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The total number of routine medical inspections carried out during the year was 3,649. W
It has been necessary to engage extra medical assistance regularly throughout the year, and
the pressure in all other sections of School Medical Work, particularly in the School Clinics, has
continued unabated.
Disturbance of School Arrangements.
No one supposes that the ordinary school curriculum is not disorganised to some extent by
the needs of medical inspection especially where all the available accommodation is required for
educational purposes. The Head Teachers of the district, however, are to be congratulated upon
the arrangements they make under such difficult conditions, and I should like to place on record
once again my appreciation of the fact that the Inspecting Medical Officer is always made as
comfortable as circumstances permit.
5.—FINDINGS OF MEDICAL INSPECTIONS.
Minor Ailments and Diseases of the Skin.
A total of 533 cases of various skin diseases were reported during the year, and with the
exception of 7 cases, all were referred for treatment. As usual, impetigo was the commonest
disease. Table II shows that there were 200 cases of "other skin disease"; these include such
conditions as eczema, alopecia, seborrhoea, warts, etc.
Visual Defects and External Eye Disease.
Routine medical inspections revealed 203 cases of defective vision, 181 being referred for
treatment. Eight cases of squint were also discovered, 6 being referred for treatment.
At the Special Clinics, 100 cases of defective vision and 9 of squint were referred for treatment.
Sixteen cases of minor disease of the eye were discovered at routine medical inspections,
and 232 cases were discovered at the Special Clinics.
Nose and Throat Defects.
Five hundred and eighty six children were found to be suffering from chronic tonsillitis,
and of these 406 were referred for operation.
Thirteen children had Adenoids only, 10 being referred for treatment and 3 for observation.
In a further 211 cases both conditions were present, 95 children being referred for operation
and 116 for observation.
Ear Disease and Defective Hearing.
Amongst children examined at the routine medical inspections, 31 cases of defective
hearing were found, 14 of these being referred for treatment.
Special examinations at the Clinics account for 49 cases of defective hearing, and 215 cases
of ear disease.
Dental Defects.
A total of 7,651 children were found requiring treatment at routine dental inspections
in the schools. Table IV., Group V, on page 35 gives further statistics in this connection.
Orthopaedic and Postural Defects.
Thirty-eight cases of deformity of varying degrees were discovered by inspections at the
schools and at the Special Clinics.
Heart Disease and Rheumatism.
Twenty-seven cases of heart trouble were found during the year to need treatment, whilst
72 cases were marked for observation.
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