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Defects of Speech.— 1 per cent. showed various defects
of speech. Slight defects of speech, such as lisping and
baby-talk, are common amongst the younger children, but
are of no permanent importance. The cases of Stammering
and stuttering which occur amongst the older children are of
greater importance. While certain cases improve and get
better, a number persist to adolescence and adult life. For
these latter nothing except individual careful training from
an expert teacher is of avail. At present but little is done
amongst poor children for the cure of stammering. It is to
be hoped that Education Authorities may see their way in
the course of time to give the matter their attention.
Condition of the Ears.—3.4 per cent. of those
examined were found to be deaf to such an extent that their
educational progress was being retarded. In many children
an excessive amount of wax was discovered. This is a
common cause of slight deafness. Another cause is the presence
of adenoids. Continued ear discharge leads ultimately
to permanent deafness. The condition of "running ears"
was found in 1.18 per cent. of children, and many other
scholars were stated to have suffered from it in the past.
This state is most often found to be due to the presence of
adenoids, and the removal of the latter usually affords a
speedy recovery. Other cases follow an attack of scarlet
fever or measles. A certain number occur in debiiltated
children without obvious cause. In one or two instances the
discharge had a most offensive smell, so bad in fact that the
question of excluding the child from school had to Be
considered.
Diseases and Defects of the Eye.—12.10 per cent. of
boys and 10.63 Per cent. of girls examined were found to be
suffering from defective vision. The defect was considered
to be present in such degree that their capacity for education
was impaired, unless spectacles should be used or other
medical treatment should be employed. It will be noted that