[Report 1952] / School Health Service, Leicestershire County.

  • Leicestershire (England). County Council. School Health Service.
Date:
1952
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1952] / School Health Service, Leicestershire County. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    Medical Inspection. The number of children examined at the periodic medical inspections in the primary and secondary schools totalled 3,757. In addition 311 children were re-examined in connection with defects found at previous inspections. Among 742 children thus examined or re-examined 258 cases of defective vision and 581 other conditions requiring treatment were dis¬ covered. A number more were recorded as requiring to be kept under observation. Uncleanliness. The number of children found to be verminous at the cleanliness inspections by the school nurses was 144. This represents 1.9% of the children examined and is the lowest figure by approximately one half of that recorded in previous years. The fall is very encouraging and it is to be hoped that this figure will remain low in future reports. The complete eradication of verminous conditions may never be attain¬ able but at least the problem has been reduced to small proportions. No slackening of vigilance in this matter, however, can be allowed. New sources of infestation arise. In the past year several undesirable families have come into the area and measures to secure the cleanliness of the children have been needed. The need for the “special” clinic mentioned in previous reports has now largely disappeared and it has been discontinued, but it will be restored if circumstances appear to warrant it. A total of 18,546 inspections were made during the year. Diseases of the Ear, Nose and Throat. 122 children were referred for operative treatment for tonsils and adenoids during the year, 123 cases were treated during the year. 4 cases received operative treatment for ear conditions. Defective Vision and Squint. 330 children were examined at the school clinic for defective vision during the year and spectacles were prescribed in 267 cases. In 49 cases glasses were not prescribed and in 13 the present glasses were satisfatcory. There does not now appear to be any unreasonable delay in obtaining spectacles owing to supply difficulties. Arrangements are in force to notify head teachers of schools of all children for whom spectacles are prescribed. General Condition. Under this heading, children examined at the periodic medical inspec¬ tions are classified as falling into one of three groups, Good, Fair or Poor. The middle category “Fair” may be taken to represent the bulk of normal children. “Good” represents those children whose condition stands out as better than “Fair” while the “Poor” category denotes those whose condition is below what is a reasonable standard of fitness. The classification to one category or the other is made by the medical examiner after an appraisal based on all those features indicative of a child’s state of wellbeing or otherwise.
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