[Report 1935] / School Medical Officer of Health, Cheshire County Council.

  • Cheshire (England). County Council.
Date:
1935
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1935] / School Medical Officer of Health, Cheshire County Council. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    10/44 (page 10)
    Co-operation of Teachers. 1 would again draw particular attention to the very loyal co-operation of the teachers. The success of the School Medical Service is due in a great measure to the invaluable help of the teaching staff wUo are always most willing to facilitate the work of medical inspecfion. Consultations between the Assistant School Medical Officer and Teacher over cases where parents have been neglectful in carrying out previous instructions invariably end in satisfying results being obtained from the advice given. Such help is invaluable. Uncleanliness. In the course of the year the Health Visitors made 174,569 inspections for this condition, visiting each school on the average six times. The number found to be unclean was 2,801 or 1.5 per cent. Although this is a condition which has improved with rapid strides during the past few years there is still room for improvement. The fact that certain schools in the County return 100 per cent, cleanliness shows that this can be achieved and is the ideal which should be aimed at in all schools. The interest of the Head Teacher in this matter makes a great difference to the results obtained. Vaccination. During the 3'ear a census of the number of children found to be vaccinated at routine medical inspection was taken and it was found that under 50 per cent, were vaccinated. Malnutrition and Undernourishment. In the report for 1934 reference was made to the subject of malnutrition, when from available statistics it was generally considered that the main contributory factors in cases which had been noted were improper feeding, fault}' habits of hygiene and insufficient rest and not poverty and destitution. During the year under review a special census was made throughout all schools in the county and out of a total of 18,435 children examined only 82, or .44 per cent , were found to be malnourished. Dr. Thomas, Assistant School Medical Officer for the Wirral District, reporting on conditions in her Area, writes as follows:— No case of “bad” nutrition was found among those children in the “slightly subnormal” group. The parents