[The work of the school physician as a basis of preventive medicine. What we need are fulltime school medical officers (author's transl)].

Like antenatal and postnatal care, medical attendance at school is the most important basic element of all kind of preventive medicine. This applies in particular to the present situation, as both parents are employed very often, thus not having enough time for watching the beginning of illnesses, disturbances in the development, or behavioural anomalies of their children, and letting them have appropriate medical care. While elementary and intermediate school children are medically looked after in regular intervals by public welfare officers in the cities, the job of a school physician will be performed by the district medical officer in the market-towns and villages. Medical service at general secondary schools and technical colleges is usually rendered by a local general practitioner who again is only in a position to take that job as a sideline to his occupying general practice. Necessity is therefore pointed out of a thorough and regular medical care at school, particularly during the years of puberty and development of the youths during their period of growing up. Furthermore, it is shown that the school physician not only has to investigate and diagnose conscientiously, but also the numerous problems are being discussed he has to deal with in the attendance of youths from a physical and a psychical aspect. In this context it is tried to make clear why it is so important to establish personal contact with the young people, with their parents, and with the teaching staff. A series of serious illnesses is enumerated that were detected by the school physician and handed over to the general practitioner or the specialist for further exploration and treatment. The most frequent illnesses are high blood-pressure, heart- and eye troubles. With regard to his great and manyfold tasks the school physician will have to stick to his hours of duty in order to be ready for help and advice at any time. It is, therefore, not possible to perform this job on a side-line, as it would be a fulltime job to be a conscientious school physician. Finally, suggestions are made how to make the school medical officer a fulltime job and what has to be done in order to secure his financial existence.