Volume 1

Health lectures for the people.

Date:
1883-1892
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Health lectures for the people. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    740/896 (page 52)
    VI. Have you observed any evil consequences from these games not included in the above questions 1 VII. Have you observed any change in the health of previously delicate boys which may be fairly attributed to athletic games or exercises ? VIII. Can you classify the admittedly delicate boys who have come under your notice as (I) those beneficially, (2) those in- juriously affected by the exercises and games in question? IX. Have you ever observed any immunity from epidemics among the boys who are specially engaged in athletic ex- ercises ? X. Is there any other point which you think it important to mention in relation to this subject 1 After each question a space for the answer was left, and with each schedule a printed letter was enclosed explaining the reasons for making the enquiry. About eighty of these were sent out in all, and I have received altogether nearly forty replies. Some were merely to state that being day schools no returns could be given. Thirty gave answers more or less complete to the questions asked in the schedule, and a large number not only filled up the schedules, but sent me long letters besides. In one or two cases of the largest schools the medical attendants sent me in addition their opinion in the form of a short report. It was one of the stipulations of my letter that no names should be published, but I may, however, be allowed to say that among those who have answered are in- cluded the chief public and private schools in England and Scot- land, and I should like to take this opportunity of thanking very heartily, although only in a general way, those who have so kindly aided me in this enquiry. What I propose to do is to give you the chief replies to each of these questions, taken one by one, and then after indicating the general conclusions to which they point, to introduce any other aspects of the question which may seem to be of importance. Statistics are proverbially untrustworthy, and I have no reason to ask you to believe that mine should be any exception to the rule. However, such as they are I lay them before you as the reply to our first question,