During 1937 only 777 pupils were examined by the Chinese Assistant School Medical Officers, a decrease of 287 as compared with the previous year. This decrease is, of course. due to the fact that from August 15 until the first 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 as follows:—Infectious Eye Diseases, 446 cases; Infectious Skin Diseases, 173 cases; Cardiac defects, 345 cases, Lung defects, 162 cases; Tonsil Defects, 744 cases; Defects of vision, 33 cases; Infections with Pathogenic Intestinal Parasites, 38 ci cellaneous Defects, 30 cas 352 cases of Communicable Disease were discovered in -the Municipal Primary Schools for Chinese during 1937—a decrease of 16 cases as compared with the previous year, The "Home Visiting Service" is a very important factor in the attempt ted control of Infectious Diseases in Schools, as it is possible by the discovery of infected children in the homes to debar such cases from returning to school within the quarantine period, and thus prevent the indiscriminate spread of infection throughout their respective classes.
School Clinics were held daily during School terms at each of the six primary schools for Chinese during the period January—June inclusive, In the Autumn Term no School Clinics were held until early in December, owing to the fact that all the 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 School Medical Officers.
Trachoma Clinics ing 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 treatment in order to expedite recovery and reduce loss of schooltime, so that a notice was sent to the parents of every Trachomatous pupil in the six primary schools for Chinese urging regular and careful attendance for treatment. During July there was an excellent response to this special effort, and attendances during this period rose to a record of 5.992 for the month.
Owing to the outbreak of hostilities Trachoma Clinics were suddenly ssu: 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 location suitable for Clinic purposes. Since early in December, Northern District Primary School for Chinese has a daily Clinic of Trachoma treatment of pupils and satisfactory progress is reported.
In addition, some teachers and ex-pupils received treatment for Tra-chama by special request, and various cases of Acute Conjunctivities were also treated.
The scheme of notification to parents of any defects found at the examination of their children, or of any disability which would warrant the exclusion of pupils from school, etc, remains the same as in previous years
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.