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Summary op Complete Examinations. European. Maori. Number of children examined .. .. .. .. 65,782 5,039 Percentage found to have defects .. .. .. 58-98 71-12 Percentage with defects other than dental .. .. 34-90 36-04 Percentage of children showing evidence of — Subnormal nutrition .. .. .. .. 4-37 5-24 Pediculosis .. .. .. .. .. 0-47 8-53 Uncleanliness .. .. .. .. .. 0-73 2-14 Skin — Impetigo .. .. .. .. .. 0-80 3-50 Scabies .. 0-35 15-30 Ringworm .. .. .. .. .. 0-12 0-18 Other skin-diseases .. .. .. .. 1-46 0-69 Heart — Organic disease .. .. .. .. 0-50 0-55 Functional disturbance .. .. .. 0-74 0-83 Respiratory disease .. .. .. .. 0-75 1-71 Total physical deformities .. .. .. .. 8-38 4-19 Mouth — Deformities of jaw or palate, including irregularity 2-81 1-10 Dental caries . . . . .. . . 33-89 54-28 Extractions of permanent teeth .. .. 6-88 5-87 Fillings 56-61 16-27 Perfect sets of teeth .. .. .. .. 4-30 16-43 Nose and throat — Nasal obstruction .. .. .. . . 2-41 1-82 Enlarged tonsils ... .. .. .. 14-86 16-45 Enlarged glands .. .. .. .. .. 5-42 4-31 Goitre — All degrees .. .. .. .. .. 13-44 4-36 Incipient .. .. .. .. .. 9-76 3-53 Small .. .. .. .. .. 3-28 0-59 Medium .. .. .. .. .. 0-36 0-22 Large .. .. .. .. •• 0-04 0-02 EyeExternal eye disease .. .. .. .. 1-39 0-91 Total defective vision .. .. .. .. 4-50 1-53 Corrected .. .. .. .. •• 2-52 0-18 Uncorrected .. .. .. .. .. 1-98 1-35 Ear — Otorrhoea .. .. .. .. •• 0-22 0-91 Defective hearing .. .. .. .. 0-29 0-40 Defective speech .. .. .. .. .. 0-56 0-08 Mental — Feeble-mindedness .. .. .. .. 0-25 0-24 Epilepsy .. • ■ • • • ■ 0-03 0-04 Other nervous defects .. .. .. .. 0-07 0-02 Tuberculosis — Total .. .. •• •• 0-03 0-97 Pulmonary .. .. .. .. . • 0-01 0-65 Other tissues .. .. .. ■ ■ 0-02 0-32 When compiling these summaries in previous years the " Percentage found to have defects " included those children who on examination were found to be suffering from such complaints as pediculosis, uncleanliness, impetigo, scabies, ringworm, and slight degrees of postural deformity and children who had had dental fillings. As most of these complaints are remediable and transient it was decided to exclude such when computing the percentage of children found to have defects. It will be noticed, therefore, that the " Percentage found to have defects " has fallen from 66-47 in 1937 to 58-98 in 1938, and that the " Percentage with defects other than dental " is 34-90, against 48-17 for 1937. It is considered that this classification gives a truer picture of the New Zealand child. The remarks of officers indicate that the health of the children generally is satisfactory. For instance Dr. Phillipps (Auckland) states : " The cleanliness of the children, both in person and clothing, is in the main extremely good. It is rare to see a child at school who is not clean and tidy. Pediculosis and scabies are more rarely met with than used to be the case ten or fifteen years ago." Dr. Eleanor McLaglan (Christchurch) remarks : " The rank and file of the children are exceptionally well, rosy, sleek, and waggish. They are mostly clean, and vermin incidence is lower than ever before." All School Medical Officers comment on the increased interest of parents in the medical examination of their children. Dr. Gilberd, Whangarei, in the course of his report, states that " the importance of interviews with parents is appreciated, and on a few occasions one has realized how often the manner in which the details of the defects from which a child is suffering are presented to the parents determines whether or not the advice given to parents is acted upon. The success of the school examination depends to a large extent on the parents, many of whom are anxious and willing to follow the advice of the School Medical Officer." From Chistchurch, Dr. Anna Lewin reports : " I noticed that in most of the schools the standard of health was good, the schools in good order, teachers and headmasters very interested in the children's health, and parents very keen to attend the medical examination."

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