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74
It may be suggested that local medical practitioners can
be employed for this work; there are, however, many drawbacks
to this. The demands of a general practice may at any
time require their attendance, and further, for practitioners to
examine the children of other medical men's patients would
lead to friction, and this should, if possible, be avoided. I
think also the employment of one or two full time officers will
be less expensive than a number of part time practitioners.
The employment of one or more School Nurses I consider
to be of the highest importance, if this work is to have any
•practical value. The mere compilation of a mass of statistics
should not be the object in view ; the chief aim must be that
the defects discovered should be explained by the Nurses to
the parents, in order that the disease or condition which either
renders the child dangerous to its fellows, or prevents it
obtaining full benefit from the teaching provided, may be
remedied. By this means, as the Memorandum states, " the
increased work undertaken by the state for the individual will
mean that the parents will not have to do less for themselves
and their children, but more. And if rightly administered the
new Act is economical in the best sense of the word. Its
justification is not to be measured in terms of money, but in
decrease of sickness and incapacity among children, and in the
ultimate decrease of inefficiency and poverty in after life,
arising from physical disabilities."
The expense of working the Act as outlined above and on
the lines of the Report to the Sub-Committee will, I think,
including all necessary equipment, be easily covered by a ½d.
Rate. In view of the great benefit which must ensue, this
amount cannot well be considered an excessive expenditure.
(Signed),
G. Sowden, M.D., D.P.H.,
Medical Officer of Health and Medical Officer
to the Education Committee.