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97
Nutrition 4 „ „ 4 „ „
Glands 2 „ „ 3 „ „
Lungs 2 „ „ 13 „ „
Nervous Disease 1 „ „ 3 „ „
Deformities 3 „ „ 2 „ „
Skin 2 „ „ 19 „ „
Ears 1 „ 5 „ „
Other defects 67 „ „ 14 „ „
From these figures it will be seen that 6 per cent. of
children examined at routine school inspection are discovered
to be suffering from defective Vision, 12 per cent.
have diseases of the Nose and Throat, 4 per cent. are classified
among the mal-nourished, while 3 per cent. have minor
degrees of deformities, such as Spinal Curvature, Rickets,
Flat Feet, etc. When we turn to the Medical Clinic
figures we find that 28 per cent. of the children attend because
of Nose and Throat conditions, 13 per cent. for diseases
of the Lungs, while 19 per cent. have diseases of
the skin.
Scheme for Treatment, etc., of Defects Discovered.
Having discovered a defect in a child it becomes first
necessary to see that the defect receives adequate treatment,
and next to discover, where possible, the cause of the defect,
in order that steps of prevention may be taken. This
is a difficult task, and one not always successful. Much is
done by other public services outside the School Medical
Service, and is not reported on here. The talks to the
mothers, the home visiting of the child by the school
nurse, and the voluntary workers of the Care Committee,
all play their part in the scheme. The fact that 34
children were sent for couyalesence to convalescent homes,
that 865 children receive each day at school half a pint of
milk, contributes towards the prevention of malnutrition.
The teaching of cleanliness, proper dietary, regular habits,
and adequate exercise and sleep are important factors in
the prevention of disease. But here and there we meet our
failures; we still have the parents who do not want advice,
who declare that what was good enough for their parents
is good enough for the present day child, and we still have
"the neighbour" who though unable to manage her own
household is so ready to advise on other people's children.