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alternative is to appoint a salaried full-time dentist. The recovery
of a small fee from each parent and the allotment of a
Government grant would go wholly or a long way to meeting
this expense. It is no exaggeration to say that such an
expenditure would be repaid over and over again in the
increased health and vigour of the coming generation.
Throat and Nose Conditions.—In 3 per cent. of children
adenoids were present in sufficient amount to cause
harm, and in 1.5 per cent. they urgently required removal.
The diagnosis of this condition and its harmful effects have
been fully dealt with in previous reports. The question of
the prevention is one that must be faced in the future,
although but little can be done while children under five are
not subjected to regular medical supervision. The conditions
which are usually thought to initiate the disease are:—
(1) Lack of use of the handkerchief in young children;
(2) inattention to the cleansing of the nose in infants;
both these conditions causing
(3) mouth breathing, with its attendant troubles.
(4) All these three may be traced to a chronic catarrh of
the nose, which in turn is often due to
(5) confinement in a vitiated atmosphere, especially the
air of the bedroom with closed windows.
These hints as to the causation of adenoids may appear
far-fetched, but the sequence of events is logical and clear,
and rests on a physiological basis.
Certain cases of adenoids occur in exceptionally well
cared for children, in whom no predisposing cause can be
ascertained. These cases seem to be "natural variation,"
and may possibly have some hereditary cause.