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235
methods of its conduction. The time is now due perhaps to
reconsider present methods and to spend less time on the healthy,
but concentrate more closely on those ascertained to be defective
in some particular and follow them through their school life by
yearly inspections. This is not possible now unless there is an
increase in medical staff. Sufficient statistical material has been
collected by the School Medical Service in England for valuable
deductions to be made, and it is suggested that a departmental
or other official committee of the Board of Education might be
able to do for the medical side what the Hadow Committee has
done for the educational if the records were analysed. Certain of
the Croydon records were examined by the London School of
Economics, and a summary of the findings is included in the
report.
School Medical Inspections have brought about a fundamental
change in the attitude of the public towards health. A
continuation of present methods is not likely to lead to any
advancement of public opinion, and there is undoubtedly a
tendency growing up for those engaged in the work to lose sight
of the general principles of the service, namely, the education of
the growing citizen in the care and maintenance of his health,
in the routine examination of large numbers of children for purely
statistical purposes. It would be a mistaken policy to abolish
routine medical inspections entirely, but there are many points in
favour of some modification thereof.
In the Board of Education's Tables for 1933 a new group of
cases was incorporated in Table IV. in respect of the treatment
of Orthopedic and Postural defects, and this has been included
again this year.
Two changes occurred in the medical staff during the year :
Dr. 0. B. Falk resigned early in the year, and her place was filled
by the appointment of Dr. A. I. McMahon; whilst the vacancy
caused by the resignation of Dr. F. W. Gavin in 1931 was filled
by Dr. J. W. Pickup.
A very complete Sanitary Survey of the Schools, which has
been in progress for two years, was completed, and a new table,
dealing with the sanitary arrangements, has been included. This
table shows interesting differences as between the schools. The
survey, however, embraced all aspects of school hygiene,