"Only the Entrant Group was inspected this includes children of all ages, the majority of entrants in the Anglo-Chinese schools are in the lowest class, where age must be under 13, but entrants come also to other classes, at a higher age. In the British schools, entrants may have been at other schools abroad so that here also, the "Entrant Group" is of no definite age as it is in England.
"Specials" have usually been seen with the Entrants, and have been counted with them. Full advantage is not yet taken by the teachers of the school medical service, and many teachers do not yet note the defects that are outstanding in members of their classes. Vision defects are usually noted.
Re-inspection of children found defective.
A larger percentage than formerly of the children inspected have been found defective. This is partly due to slightly different methods employed this year. In former years neither a small 'fixed defect' such as a deflected nasal septum, nor a transitory defect such as nasal catarrh in damp weather, were counted; stress being laid on the more remediable defects. One defect, such as decaying teeth, is likely to be accompanied by others, such as enlarged tonsils, growth of adenoids, mouth breathing, enlarged neck glands, and subnormal lung development, but in recent cases, remedy of the outstanding defect—in this case, dental treatment, will certainly improve, if not entirely cure, the accompanying conditions. It is therefore often a matter of "personal equation" whether such a case be noted as "defect—1—dental" or "defects—6—tonsils, adenoids, glands, etc." This alters numbers very considerably.
Vision defect still stands out, as in former years. This is the only defect for which satisfactory treatment is given, Dr. Morrison making refractional and retinoscopic examinations of all children found to be defective, in Anglo-Chinese schools.
The figures of Dr. Morrison's clinic have been
Cases seen Provided with glass Year 258 215 1926 215 169 1927 225 192 1928Possibly myopia accounts for over 75% of the total defect. The Chinese as a race have a tendency towards myopia; research on the earliest ages at which it is found is much needed. This could be done only in Vernacular Schools, where children enter before learning to read. Most of our "entrants" have already spent from 3 to 7 years on Chinese reading and writing.