THE PHYSICAL EXAMINATION 21 



Common Faults Common Causes 



4. Shoulders at unequal Generally a sign of spinal 

 heights, twisting of the body curvature, which may be 

 or abnormal bending of the brought on by continued bad 

 spine. posture, or may be the result 



of a much more serious cause. 



5. Flat-foot. May be brought on by 



muscular weakness or by badly 

 fitting or badly shaped shoes. 



Procedure 



When any of these faults appear, there should 

 be a prompt and expert examination, and the 

 actual cause determined. It is quite useless, as 

 well as unreasonable, to blame a child for taking 

 a bad posture, for not "sitting up straight," for 

 instance, when the bad position is caused by a 

 physical defect. In all cases, the child's parents 

 should be notified and persuaded to assist in 

 remedial measures. 



Facial Characteristics \ 



It is only by putting together a great number 

 of indications and signs that one is able to 

 approach a reliable physical diagnosis. Char- 

 acteristics noted in a child's posture or carriage 

 may seem to indicate certain conditions, but by 

 no means can they be relied upon in themselves. 

 They must be considered in connection with other 

 signs, and even then too great caution cannot be 



