Report of the city of Somerville 1930, Part 25

Author: Somerville (Mass.)
Publication date: 1930
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 574


USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Somerville > Report of the city of Somerville 1930 > Part 25


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August.


September.


October.


November.


December.


Total.


90 Other Diseases of the Heart


$20


25


19


16


14


5


10


13


15


21


21


20


199


91A Aneurysm


91B Arterio Sclerosis


26


12


16


19


14


9


8


12


7


11


10


13


157


92 Embolism and Thrombosis


93 Diseases of the Veins


96 Other Diseases of the Cir- culatory System


V. DISEASES OF THE RESPIRA- TORY SYSTEM.


99A Acute Bronchitis


99B Chronic Bronchitis


99C Bronchitis Unspecified)


10


13


11


11


3


3


3


1


3


4


7


69


3


6


6


5


3


1


2


2


2


5


35


1


1


1


3


102 Pleurisy


103 Congestion and Hemor- rhagic Infarct of Lung.


VI. DISEASES OF THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM.


109B Diseases of the Pharynx and Tonsils


111B Ulcer of the Duodenum


112 Other Diseases of the


Stomach


113 Diorrhea and Enteritis (under 2 years)


1


1


1


1


4


1


.....


1


1


1


1


5


119


Other Diseeses of the In- testines.


122B Cirrhosis of the Liver.


124


Other Diseases of the Liver


125


Diseases of the Pancreas .. Peritonitis


VII. NON VENEREAL DISEASES OF THE GENITO-URINARY SYSTEM.


128 Acute Nephritis


2


1


5


129 Chronic Nephritis


2


1


1


2


4


3


2


1


3


3


22


131 Other Diseases of the Kid- neys


1


...


1


1


2


141 Other Diseases of the Fe- male Genital Organs ..


VIIJ . THE PUERPERAL STATE


143A Abortion


143 B Ectopic Gestation


143C Accidents of Pregnancy


1


1


.. ...


145C Other Accidents of Labor


146 Puerperal Septicaemia


147 Surgical Shock


1


..


....


....


2


3


1


1


.. ...


2


1


1


2


13


1


1


1


1


...


1


1


4


3


1


1


...


......


1


1


7


2


1


1


1


1


6


1


.....


..


......


1


100A Broncho Pneumonia


101A Lobar Pneumonia


2


1


3


1


1


1


2


5


1


1


1


117 Appendicitis


1


1


1


1


1


6


118B


Intestinal Obstruction


1


1


1


1


1


1


....


......


....


.....


1


1


1


1


1


1


1


7


...


.....


..


3


...


.....


1


1


1


...


......


1


1


1


1


1


1


......


1


1


1


3


.....


135 Diseases of the Prostate ...


1


1


1


2


..


...


2


1


1


1


126


1


1


......


1


...


... ...


381


BOARD OF HEALTH


MORTALITY IN SOMERVILLE IN 1930-Continued


January.


February.


March.


April.


May.


June.


July.


August


September.


October.


November.


December.


Total.


IX. DISEASES OF THE SKIN AND OF THE CELLULAR TISSUE.


152 Furuncle


154 Other Diseases of the Skin and Annexa.


X. DISEASES OF THE BONES AND OF THE ORGANS OF LO- COMOTION.


XI. MALFORMATIONS.


159A CongenitalHydrocephalus 159B Congenital Malformations


159C Others under this title


XII. EARLY INFANCY.


160


Congenital Debility


2


2


1


3


2


1


14


161A Premature Birth


161B Injury at Birth


2


1


5


162 Other Diseases peculiar to Early Infancy


3


1


1


1


6


XIII. OLD AGE.


164 Senility


XIV. EXTERNAL CAUSES.


168


Suicide by Hanging.


1


1


2


170


Suicide by Firearms


1


1


1


177


Other Acute Accidental Poisonings Accidental Burns ..


