SOME BOOKS OF THE WEEK.
[Under this heading ws notice such Books of the week as hays not Leer reserved for review in other forms.]
Medical Supervision in Schools. By Edward Millar Steven. (Bailliere, Tindall, and Cox. 5s. net.)—Dr. Steven was commis- sioned by the Government of South Australia to examine and report upon the systems of medical supervision followed in Great Britain, Canada, the United States, Germany, and Switzerland, and he gives us in this volume the results of his inquiry. The London system stands in the first place, and occupies nearly one- third of the whole space. It is of quite recent origin, dating back to the year 1902. It was not, however, till 1907 that it received legal sanction. The whole matter, we need hardly say, bristles with difficulties, one of the worst of these being the indifference of parents, often taking the form of hostility. A verminous condition excludes a child from the school, and some parents encourage it in order to evade the compulsory dances. In an opposite direction we find a practice of something like forged medical certificates. Out of one hundred and fifty-two cases where medical certificates of freedom from the disease had been given, ringworm was found in one hundred and forty-four, a kindred ailment in four more ; " in only four was the distinctive organism not found?' " In some cases," rims the report, "we had grave doubts as to the bond fide character of the certificate." But a great work is being done; and indeed the field is enormous. Fifty-one nurses are at work ; but then each has thirteen thousand children under her supervision. The usefulness of this branch is very great ; in Germany nurses are not employed, and the system suffers in consequence. There, too, the medical supervisors are ludicrously underpaid. On the whole, the report from Germany does not favourably impress. Af ter London comes Bradford, to which place, indeed, the honour of initiating the system belongs. The account of Edinburgh shows that good work is being done. The same may be said of Glasgow : we regret to see that a difference has arisen between the Medical Association and the local authorities. The matter in dispute was the payment of the medical inspectors, the Board offering at the rate of 5s. 4d. the hour, the Association demanding 10s. This would work out, taking two hundred and fifty working days of eight hours, at 41,000 a year. But the question is not'to be easily answered. The New York system receives high recommendation from Dr. Steven; but he was unfavourably impressed with the physical condition of the children. In Toronto there is hostility to the whole system, though, according to the figures furnished by the most active opponent, there is no little need. One child in twelve is defective in vision, hearing, or lung action ; and this though Toronto is probably above the average in respect of health.
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