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The Council opened a second stammering class under the same teacher at the Pound Lane
Council School, with the approval of the Board of Education, in February, 1926. This class is for 12
children, 6 of each sex. The formation of a third class of the same constitution as that at Pound Lane
is now under consideration to serve the Kensal Rise area.
Employment of Children and Young Persons.—There is no scheme in operation at present
for the co-ordination of the work of the School Medical Service with that of the Juvenile Employment
Committee and of the certifying factory surgeon.
SPECIAL ENQUIRIES.
During 1925 the Medical Staff voluntarily undertook to co-operate with the Board of Education
in carrying out certain special enquiries.
Defective Vision Inquiry.
This enquiry was instituted by a special committee of the Board of Education with the object
of discovering the factors in childhood leading to the development of defective vision and squint.
The following methods of enquiry were chosen by the Committee:—
(1) The examination by refraction and enquiry into the environment and family history of
unselected children at the age of 6 years and the periodic examination of these children
throughout school life.
(2) The examination by refraction and enquiry into the environment and family history of
unselected children of each age from 6 to 16, both inclusive.
(3) The examination by refraction and enquiry into the environment and family history of
unselected children between the ages of 1 year and 5 years and their subsequent reexamination
at intervals of approximately 6 months.
(4) The examination by refraction of children who habitually work in well-lit and badly-lit
classrooms respectively.
(5) Investigation into the subsequent history of cases of defective vision detected in 1919-1921,
both inclusive, and in earlier years where reliable records are available.
These different portions of the enquiry were all undertaken by the different Clinic Medical
Officers. In spite of considerable difficulties which have been encountered, such as the difficulty of
carrying out retinoscopics on small children and the failure or refusal of parents to bring their children
up for examination more than once, during 1925, no less than 71 schedules were completed and sent
up to the Board.
Anthropometric Enquiry.
The Council's Medical Staff also agreed to co-operate with the Board's Anthropometric Committee
in its enquiries. The object of this Committee is " to enquire into certain factors governing
the growth and development of healthy children from infancy up to the age of 18 years and living
under varied conditions, with a view to obtaining a series of anthropometric figures (norms) from all
parts of the country which would be of value to School Medical Officers and others in the estimation
and comparison of nutrition, physique, etc." To complete the schedule in each case involves the
ascertainment of the following : Name, address, age, nationality, place of origin of father and mother,
occupations of parents, order of child in family, standing height, sitting height, weight, chest measurement,
colour of eyes (compared with test glass eyes), colour of hair (compared with test hanks of hair),
three head measurements and any abnormality or disease. As all these facts must be ascertained with
great accuracy to render them of any value for the purposes of the enquiry a considerable expenditure
of time and care is involved in the completion of the schedule for each child. Owing to delay in obtaining
the special apparatus required no schedules had been completed at the end of the year, but the
work is now proceeding.
Enquiry into the Health of the Pre-School Child.
The Council's Medical Staff were invited by the Ministry of Health to take part in the above
enquiry, but owing to general pressure of work and the additional responsibilities they had already
incurred in connection with the Board of Education's Defective Vision Enquiry they felt unable to
accept the invitation of the Ministry.
SECONDARY SCHOOL CHILDREN.
Medical Inspection in Secondary Schools is undertaken at the request of the Middlesex County
Council and is carried out in accordance with the arrangements made by them. Medical Inspection
at the Kilburn Grammar School and Willesden Polytechnic Trade School was first undertaken in the
Summer Term of 1920. During 1925 two additional schools were added, viz., the Willesden County
School in March, 1925, and the Willesden Polytechnic Building Trade School in November, 1925.
At these Secondary Schools during 1925, 342 routine medical inspections were conducted in addition
to 110 special inspections and re-inspections or a total of 452 examinations during the year.
The number of pupils found to require treatment, excluding uncleanliness and dental diseases,
varied from 11.9 per cent. in the Willesden Polytechnic Trade School (Girls) to 31.8 per cent. in the
Willesden Polytechnic Building Trade School (Boys).
Parents were notified in the usual way of the defects found which required medical treatment
and appropriate advice was given to teachers or pupils in regard to matters of school or personal
hygiene.