1


1


2


180


Accidental Suffocation


1


1


182


Accidental Drowning


1


1


185 Accidental Fall


·2


1


...


1


2


1


7


2


1


2


1


1


1


1


9


202


Other External Causes.


2


118


109


109


99


76


55


65


70


67


75


74


92


1009


-


.


1


1


1


1


1


3


3


..


..


1


4


3


3


2


1


1


3


6


3


27


4


1


1


1


7


1


171


Suicide by Cutting.


1


1


179


188C Automobile Accident.


194 Excessive Heat ...


1


1


2


XV. ILL DEFINED CAUSES.


1


1


1


1


2


1


1


2


382


ANNUAL REPORTS DEATHS BY AGES


AGES.


Total.


Male.


Female.


Under one


105


65


40


One to two


16


10


6


Two to three


10


5


5


Three to five


16


10


6


Five to ten


26


17


9


Ten to fifteen


15


8


7


Fifteen to twenty


8


3


5


Twenty to thirty


40


18


22


Thirty to forty .


27


10


17


Forty to fifty


59


25


34


Fifty to sixty


123


70


53


Sixty to seventy


206


104


102


Seventy to eighty


210


98


112


Eighty to ninety


128


49


79


Ninety and over


20


6


14


Total


1009


498


511


Total Deaths During Last Ten Years


Year.


No. of Deaths.


Rate per 1,000


1921


986


10.38


1922


1,019


10.41


1923


1,108


11.30


1924


979


9.79


1925


1,110


11.20


1926


1,084


10.73


1927


931


9.04


1928


1,059


10.18


1929


947


9.10


1930


.


1,009


9.73


Average death rate per 100 for ten years


10.18


Table Showing the Five Principal Causes of Deaths in Somerville in 1930


HEART DISEASE.


ARTERIO SCLEROSIS


PNEUMONIA ALL FORMS.


APOPLEXY.


CANCER ALL FORMS.


Number of Deaths.


Number per


10,000 of Pop.


Number of


Deaths.


Number per


10,000 of Pop.


Number of


Deaths.


Number per


10,000 of Pop.


Number of


Deaths.


Number per


10,000 of Pop.


Number of


Number per


10,000 of Pop.


199


19.32


157


15.24


104


10.09


91


8.83


90


8.73


Deaths.


Table showing comparison between 1929 and 1930 in Prevalence, Deaths and Percentage of Deaths of Scarlet Fever. Diphtheria, Typhoid Fever and Tuberculosis


TUBERCULOSIS ALL FORMS.


YEAR.


Cases


Reported.


Number of


Deaths.


Percentage


Reported.


Number of


Deaths.


Percentage


of Deaths.


Reported.


Number of


Deaths.


Percentage


Reported.


Number of


Deaths.


Percentage


of Deaths.


1929


411


1930


Deaths from Scarlet Fever, Diptheria, Typhoid Fever, and Tuberculosis in the Last Ten Years


TUBERCULOSIS ALL FORMS.


1921


1922


1923


1924


1925


1926


1927


1928


1929


1930


1921


1922


1923


1924


1925


1926


1927


1928


1929


1930


1921


1922


1923


1924


1925


1926


1927


1928


1929


1930


1921


1922


1923


1924


1925


1926


1927


1928


1929


1930 1


1


I


4


1


1


5


3


1


5


2


2


1


11


11


..


:


..


5


2


:


..


:


2


3


1


1


February


·


I


3


1


4


1


1


1


1


1


March


1


1


5


2


1


2


1


. ..


...


...


5.


6


2


1


3


8


3


4


May


2.


1


..


...


..


...


1


...


1


1


. .


:


...


...


..


1


2


3


..


..


..


7


5


8


3


4


1


4


1


1


2


6


1


2


4


:


November


2


December


38 34 34 29


28


1


1


1


1


0


64


32


54


46.52 35


27 19 16|14


10


5


6


5.


-


2.


Total


DIPHTHERIA.


TYPHOID FEVER.


SCARLET FEVER.


