[Report 1957] / Medical Officer of Health, Wallasey Local Board / U.D.C. / County Borough.

  • Wallasey (England). Local Board.
Date:
1957
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1957] / Medical Officer of Health, Wallasey Local Board / U.D.C. / County Borough. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    117/142 (page 115)
    With regard to deafness also, there has been progress. But there is still a number of unfortunate children in whom the middle ear has been damaged, usually by infection. Some of these children can never have their hearing fully restored. In our audiometric survey last year, of the 1,760 children tested, seven suffered, in at least one ear, from defective hearing of an irremediable type. Even surgery cannot help them, and those whose hearing is severely affected will have to rely on a hearing-aid. SCHOOL HEALTH SERVICE, 1957 Observations of Dr. Grant, School Medical Officer The School Health Service is primarily concerned with achieving and maintaining health, and correcting the physical and functional defects that lower the standard of health in the child, and lead to established ill-health in the adult. It is in this preventive sphere that the school medical inspections have such vast opportunities, as there are, frequently, many defects of which both parent and child may be unaware, and others that have not been properly appreciated as regards their effect on future health. The medical examination is not an end in itself—it is of value only in so far as it leads to remedial action or a healthier mode of life. To the keen and experienced School doctor there is hardly a child who is not in need of some advice, treatment or domestic rehabilitation, and it is because of this that it is so important that the parent should be present at all the routine medical inspections. Recently, I have observed a growing tendency at the school leavers’ examination for the child, either boy or girl, to persuade the parent not to attend, and this appears to be infectious. I hope the Headteachers who read this report will tell their pupils how much the school doctor appreciates and values the presence of the parents. The importance of the home environment in the child’s life should not be overlooked or minimised. The general standard of cleanliness, though much better than it used to be, is by no means high enough. The subject of cleanliness should be a basic element in Health education but it is not always accorded its full importance. More rigorous teaching should remove an obscure popular assumption that cleanliness is next to Godliness, and replace it by a practical realisation of its great importance to health. The adolescent girl is far better groomed now than she used to be— particular attention being paid to hair styles, which are usually attractive and practical—short hair still being, fortunately, fashionable and there¬ fore easier to keep clean and tidy. School uniform is almost the rule these days and looks so much nicer than the heterogeneous collection of garments which were more commonly seen a few years ago in the primary and secondary schools, and I think it fosters a sense of pride in the “old school tie”. Footwear however, is not so satisfactory and I cannot condemn too strongly the almost universal adoption of “casuals” amongst the older girls. In my opinion, this type of shoe is definitely damaging to the feet.