In the fall of 1914, the medical staff conducted a survey of its own efficiency. A committee prepared questions concerning procedure, and secured answers from each member of the staff. These answers were compared and discussed in staff meetings and uniform rules were finally adopted for examinations and recording.

In line with this, the staff somewhat earlier prepared rules for reporting defects so that all records may be compiled on the same basis. This standardization of work is an especially noteworthy feature of the Cleveland system, and should furnish valuable suggestions to medical inspection departments of other cities. A few of the rules adopted by the staff will serve to indicate the nature of their work:

Teeth—Report decayed first or second teeth, and reddened and inflamed gums. Do not report loose first teeth.

Tonsils—Report cases with histories of recurrent tonsilitis, and where the size of the tonsils causes difficulty of swallowing or thick speech. Do not report moderately enlarged tonsils with no history of tonsilitis nor evidence of mechanical obstruction.

Adenoids—Report mouth breathers with characteristic adenoid faces, convincing yourself as to diagnosis by having the pupil say "l, m, n, o, p." Do not try to confirm the diagnosis of adenoids by a digital examination of the nasopharynx.

Glands—Report general glandular enlargement and cervical enlargement of the lymphatic glands accompanied by malnutrition and anemia. Do not report submaxillary enlargement in recurrent tonsilitis or carious teeth or post-cervical enlargement in pediculosis capitis, or in impetigo or eczema of the scalp.

As a result of rules such as these, a given report means the same thing to every member of the staff; only important defects are stressed; and the effort to remedy them is concentrated where it will be most effective. Statistics based on records such as these will be reliable and may be used for scientific study.