70 SCIENTIFIC SURVEY OF YORK AND DISTRICT 



Medical Inspection. 



For two years before the medical inspection of school children was 

 made compulsory by Act of Parliament (1907) the York Education 

 Committee had been carrying out a voluntary scheme of medical inspec- 

 tion of their scholars, and had taken steps to lay the foundation of the 

 school medical service as it exists to-day. 



The children's health and physical welfare become, on their first ad- 

 mission to school, the concern of the school medical staff. The school 

 doctor examines every child on at least three occasions in the course of his or 

 her school career, viz. : — on first admission to school, between the ages 

 of 7 and 8 years, and, finally, on attaining the age of 12 years. Medical 

 inspection is also continued in the secondary schools. Physical defects 

 or disease found in the course of inspection are dealt with as may be 

 appropriate. Minor ailments of all kinds are treated at the school clinic, 

 which is at present housed in temporary premises in Piccadilly. It is 

 hoped that very shortly, the exact date depending upon considerations 

 of finance, fresh premises, more nearly adequate for this important 

 branch of school work, will be secured. There is a dental section, 

 opened ten years ago, which carries out this important branch of work 

 in the conservation of general health. Defects of eyesight and related 

 trouble are treated at the clinic, and where spectacles are prescribed 

 these are supplied under contract at the expense of the parents, who are 

 permitted to pay by instalments where desired. 



Comparative figures taken over a period of 20 years show that cases 

 of defective teeth were reduced from 89 per cent, to 67 per cent, of the 

 children examined, defective vision from 14 per cent, to 13 per cent., and 

 cases of ringworm of the scalp from 284 to 59. 



Feeding of Necessitous Children. 



The malnutrition of children consequent upon poverty of the parents 

 has become the concern of the Education Committee, because it was 

 found that an ill-nourished child was unable to assimilate the instruction 

 provided and that, apart from other considerations, it would be a waste 

 of the public money spent upon elementary education to attempt to 

 teach hungry children. At five meals centres in different parts of the 

 city, hot dinners prepared on the premises are provided at noon on five 

 days each week throughout the year, including school holidays. Last 

 year, over one hundred thousand free meals were served for the benefit 

 of 500 to 600 children. In the interests of child nourishment the Education 

 Committee at the beginning of 1932 inaugurated a self-supporting scheme to 

 provide pure fresh milk to the children requiring it. Under this scheme, 

 which is managed by the head teachers, sealed bottles containing one-third 

 of a pint, for which each child pays i^., are delivered to the schools every 

 morning. From a return compiled after the first three months it was 

 shown that over three thousand children were taking the milk each 

 morning. 



