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21,359 children were known to attend swimming baths
829 were found to have planter warts (3.9%)
12,714 children known not to attend swimming baths
421 of these had planter warts (3.3%)
These figures show that although children attending the swimming baths were affected in
greater numbers, there was a very substantial number of affected children among those not attending
the baths.
Long before the final figures were known it was realised that the number affected was
proving to be higher than expected and sufficient to merit special consideration. Although the
usual procedure was to refer such cases to their own doctors for treatment, the numbers were so
great that some were finding their way to private chiropodists outside the National Health Service
and others were receiving no treatment whatever. It was decided therefore to set up a central clinic
at 315, Broadway under the guidance of the Chief Chiropodist. Children not cured by two treatments
administered by a qualified clinic nurse were thereafter referred to this central clinic for
further treatment by the Chiropodist. Shortly afterwards a second clinic was introduced at Sidcup.
The response of the general practitioners to this scheme was favourable and from April onwards it
was fully operational.

It is interesting that during the year these inspections also revealed some 500 cases of
ringworm of the feet, commonly known as athlete's foot.
EPIDEMIC OF UNKNOWN ORIGIN
In the Welling area and in particular at Eastcote County Primary School in Welling there
was a sudden sharp outbreak of illness of a type thought to be due to a virus. The main symptoms
were upper respiratory with fever and headache, sore throat, rash, abdominal pain and pain and
weakness in lower limbs.
At this school the majority of pupils were affected during the course of about a week. The
number of absentees built up to a peak of almost 100 in the middle of this period. Some of the
children were quite ill, but in general they recovered in two or three days. Despite exhaustive
laboratory tests, the actual cause of the outbreak was not discovered.
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