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The category "Theatrical children" means children who have been selected
by theatre managements to appear on stage, usually as part of a chorus.
RE-INSPECTIONS
In addition to selective, routine and non-routine medical examinations,
nearly 3,800 children were seen again by the school doctor 3 to 12 months
later in order to check on some defect noted on a previous occasion.
VISION TESTING
The plans to introduce vision testing at the age of 5 years were put into
effect during the year, using the Sheridan-Gardiner method, which relies on
the matching of seven carefully chosen letters of the alphabet. It proved
generally acceptable and reliable in use. It's main advantage, of course, is
that it selects at an earlier age those children who need further investigation
of their eyesight and, in many cases, the provision of glasses.
NURSING STAFF
Nursing staff in the School Health Service comprises 10 full-time and 8
part-time nurses. Their duties include working in ordinary or special schools,
in various clinics and treatment centres or in various combinations of these.
Two nurses have special additional duties in testing the hearing of school
children by audiometry.
INFECTIOUS DISEASES IN SCHOOLS
Fortunately, and for the second consecutive year, there was no
significant outbreak of dysentery in the Borough's schools. Most of the
credit for this state of affairs must go to the efforts of teaching staff in
encouraging children to wash their hands after using the lavatory and
observing the early signs of an upset stomach, and to the Borough's general
practitioners for ensuring that children are not allowed back to school
before they are fully recovered.
While in hospital for treatment of ear disease, a teacher in a local
primary school was found to be suffering from tuberculosis. The pupils in her
class were given a skin test and, where necessary, a chest X-ray. Other
members of the staff were encouraged to have a chest X-ray. Fortunately,
these tests all proved negative.
The programme of B.C.G. vaccination of 13 year-old children against
tuberculosis continued during the year, and the work is now shared between 2
medical officers who have received the necessary training.
Occasional cases of jaundice occurred in the Borough's schools during the
year. One case was a 15 year-old boy who had just returned from a long holiday
with relatives in Germany. From information received from his parents there
was raised the possibility that while in Germany, he might have been in contact
with cases of "monkey disease" (a potentially serious disease in laboratory
workers who handled the tissues of a certain type of monkey). After lengthy
investigations-and full press coverage-it was finally established that he
and his younger sister had suffered from infectious hepatitis, from which they
both made a full recovery.
HEALTH SURVEYS
The school nurse makes regular health surveys at her schools. They
may be comprehensive, in which case all the children in a class are inspected;
or selective, when only a smaller number of selected children are seen. At
all surveys, the cleanliness of the head and other aspects of the child
such as squint, ear discharge, nutritional state, etc., are looked at, and,
where necessary, the child is referred for further investigation or treatment.