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5. FINDINGS OF MEDICAL INSPECTION.
In Table IIa (which is given in the Appendix) a list of
all defects found during medical inspection, whether routine
or non-routine, is shown. Table Ic gives the number of
individual children found at the routine medical inspections
to require treatment, excluding defects of nutrition, uncleanliness
and dental diseases.
There were 1,764 children examined at the routine
medical inspections. Two hundred and thirty-seven, or
13.43% were found to be suffering from defects (excluding
defects of nutrition, uncleanliness and dental diseases) requiring
treatment. The figures relating to the number of
defects found in the various age groups are given in Table
Ic in the Appendix.
Among the 3,187 children specially examined there were
found 1,875 defects requiring treatment and one hundred and
thirty-nine requiring to be kept under observation.
Although the character of the defects ascertained varies
somewhat from year to year, on the whole, the health of the
school children in Wimbledon showed no apparent change
as compared with 1937.
(a) Malnutrition. The question of malnutrition amongst
school children again received attention during 1938 when a
special survey was devoted to this subject. All the schools
were visited by the assistant medical officer during the survey
and the collaboration of the head teachers and class teachers
obtained.
Table IIb gives a classification of the nutrition of those
inspected in the routine age groups. Of the 1,764 children
examined as routines the nutrition was found to be bad in
two cases, or 1.13 per thousand of those inspected. The
nutrition was slightly subnormal in fifty-three children, or
30.04 per thousand of those examined as routines.
These figures are based on the lines laid down in Administrative
Memorandum No. 124 dated 31st December, 1934.
The numbers dealt with are small but the figures would appear
to indicate an improvement in the nutritional condition of the
children inspected as routines.
The following table indicates the extent of malnutrition
discovered at the routine inspections.
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