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90
Referring to her work in the schools from September to
December, Dr. Shannon writes as follows:—
ATTENDANCE OF PARENTS.
"The attendance of parents at the medical inspection averaged
80 per cent. iin all cases, except in that of the elder boys', where
the attendance was 50 per cent. This, taken with the very few
cases of objection to examination, is a gratifying criterion of the
interest taken in the work of inspection by the parents in this
district, an interest which is indicated also by the request of many
parents that their children should be examined, though they do
not enter into the groups of "entrants" and "leavers."
CLOTHING AND FOOTGEAR.
"The state of clothing and footgear was found to be fairly
equal in all groups, the percentage in entrants and leavers being
practically the same. The tendency among parents of the
younger children appears to be towards overloading the upper part
of the body with clothing, which is often fastened too tightly,
while the lower limbs are often thinly clad, with short stockings
and thin and worn shoes. This probably is responsible in greait
measure for the prevalence of bronchial catarrh among the
younger children, who are rendered prone to chills by the fact that
the lower extremities, where the blood supply is leasit plentiful,
are exposed to cold and wet, while the upper part of the body,
which is well supplied with blood, is tightly and heavily covered,
causing impediment to free respiration, and causing the child
fatigue by .the mechanical effort of lifting a weight of clothing
with each breath.
CLEANLINESS OF SKIN.
"The small percentage of children actually found affected with
vermin is evidence of the efficacy of medical inspection as a
factor in bringing home to the parents a sense of their responsibilities,
although the somewhat high percentage of children (18