View report page

5
To the Chairman and Members of the
Edmonton Education Committee.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
The Report of the work carried out by the School Medical Service for the
year 1924 is not bound with the Report of the Medical Officer of Health as in
previous years, but is issued separately. The main reason for this is due to the
fact that the latter Report must necessarily be delayed as certain figures given
by the Registrar-General have to be incorporated in the latter, and these
figures have in the past come to hand about the last week in March.
This will enable the necessary copies to be furnished to the Board of
Education before April 1st—a point on which is laid great importance—and
also the Report being in the hands of the Members of this Committee soon
after the year in question, will probably be of greater interest.
It is with regret that I mention the loss which this Committee has
sustained in the death of Dr. R. H. Strong, the Assistant School Medical
Officer, who has occupied this post for over nine years. His previous wide
experience in general practice fitted him well for its duties; his co-workers
found in him a pleasant colleague and his little patients a real friend.
GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS.
The work of the School Medical Service embraces several activities, all
working to one end, namely:—the health of the school child. Generally
speaking, these activities may be classified under two headings :—(1) supervision,
extending to each individual child and the detection of defects or of those
conditions likely to lead to defects; and (2) the treatment and amelioration of
these defects and conditions.
This work is a branch of Preventive Medicine which differs in its
conception from that of the older term (Public Health), inasmuch as the
individual as one of a group is considered as well as the environment. I need
only mention the work carried out by various authorities:—for the nursing and
pregnant mother; the child under five years; the person afflicted with
consumption or venereal disease to illustrate my meaning. Incidentally, it
sometimes appears as if the environment might possibly be neglected for the
more fascinating work of looking after the individual.