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In the course of her inspections she must be always on the lookout for rashes, sore
throats, cases of ringworm, scabies or other skin affections, and for children who are
suffering from ear discharge, sores or other minor ailments. She notes children who
may need convalescent treatment such as that given at the Council's residential
open air schools. Lastly she assists in the routine medical inspections, prepares the
children therefor, carries out the preliminary vision testing and the actual weighing
and measuring. Should the school doctor desire to draw particular attention to a
child who needs medical treatment and whose parents are not present at the
inspection, it is the nurse's duty to visit the home and explain the necessity of dealing
with the matter.
The human side of the cleansing work has not been forgotten by the nursing
staff. For many years the school nurses have themselves organised a voluntary
Cocoa Fund, out of which is provided for the children attending a cleansing station
a cup of cocoa after the cleansing. The contributions to this Fund are mainly
derived from the various social events held by the nurses throughout the year. In
all phases of the Council's school medical work, the school nurse is an essential
factor upon whose efforts depend the successful working of the arrangements.
Personal Hygiene Scheme.
The number of examinations made at rota visits during 1926 by the school
nurses was 1,840,106; verminous conditions were present in 288,721 instances,
or 15.6 per cent., as compared with 16.6 per cent. in 1925, and 16.1 per cent. in 1924.
The results of the work under the cleansing scheme for the last five years are:—
Verminous Verminous Subsequently Verminous Scabies
Exanimations conditions Per children cleansed children cases
Year. at rota noted at cent. referred to by cleansed at bathed at
visits. rota visits. centres. parents. centres. centres.
1922 2,158,100 405,335 18.7 73,800 26,031 47,769 3,944
1923 2, 052,904 371,790 18.1 79,702 26,469 53,233 2,935
1924 2,059,590 332,695 16.1 74,643 22,012 52,631 2,155
1925 1,937,588 323,020 16.6 88.859 27,647 61,212 2,077
1926 1,840.106 288,721 15.6 96,426 31,116 65,310 2,130
In addition to these figures, the numbers dealt with at the head cleansing
centres during the past five years were 24,637 (1922), 24,516 (1923), 23,986 (1924),
23,947 (1925), and 23,645 (1926). Of the total number of 288,721 where
verminous conditions were noted, 174,697 were noted as infested with nits only.
Cases where actual vermin or flea bites were noted amounted to less than 6.2 per
cent. of the number of examinations.
Scabies.
Little difference is noted in the number of cases of scabies treated at the centres
as compared with 1925, but towards the end of 1926 and at the beginning of 1927,
a slight rise in the numbers attending the centres was apparent.
Treatment
centres.
The Council has 10 centres available for the treatment of verminous children
and has agreements with 18 sanitary authorities and 7 voluntary committees for
the use of their premises for the work. In addition a new Council centre will shortly
be available for the North Paddington district, and an agreement is pending with
a voluntary committee for the use of part of the committee's premises in Stepney
as a head cleansing centre.
Cleansing
scheme.
Under the Council's cleansing scheme there were, in 1926, 96,426 verminous
children whose condition was brought to the notice of the parents by means of
advice cards and who were referred to the cleansing centres for following up. Of
this number 42,571 attended voluntarily at the various centres for cleansing, but in
25,688 cases it was necessary to serve, after a further re-examination, statutory
notices in accordance with Section 87 of the Education Act, 1921. Following upon
these notices, 6,712 children attended the centres voluntarily for cleansing, but of