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Mouth —Deformity of jaw or palate .. . . . . . . 11-26 Dental caries . . .. .. .. .. .. 61-50 Extractions of permanent teeth .. .. .. .. 8-25 Fillings .. .. . . . . .. 30-34 Perfect sets of teeth .. . . .. . . . . 2-72 Obstructed conditions of nose and throat .. .. . . . . 21-80 Enlarged cervical glands .. .. .. .. .. 9-83 Goitre—All degrees .. .. .. .. .. .. 24-157 Incipient .. .. .. .. .. .. 18-55 Small . . . . . . .. . . .. 5-32 Medium .. .. .. .. .. .. 0-28 Large .. . . .. .. .. . . 0-007 Eye —External eye-disease . . .. .. .. .. 1-48 Defective vision—Total .. .. .. .. .. 4-26 Corrected .. .. .. . . 1-72 Uncorrected .. .. .. .. 2-54 Ear —Middle-ear disease . . . . .. . . .. 0-37 Defective hearing .. .. .. .. .. 0-40 Defective speech .. .. . . . . . . . . 0-57 Mental —Feeble-mindedness . . .. .. .. .. 0-09 Imbecility Epilepsy .. . . . . .. .. .. .. 0-01 Tuberculosis . . . . .. . . .. .. .. 0-02 The routine work of school medical inspection for the year 1925 was considerably interfered with by the epidemic of infantile paralysis, which necessitated the closing of the schools from the Christmas vacation until the middle of April. During this period School Medical Officers gave assistance to the Medical Officers of Health in enforcing measures taken to control the spread of the epidemic. Dr. Henderson and two school nurses gave valuable assistance in the Auckland District by taking charge of a hospital camp at Maungapohatu, necessitated by an outbreak of typhoid among the Maori population. This outbreak was successfully controlled, and no deaths occurred after the camp was established. Developments of the work which received special attention during the year were the prophylactic and curative treatment for goitre, and the immunization of school-children against diphtheria. These matters will be dealt with more fully later. The necessity of obtaining more exact information as to the physical growth and development of New Zealand school-children has been evident for some time. An arrangement was made, therefore, with the Education Department, toward the latter part of the year, by which physical measurements were taken for approximately some twenty thousand children in schools of various types throughout the country. With the object of finding the correlation of physical development with mental attainment, these observations were taken in conjunction with mental-attainment tests given by the Education Department. The data thus obtained are at present in the hands of the Government Statistician. SECTION 2.—OBSERVATIONS ON THE FINDINGS OF SCHOOL MEDICAL OFFICERS. Cleanliness of Children. —There is without doubt each year a higher standard of cleanliness among school-children. Gross uncleanliness is now comparatively rare, and confined to a few families, who are often a source of despair to the school nurse. Pediculosis in many schools is non-existent, and each year shows a smaller percentage of children thus affected. This year's returns show 1-42 per cent, of entrant children with verminous conditions of the head, only 0-39 per cent, of Standard VI being affected. Skin-diseases : The commonest types of skin-disease in school-children are, as a rule, scabies and impetigo. Among the Maori population in certain areas scabies appears to be chronic, especially in winter months, when bathing in the sea or river is out of the question. It is difficult to get treatment carried out perseveringly and thoroughly. Ringworm : An epidemic of ringworm of the scalp gave a great deal of trouble in Christchurch, and entailed much work on the part of the School Medical Officers and nurses, necessitating as it did an individual examination of all city school-children and the elimination of infected cases. We are indebted to Dr. Allison, Dermatologist, Christchurch Hospital, for his valuable co-operation in controlling this outbreak, no child being readmitted to school until certified free from infection. Dental Caries. —Dental caries was found in 61 per cent, of Standard II children examined, only 2-72 per cent, showing perfect sets of teeth. The work of the dental clinics is evident not only in regard to conservative dentistry, but also in the greater attention paid to oral hygiene in the schools under their care. The reports of all School Medical Officers again lay stress upon the importance of correct diet in the prevention of dental caries. Excess of refined, starchy food and sweets, lack of foods necessitating vigorous mastication, scarcity of fresh fruit and vegetables in the dietary, the habit of eating between meals, are repeatedly quoted as causes of this widespread defect. In this connection it is worth noting that in New Zealand we probably hold the world's record for the consumption of sugar, the average consumption per head per annum being about 117 lb. Quite apart from the directly harmful influence of so much sweet-eating upon the teeth, it is evident that the inclusion of this excessive amount of sugar in the dietary cannot take place without causing a lack of

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