HEALTH IN SCHOOLS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXV, Issue 16559, 25 May 1914, Page 8

HEALTH IN SCHOOLS.

THE POSITION IN CANTERBURY.

DR BAKER’S CAMPAIGN

Dr Eleanor Baker, the medical officer who is engaged on an inspection of the public schools in the Canterbury and West Coast districts, arrived in Christchurch on Saturday from tho West Coast. She has only been in Canterbury for about two months, but she has completed the whole of South Canterbury, AVeetland and Grey, in addition to Banks Peninsula, Kaikourn and one or two other places up the line, notably Kaiapoi, Amberley, Doyleston. Soutlibridge arid so on. She has,not commenced the Christchurch suburbs yet, but will confer with the Education Board ns to her immediate programme. AIALNCTRITION CASES.

Dr Baker was asked if her experience in Canterbury supported the startling disclosures made in the report on nineteen AVellington schools, published on Saturday. She said that in her experience the cases of malnutrition did not reach 50 per cent. It had to be remembered that Dr Gunn’s figures from AVellington included “specials” as well as the average children. These specials were children picked out by the inspector, the teachers, or occasionally by their parents, as requiring medical advice, and they very much increased the startling percentage. Personally, she divided nutrition into four classes — good, normal, sub-normal and bad. Even including sub-normal with bad, the percentage did not reach anywhere near 50. Malnutrition was obviously higher in girls than in boys..

COMMON CAUSES. What was malnutrition due to? Sometimes to unsuitable food, very j often to bad teeth, and only very occn- j sionally to a shortage of food. Some children, also, were born delicate. These were often the worst cases, and the reason was not an easy matter always to ascertain, even where it was possible to secure a knowledge of the home conditions. A child suffering from chronic obstruction in breathing often showed malnutrition. Unsuitable food in babyhood, and -consequent imperfect early development, often imposed a handieap for life. The best single guide to a child’s health was its height and weight, compared with normal standards for the same age. If a child was up to the normal weight or above it, any defects it might have would not in general seriously interfere with its development. ACTUAL DEFECTS. Dr Baker was asked what the actual percentage of defects amounted to, and, referring to her South Canterbury papers, she produced the figures for standards 11. and 111., dealing with children averaging nine and a half j years of age. These, which do not include special cases, were as fol-

Thero were six doubtful cases of tuberculosis and three of respiratory disease. There were 192 cases unvaccinated. “ SPECIALS)” Dr Baker had other figures dealing with the special cases. She laughingly remarked that occasionally anxious parents brought children as “specials” who had notlimg whatever wrong with them, and the percentage with no defects was higher than in the ave’-ego class. However, the “specials” sent tho average up in other respects. A few figures were quoted:— Number examined . .... 153 Defects other than dental , , . 135 Defective teeth . . • > . 112 , Obstructed breathing . , . . 80; Defective hearing . , ■ , . 25 i Backward 14 j In considering dental defects, Dr Baker said, it was the rule to regard | every child showing even one carious tooth as showing defective teeth. . CONSUMPTION RARE. The almost negligible number of tuberculous cases was the subject of the interviewer’s query. “ 1 am amazed,” said Dr Baker, to find so little tuberculosis amongst the children I have examined so far, and I attribute it to the education of the parents in the best means to prevent its spread. There is no doubt that tuberculosis has beeii much reduced already, and with further education of the public, and more facilities for the treatment of early cases and the care of contacts, it ought to he possible to eradicate tuberculosis altogether. THE GREATEST NEED. Dr Baker said in conclusion that the most urgent matter to her mind was the state of the children’s teeth. Enlarged tonsils and adenoids were also very common, and were often left untreated in the hope that the child would grow out of them, until too late to net the full benefit from any operative treatment. In any case much benefit of the operation for tonsihtis was lost unless a course of after-treat-ment, chiefly deep-breathing exercises, was consistently carried out. NON-VACCINATION HIGH. I)r Baker was asked if she regarded non-vaccination as a defect. _ Oh no ” she said, “ but it is an interesting fact, especially in view of the recent epidemic of smallpox, winch would not have been so extensive had vaccination been consistently cairied out. the school inspection. defects discovered but not REMEDIED. [From Our Correspondent.] AVELLINGTON, May 23. The medical inspection of children in State primary schools has been in operation sufficiently long to make the reports now in preparation by the Mucation Department particularly valuable and interesting. There were early indications of the prevalence ol adenoids among school children to an astonishing extent, and tho need ior dental treatment was found by tho medical inspectors to l>o fairly general. AViien the 'results are presented concisely to the public in formal reports and statistics the system really goes no further. Parents are informed of (be physical defects discovered in their children but the State has not gone the length of making sure that these defects are remedied. Tho correspondent of tho ct Lyttelton Times” hud an interview with the Minister of Education to-day on this important subject. The Hon James Allen frankly admitted that, the State having started the medical examination svstom could not stop there, but the matter was difficult and delicate to handle. “The responsibility is, of course, upon the parents to see that their children are as healthy as possible,” remarked the Minister, “and wo must do nothing to destroy that sense of parental responsibility, but if there are cases where the parent is unable to do what is needed, then it may bo tho duty of the State to see. to the matter. But this action can only ho taken with .the greatest of caution. Tt is a right and propei; tiling for narents to' make sacrifices for their

children, and most parents willingly do it. There are some Mho cannot, and these ought to bo helped. Something must ho done. We cannot stop at simple inspection and reporting.” The Minister mentioned with satisfaction the outdoor dental treatment provided by Hospital Boards iri the principal cities, and by tbe Dental School in Duuedin. Tliis was assisting to meet the need in regard to school children, but it could not completely fill it. The matter, in his opinion, was mainly one of expense. He doubted if further legislation was necessary in connection with the system of medical inspection' in order to make it thoroughly complete. TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —The startling disclosures shown in Dr Elizabeth Gunn’s medical report on the schools in the Wellington district point to the need for similar reports in other centres. It is very gratifying to knon- that some steps have been taken to deal with some of tho defects, but still a great deal remains to be done to prevent the continuance of such a lamentable state of affairs. Over 25 per cent of the children were reported to have defective teeth, another 25 per cent trouble with throat, ear and eye defects. Unless these defects receive earlv attention we can easily imagine the‘deterioration of the race that will result. Regarding the malnutrition, evidence of which M’as noticeable in over 6i per cent of those examined, I think the individual cases should be taken in hand and the parents waited on, a course which would be sure to minimise this evil. The suggestion that hints should be given to parents as to the nature of food suitable for children is a. good one and would, I feel sure, be appreciated by many mothers if given in a spirit of helpfulness. In ninny cases that have come under my own notice, ignorance is not altogether the cause of the neglect, but culpable indifference. Where parents, especially the mothers, are addicted to strong drink, the children suffer to a greater extent than is generally known. —I am, etc., •PARENT.

lows:— Number examined , . 340 With defects . 81G Defects other than dental , 273 Defective teeth 279 Enlarged glands . 231 Mal-nutrition—Sub-normal • 05 Bad . 14 Obstructed breathing . . 115 Skin disoase \ . 7 External eye disease, including strains-, mus and ptosis . .' . 5 Defective vision . . 40 Defective hearing . . . 21 Mental defect . . . 8 Curvature (most slight) . 43 Flat chest . . . . 17 Pigeon breast . . . 9 Stooped shoulders . 24 Othor diseasos • 12