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compared with 1938. This, of course, is due to the great increase
in the school population and the addition of a considerable number
of children attending independent schools. On the other hand,
there is a large decrease in the percentage of "other inspections"
and this can be ascribed to the low incidence of cases requiring treatment,
whether it be minor or otherwise.
During the course of the year, a pure tone audiometer was
acquired and thus for the first time ever the results of the ensuing
examinations are recorded in this report. Before going into any
details of the results of our investigations, I must record my appreciation
of the way in which the staff, both medical and clerical, have
shouldered this considerable extra burden. Their keenness and
enthusiasm have been a pleasure to see and redound to their credit
greatly. 1 must here, however, issue a word of warning for it so
happened that circumstances conspired in the form of a long term
and comparatively small numbers requiring medical inspections
during the Christmas term, to enable us to undertake this task, which
only commenced in September, 1955, on such a large scale. It was
because I could foresee that this particular term presented such a
golden opportunity, which might well not be repeated for years, that
I have pressed this new service to the utmost during the last quarter
of the year and there seems no prospect of being able to produce
figures of this magnitude again in the foreseeable future.
Reverting to the figures themselves, it will be noticed that of
the 1,999 who have undergone audiometric examination, 108 failed
at the first attempt. If my mathematics are correct (which is an
admittedly rare occurrence!) this gives a percentage failure of 5.4.
On the surface this may appear a small number, but it is well to
remember that a high percentage of the time devoted to this service
has been given to the 108 and not to the 1,891 who were found to
be normal. Of the 108 who came under further investigation, many
were found to be normal when examined under more individual
and favourable circumstances. Others were found to have conditions
which could be relieved immediately, e.g., by the removal of
foreign bodies from the ear, and yet another set were found to be
suffering from catarrhal conditions necessitating more complicated
forms of treatment including such operations as removal of tonsils
and adenoids. In addition, one or two cases of children who were
suspected of being backward when they were really deaf, have been
discovered, and it has now become a routine part of the examination
of all children who are being tested for a suspected disability of
mind that they should be subjected to an audiometric survey.
A further advantage is that all children who come under this
examination are seen on an additional occasion during their school
career by the doctor and, although not of course subjected to a