M(1)30
It has been found impossible to do as I had hoped, to make some standard for "NORMAL" in regard to height and weight for age among the Chinese, as it is apparently impossible to get the correct age of Chinese children. No child will admit to being over 14 on entrance to school, although I found one lad fully equipped with wisdom teeth at that reputed age.
Simple hygiene is now being taught, but the older teachers have little time, and the younger, not sufficient training in the subject, to make it useful in a practical way, and the special branch of school hygiene is understood by only a very small proportion of the younger teachers. If in any way the training of teachers could be made to include more of this subject, in a practical, not theoretical, way, I feel sure that the results would be beneficial to the children.
So far as my year's experience goes, I can see no reason to suppose that the progress and results of school medical inspection and treatment here will be much different from that in Western countries. The incidence of defect, between 30 and 40 per cent of all children examined, is high, the incidence of sight defect among the Chinese particularly so. I have as yet no evidence to show this to be a Chinese racial characteristic—possibly the tendency towards short-sight may be hereditary, although this supposition is not supported by the history of parents or family sight in those cases where I have made enquiries as to history. I am sure that more attention paid in schools to desks and positions, to lighting, to size and clarity of print and writing, to needle-work, and to alternation of close and long-seeing lessons, would have a very great effect in lessening this at present outstanding defect.
E. M. MINETT,
Medical Officer for Schools.
M (1) 30
It has been found impossible to do as I had hoped, to make some standard for "NORMAL" in regard to height and weight for age among the Chinese, as it is apparently impossible to get the correct age of Chinese children. No child will admit to being over 14 on entrance to school, although I found one lad fully equipped with wisdom teeth at that reputed age.
Simple hygiene is now being taught, but the older teachers have little time, and the younger, not sufficient training in the subject, to make it useful in a practical way, and the special branch of school hygiene is understood by only a very small proportion of the younger teachers. If in any way the training of teachers could be made to include more of this subject, in a practical, not theoretical, way, I feel sure that the results would be beneficial to the children.
So far as my year's experience goes, I can see no reason to suppose that the progress and results of school medical inspection and treatment here will be inuch different from that in Western countries. The incidence of defect, between 30 and 40 per cent of all children examined, is high, the incidence of sight defect among the Chinese particularly so. I have as yet
no evidence to show this to be a Chinese racial characteristic- possibly the tendency towards short-sight may be hereditary, although this supposition is not supported by the history of parents or family sight in those cases where I have made en- quiries as to history. I am sure that more attention paid in schools to desks and positions, to lighting. to size and clarity of print and writing, to needle-work, and to alternation of close. and long-seeing lessons, would have a very great effect in lessening this at present outstanding defect.
E. M. MINETT,
Medical Officer for Schools.
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