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78
Feeding of school children.
The reduction of the Treasury Grant on account of school feeding necessitated
very careful reorganisation of the arrangements, and much additional responsibility
has in consequence been thrown upon the care organisation.
It is of great importance that no child should suffer from lack of nutriment.
Closer co-operation with the Guardians of the Poor has in many cases solved the
difficult situation that arose.
In London much benefit has resulted from the arrangement whereby milk is.
given in school to debilitated and ill-nourished children upon the advice of the school
doctors. It has been necessary carefully to standardise this work. Special reports
have been obtained in each case and very careful following-up initiated in order that
no child needing milk under the provisions of the Act should suffer.
Re-inspection of all milk cases has been instituted throughout the area, as it
appeared that certain children placed upon the milk list remained on the list
after the need for special feeding had passed by.
During the year an average number of about 25,000 milk meals was given each
week to necessitous children in elementary schools.
Personal hygiene.
The total number of examinations made at rota visits during the year by the
district school nurses was 2,158,100; verminous conditions were present in 405,335
instances, or 18.7 per cent., as compared with 205 per cent. in 1921 and 18.9 per
cent. in 1920.
Cleansing
scheme.

In addition to the figures set out above for the year 1922, the number of children
dealt with at the head cleansing centres was 25,987.
The reduction in the percentage of children found unclean corresponds closely
with the findings of the school doctors at routine medical inspections. It is the
practice of the school nurses in London to include not only children found harbouring
pediculi and their ova, but also children who are found flea-bitten; also as the
children are seen more than three times during the year by the school nurses, and
as it is probable that especially dirty schools receive more attention, it is clear that
the above figures are not to be compared with those of other authorities where
differing methods and standards may exist.
The great reduction in the number of children suffering from scabies is due
to the concentrated efforts used to deal with this scourge, even at the expense of
some of the ordinary cleansing work. With the lightening of the burden thus
effected the campaign against lice has been intensified, and progress in educating the
people to observe a higher standard of personal cleanliness generally has been
resumed.