THE NEW SOUTH WALES CHILD.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 3097, 21 January 1909, Page 4

THE NEW SOUTH WALES CHILD.

Two years ago a start was made with the medical inspection of school children in New South Wales, and the Minister for Public Instruction has now issued a report of great value on the physical condition of the childi-en of the State. Under the New South Wales system of inspection, the doctor pays an annual visit to schools, and determines whether pupils are suffering from any complaint requiring attention. If

they are, the parents are advised of the fact, and recommended to consult the family doctor. This has been followed up by "plain health talks" to parents, with beneficial results. The growth of the' New South Wales boy is rapid in infancy, slows down from four years to eight, is slower still from eight to thirteen, with a marked retardation from ten to twelve, and is accelerated from thirteen to sixteen. The girl shows steady gruwth from seven' to eleven without retardation, and accelerated growth from eleven to thirteen. The | average Sydney girl practically ceases growing after her sixteenth year, while the boy goes on growing until his eighteenth or nineteenth year. In a comparison with the children -of other countries, the New South Wales child comes out well. Figures for 20,000 London children taken in 1906 show that the Londoner is much below the colonial in height and weight. It would be very interesting to have similar observations taken all over the Empire, and comparisons made between the children of the different parts. Such data would throw a good deal of light on the vexed question of race deterioration.