Thomas E. Shaffer

School Health Services

RESEARCH in school health service during the war years has been neither very extensive nor very significant. There have been, however, several studies and reports worthy of some elaboration because they concern fundamental areas. Furthermore, it may be that, because of current popular interest as an aftermath of World War II, these reports may be more successful in influencing thought and practice than those made in peacetime.

Health Services for Mothers and Children.

The title does not do justice to the breadth of the material covered in this volume. As one would expect, much space is given to preventive pediatrics and obstetrics, but the author goes beyond these in providing an abundance of useful information and statistics about normal growth and development, health problems, and health supervision in childhood. Dr. Wallace is qualified to write such a book, for she has a wide experience as pediatrician, public health administrator, and teacher. The authors primary concern is to describe past, present, and future public health programs for children and mothers who are not cared for by a family physician. In doing this Dr. Wallace goes into necessary detail about trends, scope, and practical management of these services. Also, in accomplishing the basic purpose, she has taken on the task of describing health supervision of normal and handicapped children, and it is this aspect of the book which will especially appeal to the practicing physician.

Growth Diagnosis: Selected Methods for Interpreting and Predicting Physical Development from One Year to Maturity.

It appears that this book will be especially interesting and useful to pediatricians, nutritionists, psychologists, physical educators, and those in other disciplines who are engaged in research related to growth and maturation of children and adolescents. In this one volume is presented in admirable completeness more information than is usually available about methods and equipment for collecting and interpreting growth measurements. Part I deals with Methodology in collecting and analyzing data on the individual patient. Particular attention is devoted to techniques of inspection, anthropometry, photography, and x-rays of the hand and wrist for skeletal age. Incidentally, one can hardly agree with the authors that x-rays of the hand and wrist alone should be recommended rather than surveys of hip, knee, foot, shoulder, elbow and hand and wrist, in a book which otherwise contains such detailed suggestions about methods for growth appraisal. Part II consists of 22 case illustrations of normal

Chapter VII: School Health Services:

THE. ADDED impetus to child health conservation given by World War II has continued thru the period under examination and is reflected not only in specific research but also in important federal and state legislation, national surveys, conferences, and assemblies concerning the health of children. Because many of these activities, tho not research, have contributed significantly to progress in school health service, they are included in this review.