25. 75


132


34


127


5


3.9


1


0


0.


313


1


.3


203


29


14 28


2


18.18


11


28


14 97


187


.9


4


of Deaths.


Cases


Cases


Cases


BOARD OF HEALTH


6


7


5


7


5


4 5


2


January


.. 9


1


3


4


7


6


2


2


3


7


1


6


4


3


4


April


2


June


1


1


..


July


2.


2


3


2


1


5


4


3.


3


3


August


2


3


2


1


2


1


2


1


2


3


September. October.


1


1


..


6'


3


1


3


6


·2


1


2


1


3


1


..


2


1


3


3


2


1


3


3


4


3


7.


1


1


5


1


3


4 6


2


2


3


1


...


1


1


...


..


....


...


2


1


..


4


2


1


2


4


1


7,


1


~


:


4


1


9


6


1


3


3


1


7.


2


6


4


1


2


2


...


...


7


4


2


...


..


..


1


5 3


5


...


1


..


...


1


1


1


1


11


1


1


3


2


TYPHOID FEVER.


DIPHTHERIA.


SCARLET FEVER.


MONTHS.


383


0


1


4


..


2


of Deaths.


384


ANNUAL REPORTS


DISEASES DANGEROUS TO THE PUBLIC HEALTH


This board has adjudged that the diseases known as actinomycosis, anterior poliomyelitis, anthrax, Asiatic cholera, cerebo-spinal meningitis, chicken pox, diphtheria, dog bite, dysentery, German measles, glanders, hookworm disease, in- fectious disease of the eye, influenza, leprosy, malaria, measles, mumps, pellagra, plague, pneumonia (lobar only), rabies, scarlet fever, septic sore throat, small pox, tetanus, trichinosis, tuberculosis (all forms), typhoid fever, whooping cough, yel- low fever, are infectious and dangerous to the public health and safety within the meaning of the statutes. Physicians are required to report immediately to the board every case of either of these diseases coming under their care and postal cards conveniently printed and addressed are supplied to them for the purpose. On receipt of card from a physician, the principal of the school in the district in which the patient re- sides, the librarian of the public library and state board of health are notified.


SPECIMENS AND SUPPLIES


Outfits for specimens to be examined for tuberculosis, diphtheria and typhoid fever, and diphtheria anti- toxin, vac- cine lymph and nitrate of silver solution may be obtained at the laboratory and at the following places :


Edward Edwards, 25 Union Spuare R. A. Peckham, 86 Broadway Ernest M. Vose, 310 Broadway George E. Wardrobe, 716 Broadway Willis S. Furbush & Co., 1153 Broadway George R. Reed, Hobbs Building, Davis Square Somerville Drug Co., 288 Highland Avenue George E. Grover, 146 Broadway


Hereafter the Agent of this Board will collect, daily at five o'clock p. m., all specimens left at culture stations for examination, prior to that hour.


Physicians desiring reports on the following day, must deposit same at the City Hall, in the receptacle provid- ed, before nine-thirty p. m.


Results of all examinations of specimens received at the City Hall prior to nine-thirty p. m., will be reported to the physicians on the following morning.


385


BOARD OF HEALTH


MEDICAL INSPECTION OF SCHOOLS


The medical inspection of the schools of Somerville which was instituted in December, 1907, has been continued during the year. The value of the system has been constantly demon- strated, and the work has been done in a very satisfactory manner. There has been harmony of action between the board of health and the school board, and the school principls and teachers have very generally co-operated with the inspectors in making the system as successful as possible.


The inspectors make daily visits to the schools under their charge, and to them are referred all children who show evi- dences of disease or abnormal conditions. Children who are found to be unfit to remain in school are sent home, accom- panied by a slip properly filled out advising that the family physician be consulted. The inspectors also make an annual inspection of all the children in the schools, and any defects discovered are called to the attention of the parents. Month- ly inspections of the school buildings and premises are made, and suggestions or criticisms are referred to the proper author- ities. Every effort is made to protect the health of the child- ren and co-operate with the parents in keeping the children in as normal a condition as possible. In accordance with the provisions of the statute, tests of sight and hearing are made by the principals or teachers.


