normal wetivities of the School Medical Service were completely suspended for four weeks following the outbreak of hostili 3 on August 13, the Medical and Nursing Staff being Jdratted for emergency duty with other units. The School Inspection Section was reinstated in October, and by the end of the year it had, by stages, practically re-attained full strength.
Individual medical inspection of Pupils in Municipal Schools has been restricted to the six Primary Schools for Chinese. This work has been hampered considerably by the inability of the schools to provide a Suitable room in which the examinations can be carried out.
Trachoma clinics at these schools had to be discontinued in the autumn due to lack of accommodation except in the case of the Northern District Primary School—the only tone to reopen in its own premises.
stipulated departmental requirements 'The' obligation to comply with before grants are released has effec: ted a most noticeable improvement in the Chinese private schools on the Grant-in-Aid list. fan tine period, and thus prevent the indiscriminate spread of infection throughout their respective classes.
'Schoo! Clinics were held daily during School terms at each of the six primary schools for Chinese during the period January—June. inclusive, Tu the Autumn Term no School Clinics were held until carly' in December, owing to the fact that all te Chinese Medical and Nursing 'Staff were engaged on Emergency duty elsewhere, 'Of the total' of 2,016 pupils who passed through the School Clinics during 1937, a total of 1,111 cases had been originally excluded from school by the Chinese Assistant Schoo! Medical Officers.
Inspection of Pupils Trachoma Clinics During 1937 only 777 pupils were examined by the Chinese "Assistant School Medical Oficers, n decrease of 287 as compared with the previous Sear, This decrease is, of course, ne to the fact that from August 15, until the rst week of December the complete Chinese Medical and Nursing Staff of the School Medical Service were engaged elsewhere on Emergency duty with other units, and that therefore no School Medical Inspection was undertaken from the closure of schools for the Summer Vacation on June 30 to December 20, when it was again re-commenced.
The summary of defects detected in the above total of 777 pupils is follows:—Intectious Eye Discases, 446 cases; Infectious Skin Diseases, M93 cases: Cardiac defects, 245 cases: Lung. defects, 162. eases; Tonsil Detects, 744 cases; Defects of vision, 32 eases; Infections. with Pathogenic Intestinal Parasites, 38 cases; -Mls= cellaneous Defects, 30 cases.
352 cases of Communicable Disease were discovered inthe Municipal Primary Schools for Chinese during 1637—a decrease of 16 cases as com= pared with the previous year.
'The "Home Visiting Service" is a very important factor' in the attempt ted control of Infectious. Diseases.
Schools, as it is possible by the discovery of infected children. in the homes to debar such cases from returning to school within the quar-
During the period February—June inclusive regular Trachoma Clinics for the free voluntary treatment of Trachomatous children were held twice weekly for each of the six Municipal primary schools for Chinese, With the advent of the Long Vacation it was proposed to carry out intensive Trachoma treat ment in order to expedite recovery and reduce loss of schooltime, so. that a notice was sent the parents of every Trachomatous pupil in the six primary schools for JChinese urging regular and careful attendance for treatment. During July there was an excellent response to this special effort, and attendances Jduring this period rose to a record 5,992 for the month.
Owing to the outbreak of hostilities Trachoma Clinics were suddenly sus pended on August 14, and it has been found impossible up to date to recommence them for any of the schools except the Northern District Primary School for Chinese (which has reopened in its original premises) owing to complete lack of any loca. tion suitable for Clinic purposes. Since jeany in December, Northern District Primary School for Chinese has 3 Jdaily Clinic of Trachoma treatment Jof pupils and satisfactory progress is reported.
In addition, some teachers and ex-pupils received treatment for Tra-
The scheme of notification 10 parents of any defects found at the examination of their children, or of any disability which would warrant the exclusion of pupils. from school ele, remains the same as in previous years,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.