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to such an extent as to require treatment or to require their
being kept under observation. During the year 1931 the percentage
was 19.8.
This figure has shown a gratifying and continuous fall from
22.0% in 1930.
Amongst the 2,588 children who attended the Health
Centre as special cases, twenty-two were found to he suffering
from dental defects which required treatment.
(j) Crippling Defects. Four cases of spinal curvature requiring
treatment were found at the routine inspections. There was
no case of deformity due to rickets requiring treatment, but three
slight cases requiring to be kept under observation. In addition,
there were a number of cases of mild deformity due to round
shoulders, that foot, etc. Twenty-three of these required treatment
and four required to be kept under observation in school.
At the special inspections at the Health Centre there were fourteen
cases of spinal curvature and one case of rickets requiring
treatment.
(k) Malnutrition. Malnutrition is not common amongst
school children in Wimbledon. 1,713 children were examined
during the year as routines and only seven were found to be
suffering from malnutrition to such an extent as to require
treatment. This gives an incidence of approximately 4.1 per
1,000 as compared with 3.6 per 1,000 for the previous year.
There has been a tendency for this figure to show a slight increase
during the past three years. In 1930 the incidence of
malnutrition amongst school children was 3 per 1,000 of those
examined in the routine way.
It is impossible to draw deductions from the small increase
in this figure. The incidence of malnutrition amongst the school
children of the whole of England and Wales for the year 1931
amounted to 11.2 per 1,000. It is thus evident that the position
in Wimbledon as compared with the rest of the country is very
favourable. There is no real evidence that the economic depression
which prevailed throughout 1932 had any obvious effect on
the nutrition of the school children in the Borough.
At the special examinations at the Health Centre, fourteen
children were found to be suffering from malnutrition requiring
treatment.
The standard of clothing and footgear continued to be very
satisfactory.
6. INFECTIOUS DISEASE
The means adopted to prevent the spread of infectious
disease amongst school children are:—
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