and report on any speech defect, also on any tendency to curvature. He will note the presence of any hair or skin disease," etc. Wiesbaden seems to have taken all this, but she added something of her own, for her formula of examination reads thus: "General constitution, height, weight, chest girth, chest and body organs, skin disease, spine and extremities, eyes and vision, ears and hearing power, mouth, nose, and speech, special remarks to teachers for the treatment in school, communications to the parents."
Such is the scope of the great entrance physical examination.[1] It leaves the school doctor, if he be worthy the name, aware of the child's state and prospects. This light is gained at the very threshold of the child's school life. It is won in the presence of the mother or guardian, and to give it to her is the first and great duty of the German school doctor. No one who reads the records can
- ↑ There is now in Wiesbaden and many other cities a preliminary inspection by the doctors to find out which children are ready for school life, and which had better remain at home for a while. A certain number of little ones are sent back to home-life for a while. Those who are allowed to begin school life are not examined for some weeks, so that they may get used to their surroundings. (Before the doctor's visit they rehearse, with the teachers, part of the proceedings, more especially if he is going to test ears and eyes—though, in many places, this testing of the higher sense-organs is done a little later in the school life.)
