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The Authority must provide for the medical inspection of all
children in Public Elementary Schools as soon as possible in the
twelve months following—
(a) their first admission to Public Elementary Schools, and
(b) their attaining the age of eight years, and
(c) their attaining the age of twelve years.
Details of the system adopted are given in the Annual
Report for 1920.
During 1925 the number of visits made by the Medical
Officers to 36 different departments of 15 schools for the purposes
of routine medical inspection was 291. The number of children
examined during the year, falling within the above age groups,
totalled 4,545 (2,348 boys and 2,197 girls). In addition, a number
of children of varying ages were presented by the Head
Teachers for special medical examination, being thought by the
teachers to be suffering from some ailment. During 1925, 165
such children (70 boys and 95 girls) were examined. 1,587 reexaminations
(841 boys and 746 girls) were made at school by the
doctors, to ascertain the result of treatment of defects found in
the course of medical inspection. A total number of 6,297
examinations was made at the various schools during the year.
5. Findings of Medical Inspection.—Table II. shows the
return of defects found in the course of medical inspection.
(a) Uncleanliness.—At routine medical inspection 350 children
out of a total of 4,545 (or 7.7 per cent.) were found to have
nits or vermin in their hair, while only 6 (or .1 per cent.) were
found to be infected with body vermin. It must be remembered in
considering these figures, that a special effort is generally made
by the parents that the children, when presented for examination
by the doctor, should be in a clean condition, and a comparison
should be made with the surveys of cleanliness made by the School
Nurses, and reported on page 128,