HEALTH OF PUPILS.

Waipa Post, Volume XX, Issue 1128, 13 August 1921, Page 5

HEALTH OF PUPILS.

DOCTOR AT THE SCHOOL. ,

WEAK BONE AND WHITE BREAD.

The ordeal of the medical inspection of the pupils at the Te Awamutu State school lias been proceeding during the last two days, reaching its completion yesterday afternoon. The inspection has been carried out by Dr Henderson, assisted by Nurse Comrie, of the Department of Health. The doctor paid special attention to the infants and standard two, while the rest of the scholars were examined in a more general way. On the whole the standard of health was discovered to be very good,, but among the infants there was a ariiount of minor chest deformity, the result of soft bone formation in the tender years of the child’s life prior to school age. Dr Henderson considers this can quite possibly be attributed to the use of bread, etc!, made of white flour, and he strongly advises a greater use of brown ' (wholemeal) bread, which contains more of that kind of nourishment which is required for the growing bone. He advocates the use of oatmeal, which itself is a whole meal.

The special squad for corrective drill was examined, and an improvement was noticed in all the cases. The prizes promised by the doctor for those showing the greatest improvement were won by Edgar Aked, Marian West, and Ivy Coggins. At the close of the inspection the older children were given a short talk on the subject of health, during which Dr Henderson advocated greater use of gymnastic apparatus, such .as the Roman rings, the horizontal pole, and the ladder as a means of developing chest capacity and preventing spinal troubles.

A few of the high school pupils were also examined at .special request, The arrangements for the inspection were made by Mr S. Walker (headmaster), and were found very satisfactory. Dr Henderson expressed himself as specially pleased with the fact that the cocoa lunch had become an established institution. Beside furnishing excellent nutriment for the children, the partaking of cocoa made lunch more leisurely, and this aided digestion, while by supplying liquid it prevented the .waste that often occurred when the meal consisted only of dry sandwiches, etc.