PHYSICAL EXAMINATIONS 



The methods described for making tests of vision and hearing 

 in Massachusetts are typical of the best practice in other states. 

 The practicability of having these tests made by teachers has been 

 abundantly demonstrated by extensive experience, and in many 

 localities this work has been the opening wedge for the establish- 

 ment of complete systems of medical inspection. 



According to the investigation, tests of vision and hearing 

 were in 1911 established features in the schools of 552 municipali- 

 ties. Moreover, 349 of these cities had begun the work without 

 legal requirement, for they are located in states which had not 

 made legal provision for these tests. The distribution of the 552 

 municipalities and of 258 others in which vision and hearing 

 tests are made by physicians is as follows: 



TABLE 15. VISION AND HEARING TESTS CONDUCTED BY PHYSICIANS 

 AND TEACHERS IN AMERICAN CITIES, BY GROUPS OF STATES. 



I9II 



Data are available giving the results of vision and hearing 

 tests in Massachusetts for the years 1907-10 inclusive. Similar 

 data for Connecticut and Maine for the years 1908 and 1911 

 respectively are also matters of record. In brief summary form, 

 results from these three states are as shown in Table 16. 



The figures for Massachusetts show a constant and somewhat 

 rapid falling off in the percentage of children reported each year 

 as having defective vision and hearing. Just what has caused this 

 falling off is difficult to determine, and indeed, has not been 

 satisfactorily explained by the educational authorities of the state. 

 Whatever the cause may be, the more important lesson of the table 



