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93
SPEECH DEFECTS.
Eighty-four children were found to have defects of speech. Many of
them suffered simply from defects due to habit and home associations,
which are remedied in the normal course of school work ; those with
stutter were shown how to overcome their difficulty, and the teachers'
attention was drawn to the necessity of breathing exercises and patience
in dealing with these children.
A boy aged 11 years, with considerable stammer, assured me that his
disability of three years' standing was entirely due to the impatience of
his class teacher! This is possible, but it must be a very rare occurrence.
MENTAL CONDITION.
One hundred and twenty-nine of the 6,432 children inspected were
returned as being of mental capacity below the average, 1,391 as
bright, the remainder average.
All children who in the judgment of the teachers are incapable
of receiving benefit from the instruction given in the ordinary schools
are referred to me.
During the year 50 such children were examined, and 17 of them
certified as coming under the Defective and Epileptic Act of 1899.
They were transferred to the Special School.
HEART DISEASE.
The percentage of children with serious heart disease was very small.
Seven hundred and fifty-three were suffering from cardiac weakness,
which was mainly the result of debility or general weakness. The
association of enlarged tonsils and unhealthy conditions of fauces with
cardiac symptoms was looked on as due to rheumatism, and the parents
were advised accordingly.
Rheumatism in children is quite a common affection, but parents
seldom look upon pains in the limbs as other than "growing pains."
No greater mistake can be made by those having the care of children.
PHTHISIS
Thirty-nine children were found to have symptoms indicative of
this disease; but it is not always easy to make a correct diagnosis.
The majority of the children were under observation by their own
doctors, or at the Hospitals, and when expectoration was present—which
was very uncommon—a bacteriological examination was made. Unless
a positive diagnosis was made, children were not excluded, but general
and printed instructions were given to the parents.
All the children will be visited at their homes during the holidays
by the School Nurse, and those of them with wasting, cough, or expectoration,
will be re-examined.