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she is consulted by them continuously ; the school-teachers, the parents, and the children throughout the district know her personally. The School Medical Officer is part of their daily life, and her advice is sought on many questions. Officers realize that their work is a family matter ; they know all the children in the family, whether at primary or secondary school, and are consulted upon them all. The same applies to the nurses in the district. Whereas if, as has been necessary during these last few years, medical officers are moved to different districts every two or three months, the same enthusiasm and interest cannot be maintained. They lose the personal contact. It must be admitted that an officer can stay too long in one district and a transfer to a new district is sometimes a fresh incentive, but it is hoped that we shall be able to obtain sufficient staff to give each behoof Medical Officer a more limited area, of which she can be ill sole charge, and to allow her to remain m that district for a reasonable time so as to permit her to carry out investigations relating to children as well as her routine duties. Nursing Staff. All school nurses except two have now come under the designation of " district nurse," and one is sorry to see the title " school nurse " disappearing. As " school nurse " this officer has performed excellent service ; she has become known throughout most districts to teachers, parents, and children as the " school nurse," and it will take some long time before it is understood that all that is changed is her name. With larger staffs the district nurse in the cities will be required to undertake more preventive work as well as to continue her school duties, which are to carry out the ordinary routine work in the schools, to earn the trust and seek the co-operation of the teachers in her own schools, to be personally known by all the pupils, and herself to know at least the more delicate and the more neglected pupils and their parents and their homes. In the country districts the use of a district nurse as school nurse is an excellent plan. It makes her work more interesting, as well as giving her an opportunity of visiting many homes which she would not do in her ordinary district work, and country people have shown their appreciation of the visits of both school and district nurses as it enables them to discuss the minor ailments of their children and the correction of such. The most important work of the district nurse or the school nurse, is the personal contact with the teachers, the children, and the parents, and unless a nurse works m the same district and has the same schools for several years on end the best results cannot be obtained. The district nurse must not have so much purely district work to do that the schools become to her a secondary consideration, for school medical work can only be satisfactorily carried out when it is possible for both the school doctor and the nurse to pay regular visits to every school. Figures relating to Work accomplished in 1938. The following summary serves to indicate the extent of work accomplished during the school period, February to December, 1938 : — Schools inspected— Of roll under 100 . . ■ ■ • • • • • • 894 Of roll 100 to 500 .. . • ■ ■ • ■ • • 38 6 Of roll over 500 .. • • • • • • • • 126 1,406 Children examined — Complete examinations .. •• •• ..73,419 Partial examinations •• •• •• ..34,137 107,556 Number of children notified as defective .. •• •• 41,890 Number of addresses to school-children Number of parents interviewed .. ■■ •• 13,505 Number of lectures or addresses to parents . . • • • • • • 102 The figures for the work of the nurses are as follows : — Number of days assisted Medical Officer in schools .. . • • • 1,820 Number of days spent in schools without Medical Officer .. .. 1,541 Number of days spent in home visiting .. .... .. 848 Number of children examined for medical schedule (H. Sch. 14) .. .. 99,453 Number of days engaged wholly in clerical work . . • . • ■ 779 Number of children re-examined after Medical Officer's inspection .. 25,946 Number of children examined by special request .. .. • • 8, 259 Number of visits to homes in— Large towns .. .. • • ■ • • • .. 8,969 Small country towns .. .. ■ ■ • • .. 1,570 Scattered districts .. .. •• •• •• 1,481 12,020 Number of children taken personally to hospital, &c. .. .. .. 319 Number of children taken personally to dental clinic .. .. • • 26 Number of health talks given .. .. • ■ • • • • 1 >558

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