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83
the schools. This can, of course, be met by increasing the
number of inspections at each session, but it is found
where parents are so regular in attendance at these
inspections that it is not practicable without loss of
efficiency in the examination, to increase the number
called up for inspection beyond 20 per session. 1 here
has been 35 per cent. increase in the number of medical
inspection sessions compared with 1926.
Tables I. and II. give details of the routine medical
inspections at schools. It will there be seen that of the
1,482 individual children examined at school, 22.8 per
cent. shewed evidence of defects requiring treatment;
the age group shewing the greatest percentage being
the intermediate group with 24.5 per cent. defects. The
main defects which cause this percentage were found
to be defective vision 4.6 per cent.; enlarged tonsils
and adenoids 7 per cent.; malnutrition 1.5 per cent.;
deformities 5.2 per cent.; and non-tubercular lung
disease 2 per cent. These are still somewhat formidable
figures and they would be further increased if one
took into consideration those defects not necessarily
requiring treatment, but requiring observation.
Special Medical Inspection.
As all children found with defects are referred to
the Clinic, or their own doctor, the statistics included
under Table II. will give a clearer picture of the defects
among school children in Bromley. During 1932, 2,348
individual children made an attendance at the Medical
Clinics. Of these children: —
7.5 per cent. required treatment for skin disease.
6.0 ,, ,, ,, ,, eye
5.0 ,, ,, „ ,, ear
24.0 ,, ,, ,, ,, nose and
throat disease (of whom 13 per cent.
were enlarged tonsils and adenoids).
15.0 per cent. required treatment for lung disease.
The medical inspection is now recognised by the
parent as a means of receiving expert advice and direction
on the medical condition of their child. They have
passed the stage of believing a doctor's service is