District No. 1 .. Inspector Dr. Francis Shaw, 57 Cross Street. Schools Prescott, Hanscom, Edgerly and Boys' Voca- tional School.


District No. 2


Inspector Dr. John D. Bennett, 779 Broadway.


Schools Baxter, Knapp, Perry and Southern Junior High Schools. .


District No. 3


Inspector Dr. Crawford K. Sweeley, 25 Curtis Street. Schools Bennett, Pope, Cummings and Proctor Schools.


District No. 4


Inspector Dr. Wilfred C. Macdonald, 189 Summer Street.


Schools Morse, Carr, Durell and Burns Schools.


386


ANNUAL REPORTS


District No. 5


Inspector Dr. H. M. Stoodley, 283 Highland Avenue.


Schools Brown, Bingham, Forster and Northeastern Junior High Schools.


District No. 6


Inspector Dr. H. Cholerton, 94 College Avenue.


Schools Western Junior High, Lincoln, Highland, Cutler and Lowe Schools.


District No. 7


Inspector Dr. E. F. Sewall, 281 Broadway.


Schools Glines, Grimmons and High Schools.


District No. 8


Inspector Dr. M. W. White, 21 Walnut Street. Schools Parochial.


During the year 6,707 children have been referred to the inspectors during their daily visits, and 1,168 have been sent home because of illness.


The following list will show the classes of diseases and defects which have been found in the schools, except defects of sight and hearing:


LIST OF DISEASES AND NUMBER OF CASES REPORTED


1. Infectious Diseases :-


Chicken Pox


91


Diphtheria


3


Measles


136


Mumps


54


Scarlet Fever


6


Whooping Cough


23


Total


312


2. Diseases of the Nose and Throat :-


Enlarged tonsils and adenoids


781


Inflammatory diseases


157


Total


938


387


BOARD OF HEALTH


3. Diseases of the Eyes :-


Foreign bodies


1


Inflammatory conditions


4


Other abnormal conditions


11


Total 16


4. Diseases of the Ear :-


Inflammatory conditions


2


Other abnormal conditions


5


Total


7


5. Diseases of the Skin: -


Eczema


12


Herpes


28


Impetigo


575


Pediculosis


558


Scabies


55


Tinea


3


Miscellaneous conditions


59


Total


1,290


6. Miscellaneous Diseases :-


Diseases of the Circulatory System


21


Diseases of the Digestive Organs


10


Diseases of the Lymphatic System


8


Diseases of the Nervous System


4


Diseases of the Respiratory System


78


Wounds and Injuries


85


Other conditions


38


Total


244


Total number of diseases


2,806


Vaccinations performed


72


Examinations for vaccinations


123


BACTERIOLOGICAL WORK


The report of the work of this department is made by Frank L. Morse, M. D., on a subsequent page and becomes part of this report.


UNDERTAKERS


Under the provisions of Section 49 of Chapter 114 of the General Laws, 20 persons have been duly licensed as under- takers.


38S


ANNUAL REPORTS


EXAMINATIONS OF PLUMBERS


The public statutes provide for a board of examiners of plumbers, consisting of the chairman of the Board of Health, the inspector of buildings, and an expert at plumbing, to be appointed by the Board of Health. This board appointed Dun- can C. Greene, the inspector of plumbing, to fill the place of expert. The number of licenses granted will be found in the report of the inspector of buildings.


HEALTH NURSES


There are at present six nurses employed by this board. Three of these are employed as school nurses and the work of the others consists of follow-up work regarding tuberculosis cases and post natal hygiene work, together with the other work connected with this board.


The reports of the school nurses are made a part of the report of the School Committee and those of the other nurses are made a part of this report being submitted in detail in subsequent pages.


