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the reports. The times have been very trying and the progress oi the children has been ufiected thereby.
The main trouble has been undue fatigue at times, and the doctors attribute this to loss of sleep rather
than to any nervous tension directly brought about by shock or fear. This, of course, has affected
all the children equally, whether in play.ground or in ordinary classes. Special mention should be made
of the "open.air classroom" at the Jews' infant school, Commercial.street. Good results have been
obtained in this class by intensive attention paid to the physical condition of the children, including
the provision of cot hammocks for resting purposes, and special arrangements for feeding, by which
every child gets milk at school during the morning session. The children are all delicate and are selected
for admission by the school doctor, remaining in the class until discharged by him. The class is not
limited to the summer months, but is carried on throughout the year. The results obtained in this class
are comparable to those obtained in the regular open.air schools, and the increase in physical measurements
is at a higher rate than in the play.ground classes generally. This emphasises the need for careful
attention to the nutritional state of the children in all the classes.
Personal Hygiene.
The duties of the school nurses with regard to cleansing were steadily pursued throughout the
year, but the absence on war duty of a large number of the more experienced nurses has naturally
affected the work to some extent. The duties consist of a general inspection of the children and the
application of the Council's schemes for dealing with those who are found to be (1) verminous in body
and clothing; (2) suffering from scabies. The schemes have been set out in detail in previous reports.
The scheme for dealing with verminous heads only is no longer operative, as it is now possible for
children attending schools in outlying districts to be conveyed t6 the cleansing stations by means of
the Council's motor ambulance.
Careful consideration has been given to the question as to whether any improvements could
be effected. It was found that some parents abused the privileges accorded to them, allowing their
children to relapse from time to time into a verminous condition after repeated voluntary cleansings.
It has therefore been decided to amend the scheme. Hitherto it has been the practice to send a warning
notice (see A below) to parents stating that children may attend voluntarily at the cleansing station,
and this notice is repeated if. after being cleansed, the children again become verminous. On a further
relapse occurring a more drastic notice (see C below) is served, and this is repeated before the warning
as to police court proceedings is issued. It is now thought that these notices should not be issued more
than once, and the scheme has been varied accordingly. The modifications are shown below, the
portions to be omitted being printed in italics :—
CLEANSING SCHEME (PERSONS AND CLOTHING).
Slight cases.
Advice given.
I
Severe cases.
Remedied by parents.
Unremedied.
A Card given offering voluntary
baths at cleansing station.
Local Medical Officer
of Health informed.
Opportunity accepted.
Opportunity neglected.
B Three voluntary baths given
Child cleansed. In case of
relapse a second opportunity is
given. In case of further relapse
proceed under C.
C Child separated from others in school.
Divisional Superintendent directed
to serve Statutory Notice.
Local Medical Officer
of Health informed.
Parents now come voluntarily
to station.
Child cleansed by parent.
In case of relapse begin
again at C.
No steps taken by
parent.
D Three voluntary baths given
In case of 1st relapse commence
again from C. In case of 2nd
relapse.
F Child examined within 24 hours oy
nurse and conveyed to station for
compulsory bath. Child cleansed
in one operation.
Local Medical Officer
of Health informed.
E Divisional Superintendent asked to serve
statutory notice in which no opportunity
of voluntary bath in given.
G If the child again becomes verminous
police court proceedings are
taken. Pending the hearing, the
child, if not cleansed, is excluded
from school. After a conviction the
child is taken again to the centre
for a compulsory bath.
Cleansed by parent. In
case of relapse begin
again at E.
No steps taken by
parent, proceed
under F.
A complete record of the number of examinations by the school nurses and of the conditions
found was made, and the following figures show the amount of work done: Number of examinations,
2,130,186; number found clean, 1,601,528; number found verminous, 528,658; percentage found
verminous, 24.8 per cent. The number found verminous includes all degrees of unsatisfactory conditions,
from the case of a few nits on the hair to cases of head, body and clothing infested with pediculi.
Rota visits
General
inspection.