View report page

It should be noted, however, that the total number of examinations made during 1920 by district
school nurses at rota visits amounted to 1,944,105; the number of children found verminous was 368,732,
or 18'96 per cent., as compared with 22.6 per cent. in 1919.
For the first four years the numbers dealt with under the scheme increased, but owing to the
additional work arising, mainly out of dealing with children suffering from scabies, the time given by
the nurses to the work of following up was somewhat restricted, hence the reduction in the number of
examinations made in the next succeeding years.
The conditions arising out of the war no doubt gave rise to the spread of scabies as well as of
ordinary verminous conditions; several cases did, in fact, come under notice of scabies having been
communicated to the children by soldiers. To deal with these new developments 10 additional nurses
were appointed in 1918 by the Council. At the same time additional baths were provided at the
stations in order to cope with the increased demand for cleansings. Cases of scabies seen by school
doctors and nurses, or at hospitals and treatment centres, were advised to attend the stations for
medicinal baths and arrangements were made for certain stations to be kept open during the school
holidays in order that immediate steps could be taken for dealing with the condition. In 1919 the
scheme was further improved, more particularly in the direction of providing for children who were
only slightly infested. These children had been gradually eliminated from the scheme for the reasons
already stated, but it was now decided to include again all such cases within the operations of the
cleansing scheme. More facilities were given for voluntary attendances at stations for cleansing, in order
that cases might be dealt with at the first sign of infestation, and more stringent action was taken in
those cases where the parents persistently sent their children to school in an unsatisfactory condition.
The temporary additional nursing staff granted in connection with this further extension was 18. The
working of the revised scheme took effect in the latter part of 1919, as will be seen from the increased
number of verminous children examined in the years 1919 and 1920 and from the increased numbers
relating to the children cleansed at the stations (as set out in the table).
In the case of children reported by the school nurses as verminous (whether in head or body)
provision was made for a notification to the medical officer of health at three stages of the scheme, and
the medical officer of health was asked to state on a slip attached to the notification the action, if any,
which was taken regarding the disinfection of clothing, bedding, etc., in the homes.
The outbreak of war interfered considerably with the activities of the boroughs in this direction
largely owing to depletion of staffs, and ultimately it was decided to limit notifications to cases of body
infestation only, on service of the statutory notice, it being understood that action would be taken
wherever possible thereon.
With a view to securing as great a measure of co-operation as possible several of the borough
medical officers were recently visited by the superintendent of school nurses, when the question was discussed
and arrangements have been made for consultative meetings to be held between the local sanitary
and school nursing staffs.
During November and December, 1920, the Council had under consideration the question of
providing additional facilities for slight head cases. Hitherto, one of the main difficulties in connection
with the Council's cleansing scheme has been the opposition of parents, of those children whose heads
contained nits only, to the necessary cleansing being carried out at the stations where bad cases were
dealt with. In order to meet this objection the Council has now decided that differentiation should,
where possible, be made in dealing with these two classes by arranging that slight cases shall be treated
at minor ai ment treatment centres or at special "shampoo centres," thus removing these cases from
the ordinary cleansing stations. The Council has stipulated that ten new centres are to be established
for this purpose in boroughs where adequate provision is made by the borough council for the proper
cleansing of the other inmates of the child's home, as well as of the home itself and of the bedding, etc.
This will necessitate the appointment by the Council of five additional nurses.
Hitherto, in the case of a badly infested head it has been almost impossible to remove the nits
without cutting the hair, but the Council has had brought to its notice a special comb which, used
in conjunction with a shampoo soap, has proved very efficacious in removing nits without resorting to
hair cutting. Thus, a further objection on the part of the parents has been removed. The soap is
prepared by taking 1 lb. soft soap, 10 ozs. paraffin and 6 drams turpentine, the whole being thoroughly