INFANT HYGIENE CLINICS


During the past year under the supervision of this board, clinics have been held every Tuesday afternoon at the Edgerly Schoolhouse, every Thursday afternoon at the Bennett School- house, and every Friday afternoon at the Bingham School- house except when the days were holidays. The attendance for the year at these clinics was 3,721.


The average weekly attendance at the Edgerly School- house was 27, at the Bennett Schoolhouse 6, and at the Bing- ham Schoolhouse 42.


This work is of inestimable value and the results are very far reaching.


LOUIS J. GRANDISON, JAMES A. KILEY J. JOSEPH O'DONNELL


Board of Health


Attest :


LAURENCE S. HOWARD, Executive Clerk


389


BOARD OF HEALTH


REPORT OF HEALTH NURSES


Somerville, Mass. January 2, 1931.


To the Board of Health,


Somerville, Mass.


Gentlemen :


We submit the following report of work performed by us in infant hygiene, post natal and tuberculosis cases for the year ending December 31, 1930.


Infant Hygiene


Infants reported as born in Somerville during 1930 .. 1,318


Infants born elsewhere resident in Somerville .... 730


Pairs of twins born in Somerville 18


Sets of triplets born in Somerville 0


Still-births in Somerville 56


Infants reported with Ophthalimia Neonatorum 3


Infants reported with Conjunctivitis 8


Infants reported with Infantile Paralysis


2


· There were 105 deaths of infants under one year of age in Somerville during the past year as shown in the following table :


Prematurity .. 30


Congenital Diseases


24


Intestinal Diseases


1


Accidental Injury


6


Pneumonia and other Diseases


44


Total 105


Total attendance at Baby Welfare Clinics during


1930


3,721


New registrations during 1930


520


Average attendance during 1930


25


Tuberculosis


Pulmonary Tuberculosis cases reported during 1930 120


Other forms of tuberculosis reported in 1930 83


Patients admitted to Sanatoria 66


Patients previously reported in Sanatoria ...


60


Deaths in Somerville (pulmonary 23 Other forms 6) 29


Deaths in Sanatoria 12-Discharge 25 37


Patients now in Sanatoria


116


Patients temporarily out of Somerville 20


Patients who have moved out of Somerville


51


390


ANNUAL REPORTS


TABLE SHOWING AGES AND SEX OF CASES REPORTED DURING 1930


Pulmonary Tuberculosis


Ages


SEX


Total


Male


Female


Under fifteen years.


6


3


9


From fifteen to twenty years


13


11


24


From twenty to thirty years.


20


18


38


From thirty to forty years


11


5


16


Over forty years.


22


11


33


Totals


72


48


120


Other Forms of Tuberculosis


Ages


SEX


Total


Male


Female


Under fifteen years


27


38


65


From fifteen to twenty years


1


3


4


From twenty to thirty years.


1


3


4


From thirty to forty years.


5


3


8


Over forty years


2


0


2


Totals


36


47


83


Miscellaneous


Typhoid Fever cases reported


11


Recapitulation of Visits


Baby Hygiene


5,534


Tuberculosis


1,120


Miscellaneous


1,168


Total visits


7,822


Respectfully submitted,


HELEN B. BERRY GRACE E. PICKERING, R. N. MARY V. RYAN, R. N.


Health Nurses


391


BOARD OF HEALTH


REPORT OF THE DEPARTMENT OF MEDICAL INSPECTION


Somerville, Mass.


Jauuary 2, 1931.


To the Board of Health,


Somerville, Mass.


Gentlemen :


I herewith present the report of the Department of Med- ical inspection for the year 1930 including statistics of the Contagious Hospital.


