View report page

71
APPENDIX A.
REPORT BY DR. A. H.G. BURTON (SCHOOL
MEDICAL INSPECTOR),
On the Condition of the School Children as Revealed by
Medical Inspection.
Clothing.—This may be defective in cleanliness,
sufficiency, or suitability. There is no question that, on the
whole, Ilford children are well clad. As has been mentioned
in previous reports, an effort is usually made to obtain
clean underclothing for the Doctor's visit, in some cases so
recently procured that the price-tickets remain attached.
Casual visits to the schools, however, do not reveal any
great variation in the clothing. It has been necessary in
some cases to point out that excessive clothing may be
deleterious. In one case, for instance, there was small
wonder that a child suffered from chills when he was seen
to divest himself of a coat, waistcoat, two jerseys, flannel
shirt, combinations, under-vest, and chest protector.
The fact that 8% of the children were considered to
have unsatisfactory clothing indicates the high standard
adopted, but in only one case was the clothing so defective
as to require the case following up by the School Nurse.
The principal defects found in children's clothing have
been mentioned in previous reports.
Footgear.—The footgear was considered unsatisfactory
in 10% of the children examined, and in two cases the
defect was so bad as to necessitate a notice being sent to
the parent and the cases followed up by the School Nurse.
Most of the cases found were due to lack of care in either
the choice or repair of boots; in not a few children the foot
is made to fit the boot rather than the contrary, the result
being too frequently seen at the school clinic in inflamed
and deformed feet.