MID-MORNING LUNCH IN RURAL SCHOOLS 11 



in school A and all in schools C and D were made by the other. It is rather 

 unfortunate that the examinations were not all made by the same doctor, for 

 while the work of each was carefully done and entirely satisfactory, the personal 

 equation is such a large factor that the records of the two are not altogether 

 comparable. The necessity of using great care in choosing a physician for such 

 work was brought out quite strikingly when the records were evaluated. Although 

 both had had much experience in examining children and in well-child clinics 

 before beginning the work of this investigation, each succeeding examination 

 during the first year had obviously been made with greater discrimination, so 

 that the first year has necessarily been treated as a preliminary study. If this 

 were true of physicians who had worked with both well and sick children, how 

 much more should it be expected at first of a general practitioner who has had 

 little professional contact e.xcept with sick children. 



Dental Examinations 



Dental examinations were made twice each >ear, in September and June, by a 

 well-trained dental hygienist. The general condition of the mouth and gums, 

 the numbers of permanent and deciduous teeth, and the number of pits, fissures 

 and caries were noted. The examinations were made by use of a mirror and a 

 sharp dental explorer or probe, with the child facing a window so that daylight 

 rather than artificial light was used. It did not seem possible under these cir- 

 cumstances to obtain accurate records of the size of the caries or the hardness 

 of the dentine, which might have indicated whether the caries were active or 

 had been arrested during the experimental period. Unfortunately the same 

 hygienist was not able to continue throughout the study so that the personal 

 equation is a possible factor in the variation of results for the first two years. 

 For this reason results are given from the analysis of the data of the last two 

 years only. 



Weights and Measures 



Insofar as possible the children were weighed and measured at the time of 

 the medical examinations in September, January, and June by one of the workers 

 (O. M. or M. V. C). Unfortunately this did not seem feasible during the first 

 year (1930-31) in schools C and D, which necessitated the first measurements 

 being made after the feeding was begun and the last before it was ended. As a 

 result, a record of the total gains during that year was not obtained in either 

 school. 



All weights were net or nude weights and made with the bladder empty. The 

 child removed all his clothes and donned a weighing robe, or a track suit if he 

 were an older boy, before his weight was taken. As the weight of the robe or 

 suit was known, his net weight was easily calculated. In every instance the 

 weight was taken twice and if the two did not check repeated a third time. Weights 

 were recorded to one ounce. That the variations due to intake of food and drink 

 might be eliminated as far as possible, the January and June weights were made 

 at the same hour of the day as the September one had been, or as near this as 

 could be done. 



Heights were measured on a specially constructed stadiometer. The child 

 stood erect on the base platform with his heels, hips, shoulders, and head against 

 a broad board at the back and looking forward with his chin at right angles with 

 his body length. As the scale was double, his heght was first read in inches 

 and then in centimeters. If the two readings did not check the height was again 



