1904-5. | THE MEDICAL INSPECTION OF SCHOOL CHILDREN. 201 
ditions of the Public Health Act, such is to a large degree true, but re- 
construct it by adopting a system of county or district health officers in 
lieu of the very unsatisfactory one now in force, and trained medical 
officers would be employed by counties or districts to superintend and 
manage health affairs generally, devoting all their time to the duties of 
the office. With such a system in force I am satisfied the medical in- 
spection of rural schools in this province is a possibility, and the change 
can be brought about with but slight additional expense to the ratepayer. 
Having indicated the objections which may be made to the system, 
it may be of interest to briefly touch upon some of the advantages, for 
they are many and of such deep import to the individual and the state, 
that to consider them at any length would unduly extend this already 
lengthy paper. But time and opportunity may be afforded elsewhere 
for presentation of the same. Here, at least a number of the more import- 
tant will be mentioned. 
As at present the provision for the classification of children is for 
gross defects or abnormal types, such as imbeciles, idiots, epileptics, 
blind and deaf and dumb, and for those of somewhat of a criminal type 
for Industrial schools, so medical inspection will provide for the discrimina- 
tion of those mentally and physically fit as compared to those unfit from 
minor or major defects, some of which are preventable if treated im- 
mediately, but if neglected are permanent in character, scarring for 
ever the life of the individual. These defects in child-life exist now, 
but the teacher cannot be expected to discover them as the signs present 
are only to be detected by a medically trained person, and in th's man- 
ner very material assistance will be rendered to teachers generally. An 
interesting example of this fact is to be found in the Report of the Royal 
Commission on Physical Training, (Scotland), see page, 100, where it 
was found as a result of 40,000 observations, ‘‘that the large number 
of serious and minor diseases directly and indirectly affeeting mental 
and physical efficiency, constitutes an overwhelming case for a medical 
inspection of school children.”’ 
The system will enable the parents to secure for their children that 
medical treatment of which, up to the date of the medical inspection, 
they were entirely ignorant of its requirement. Further, it will secure 
to the referred pupils that attention to detail in their course of study 
which through ignorance in the past, had not been given ; the burden of 
study will be fitted to the back, whereas heretofore all backs have been 
considered equally strong. Thus school education will be made to help, 
not hinder development in later adult life, and will not overtax the child 
brain, but in like manner aid its development during this later period. 
