; in 72 as Fair; and in 20 cases
as Poor. From this, it will be observed that the girls are
better clad than the boys. This is to be expected as, amongst
the elder children, the girls are accustomed to look after their
personal requirements, and take more interest in their appearance
than the boys.
TEETH.
At the commencement of the examination a classification
of teeth was adopted into Excellent, Good, Fair, Bad, but
this was too refined to be of any practical use, and now the
condition of the teeth is simply noted as "good" or "require
attention." Many enquiries were made as to the use of a
tooth-brush, and in only comparatively a few instances were
the teeth found to be regularly cleansed; quite a number of
children stated that they cleaned their teeth on Sunday,—
others that their teeth were cleaned once a week or fortnight.
Few parents appear to recognise the real necessity of looking
after their children's teeth, and many of them seem to
take but little interest when the defective condition or the
necessity for treatment is pointed out. There can be no
doubt that defective teeth are a fertile source of trouble,
especially in later life, and it is to be much regretted that so
few parents recognise the need of dental treatment.
Of the 380 boys examined 200 (52 per cent.) were found
to have teeth which required attention; of the 403 girls 185