DEFECTIVE PHYSIQUE.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1755, 21 May 1913, Page 5

DEFECTIVE PHYSIQUE.

CONDITION OF TOST COAST CHILDREN.

(By Telegraph—Special Correspondent.) Hokitika, May 20. Dr. Kerr Hislop,, Medical Inspector of Schools, has now completed the lnspfiction of the leading'schools in the land district. In conversation with_a "Press" representative on. Saturday, Dr. Hislop gave some interesting particulars of tho very important work £c is engaged in. He said tue scheme of examination was very thorough. The children were weighed and measured, their sight and hearing were tested; the doctors examined their throats, their necks, and tested their hearts and lungs; their chest capacity was noted; and a report upon their spine and their general physical and hygienic condition w.19 made. Ho had visited the Hokitika, Ross, Arahura, Kanieri, and Woodstock Schools, and quoted some general figures in referring to tho boys and girls in the second standard, upon which tho examiners based their calculations. In tho schools mentioned the doctor found that 70 per cent, of the children had teeth that needed attention. There were 25 per cent, of tno children affected by enlarged tonsils and adenoids. The numlrers suffering from enlarged glands of tho neck—and these swollen glands wero generally due to septic absorption from bad teeth—was,'s per cent. Indeed in oiio school all the children in Standard 2 had enlarged glands of the neck. Ho wanted to direct attention to the number of boys and girls who had postural defects, such as stooped shoulders, pigeon breasts, and narrow chests. Nearly 30 per cent, of tho children hud some of these defects, one school running so high as 57 per cent. Dr. Hislop was very much surprised to find so many children who had spinal curvature, not of course spinal diseases, but crooked backbones, which were due to lack of proper muscular development and to bad posture. There wero 17 per cent, who 'hail spinal curvature, the highest being J per cent, in one of the schools. Ihe doctoT said that many of these defects of the spine had been developed during the school life of the child. Very few of the children had defective eytsight or hear-

m lcked to mako a comparison between tho children in the schools of the Wetland districts and those of eome of tlio cities, Dr. Hislop said that such a comparison would bo difficult to make out the records, tint from a general ohservation 'ho said the teeth of. the cuildren ivere rather better in tins district, but the enlarged glands were much more numerous. He nko observed that thoie were more children in schools of tills district who had defects of physical development, such as stoop shoulders and spinal curvature, such eases were certainly much moro numerous in these parts. Dr. Hislop said that it was easy to account for the physical- defects. It coiilcl hardly be expected that the same high standard of physical culture could be attained in these parts as in the cities. Tho teachers had very few opportunities of being trained in the science of physical culture, and they could not pass on to tho children what they had not foe themselves. Tho absence of swimming baths in. most of the towns would have its bad effects. There was nothing like swimming exercises to remedy physical defects' and also to develop tho growing boys and girls fully.. The various training colleges were giving a course in physical culture, and as those teachers we're drafted into the schools many of their deficiencies would disappear and a higher standard of physical development would be reached.