Visits


Scarlet Fever-Each case must be inspected before release from quarantine to see that the condi- tion of the patient is suitable for release. ... Diphtheria-Before patients are released from quar- antine two successive negative cultures must be obtained


315


131


Contagious Hospital


439


Total number of visits


Contagious Disease Hospital


In Hospital


Discharged Well or


Jan. 1, 1930 Admitted Improved


Dead


In Hospital Jan. 1, 1931


Diphtheria


3


117


88


28


4


Scarlet Fever


12


150


145


1


16


Tuberculosis


0


12


5


1


6


Miscellaneous


......


0


21


18


3


0


LABORATORY EXAMINATIONS Diphtheria


Negative


Positive


Total


January


87


2


89


February


101


3


104


March


92


2


94


April


83


14


97


May


86


10


96


June


49


5


54


July


22


6


28


August


41


10


51


September


44


1


45


October


57


3


60


November


67


53


120


December


135


51


186


Totals


864


160


1,024


885


Disease


392


ANNUAL REPORTS


Tuberculosis


Negative 18


Positive


Total


January


0


18


February


9


4


13


March


11


2


13


April


15


1


16


May


6


2


8


June


5


0


5


July


8


4


12


August


5


2


7


September


6


1


7


October


7


7


14


November


6


0


6


Decmber


6


1


7


Totals


102


24


126


Typhoid


Negative


Positive


Total


January


3


3


6


February


0


0


0


March


1


0


1


April


3


1


4


May


1


0


1


June


1


0


1


July


1


0


1


August


2


0


2


September


3


0


3


October


1


0


1


November


1


0


1


December


0


0


0


Totals


17


4


21


Examinations made for Malaria,


Ophthalmia, Paratyphoid,


Gonorrhea and Pneumonia


65


Total Examinations ..


1,236


TUBERCULOSIS


During 1930 there were 29 deaths from Tuberculosis in- cluding all forms, 23 of which were of the pulmonary type.


All patients ill with the disease coming to the attention of the Board have either been supervised at their homes by the Public Health Nurses, or have been placed in sanatoria when such treatment was needed.


Owing to the long waiting list for the admission of tuber- culosis patients at the State Sanatoria and the delay caused thereby the tuberculosis ward at the Contagious Hospital, which was closed on September 1, 1921, on account of the small number of patients, was reopened October 6, 1930, and


393


BOARD OF HEALTH


12 patients were cared for during the balance of the year, awaiting their admission to the Rutland State Sanatarium.


The tuberculosis ward at the Contagious Hospital was opened from June 23 to August 30, as a Preventorium for child- ren who were undernourished or lived in families where tub- erculosis cases existed.


During this time 105 children were residents at the Pre- ventorium for a total of 1,115 days, the average stay being 10 1/2 days. Much good was accomplished among these child- ren, marked improvement being observed in their physical condition, and it should be maintained each summer.


INFANT HYGIENE CLINICS


On January 1, 1922, the Board with the approval of His Honor the Mayor, assumed the care of the Infant Hygiene Clinics previously maintained by Somerville Chapter of the American Red Cross. These clinics have been held on Thurs- day afternoon at the Bennett School and Friday afternoon at the Bingham School throughout the year. On September 29, 1925, a clinic was established at the Edgerly School and has been held on Tuesday afternoon weekly. An average at- tendance of 42 at the Bingham School, 6 at the Bennett School and 27 at the Edgerly School has been attained. 520 new babies have been under supervision at the clincs where ad- vice has been given to the mothers by the attending physician, and in many instances the infants have been visited at home by the Public Health Nurses in order that the advice may be properly followed out. This work is unquestionably of great value in conserving the health of new-born infants.


Respectfully submitted,


FRANK L. MORSE,


Medical Inspector and Bacteriologist.


·


394


ANNUAL REPORTS


January 2, 1931.


To the Board of Health Somerville, Massachusetts


Gentlemen :-


Herewith, I submit my first annual report of the Depart- ment of Dental Hygiene for the schools of Somerville. Includ- ed therein appears a table of statistics compiled from our records.


Since this is a public report and since it seems to me desir- able that the citizens of Somerville may know something of the organization of our department, as well as its aims and purposes, I feel that it would not be out of place at this time to give a brief account of the reorganization of our school dental forces during the past year of 1930.


