are faults in the structure of the body; adenoid growths, imperfect eyes, abnormally curved spines, and defective teeth are examples. Most physical defects can be cured in childhood by treatment or by slight operations. If untreated they frequently lead to sickness or to serious impairment of the body, and if neglected until adult life their injurious consequences are generally beyond remedy, even when the defects themselves can be repaired.
Some indications of common physical defects are given below; they ought to be more generally known than they are. If a child exhibits one or more of the symptoms mentioned, he ought to be given a complete physical examination by a competent physician, and treatment, if needed, should begin without delay. The idea that children will outgrow these defects without treatment is erroneous. Better, however, than waiting until
symptoms appear is the modern way of giving every child a physical examination at stated intervals, a practice already common in public schools where effective health work is carried on.
Eyestrain
frequently comes from imperfections in the shape of the eye; these imperfections can almost always be corrected by glasses. When a child is suffering from eyestrain, the eyes themselves may show indications of trouble; they may be blood-shot, the lids may itch or be crusted or inflamed, or styes may appear. In other cases the symptoms of eyestrain have no apparent connection with the eyes; such symptoms are headache, nausea, vomiting, indigestion, fatigue, irritability, poor scholarship, and nervous exhaustion. If a child shows any of these symptoms, or if he rubs his eyes, frowns, squints, wrinkles his forehead, sits bent over his book, or develops round shoulders, there is sufficient reason for having his eyes examined by an oculist. Examination by an optician should not be considered sufficient.
Enlarged Tonsils and Adenoids.
—The tonsils are masses of spongy tissue situated at the back of the mouth, on either side of the opening into the throat. If enlarged they may seriously interfere with breathing, and if diseased they frequently harbor the germs causing many acute infections, as well as germs of rheumatism and most of the
heart disease originating in early life. Therefore the tonsils ought to be removed if they are diseased or greatly enlarged, but there is ordinarily no good reason for removing normal tonsils.
Adenoids are situated at the back of the nose, and like the tonsils are composed of spongy tissue. Adenoids sometimes become so enlarged that they interfere with the passage of air through the nose, thus predisposing to catarrh, colds, and other respiratory diseases, to high palate with irregular teeth, to inflammation of the middle ear leading to deafness, to diminished mental activity, and to general poor health.
If a child breathes through his mouth, if he snores at night, keeps his mouth open and has a dull, apathetic expression, his nose and throat should be examined, and if advisable his tonsils and adenoids should be removed.