Prior to 1930, the school dental work was carried on by two dental clinics, located in the Proctor and Knapp Schools respectively. Good as the work done by these clinics undoubt- edly was, it long ago became apparent that these two clinics were wholly inadequate to care for the dental needs of the Schools of Somerville. But from this humble beginning came the inspiration which has now been realized in the present system.


Accordingly in 1930, it was decided to enlarge the work and put it on a more scientific and comprehensive basis. In furtherance of this idea the Board of Health decided to es- tablish three additional clinics and to appoint a Dental Super- visor to take general charge of the whole undertaking. I was chosen as Dental Supervisor, the location of the three addi- tional clinics was determined upon, equipment was purchased and installed, operating dentists and nurses were chosen, and the whole system opened for service with the beginning of the school year in September of 1930. The details were as follows :


First the establishment of three additional clinics in the Hodgkins, Prescott and Glines Schools made our total of den- tal clincs five in number, as the Proctor and Knapp Schools were already functioning. A hospital clinic at the Central Hospital, conducted twice a week for the accommodation of those cases which require general anaesthesia or special care, which cannot be provided for at the school clinics was then added. The addition of the hospital clinic has been of great ad- vantage to the regular dental program because we are con- stantly confronted with many cases of multiple extractions


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BOARD OF HEALTH


which cannot be taken care of in the regular school clinic and can be handled properly only at a hospital. This clinic is in operation on Tuesday and Friday mornings from 10 to 12 a.m., and many children have already benefited by its work. When- ever a child requires such treatment the local clinic makes such recommendation and in such cases, whenever general anaesthesia is required, the child is accompanied by its parent or guardian.


The five school clinics operate daily from 9 to 12 a.m. These clinics are equipped with modern dental outfits and operated by five capable dentists and five assistants. Each clinic has supervision over five surrounding schools. Our work in these clinics is limited to the first three grades and our system is to start from the third grade and work down so that every child who is now attending the third grade and has ap- plied for treatment may enter the fourth grade next year with some knowledge of mouth hygiene and free from all oral in- fections. It has been the custom this year also to treat those cases of incipient tuberculosis that were found positive in the recent Chadwick examinations. These cases are given prefer- ence over all other children, regardless of what grade they are in, if they are properly recommended by the school nurses. This department has also taken care of a few worthy cases that were recommended by the Public Welfare department.


It is my desire at this writing to thank the school nurses, masters, Pastors and the superintendent of schools for their kindness and co-operation given to us in our attempt to estab- lish this program. Their sympathetic appreciation of the ends for which we are striving and their very helpful suggestions have been very much appreciated. It is indeed gratifying to all of us who are trying to sponsor this work.


Our recent dental survey of all the elementary grades showed that out of eleven thousand seven hundred and eighty- five (11,785) children examined, over fifty-five thousand (55,000) defective teeth were found. I believe that by the establishment of a grade limit to our work, we shall perform a definite, reparative, preventive and educational service, so that no child who enters the fourth grade shall lack that knowledge which he or she should possess in order to carry on the beneficial lessons there acquired. It seems unwise to ex- tend this work to the upper grades, except in emergency cases, first, because of the lack of school dentists, and second, because such extension would seem an unwarrantable infringement upon the field of the private practitioner. Our purpose is not


396


ANNUAL REPORTS.


communistic or socialistic in nature, but seeks to provide a plan whereby on the one hand, worthy cases within a certain group may be provided with dental care and treatment, and on the other hand, the legitimate rights of the individual may not be unfairly encroached upon. To this end we have done our sincere best.


The following table is explanatory of the amount of work done during the past year. The first six months under the two previous dental clinics, and the latter part under the super- vision of the five clinics and the supplementary hospital ser- vice.


Months


Examinations


New Patients


Former Patients


Emergencies


Number of


Number of


Teeth Filled


Number of




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