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46
case notes showed that the disease had entered on a period of quiescence, exhibited
for four or five days after the journey, all the signs of an acute or sub-acute relapse.
Nevertheless, the children on the whole did well and benefited greatly as a result
of the escape from the strain and disturbance of air raids.
Personal hygiene
There were 1,196,951 examinations in schools for personal hygiene by the
school nursing staff. Of these, 76,597, or 6.39 per cent, showed verminous infestation.
Every infestation, however slight, is counted. The percentage is slightly more than
that for 1943 (6.19) but is practically at the 1942 level (6.3), and compares with
7.3 per cent, in 1938. During the year, 48,727 (59,857 in 1943) children were dealt
with at the children's bathing centres ; of these, 15,785 (23,805 in 1943) were suffering
from scabies or impetigo. There appears to be a reduction in the incidence of scabies.
This may be due to the operation of the Scabies Order, 1941. Under the provisions
of the County of London (Scabies) Regulations, 1943, scabies was made a notifiable
disease in London as from 1st August, 1943. By the end of the year 16,785 cases
(all ages) were notified to the borough medical officers of health.
Not all the children who attended the centres were sent as a result of the nurses'
routine personal hygiene school inspections; a number came for treatment before
being evacuated.
Cleansing
agents
Lethane 384 special is now commonly used for dealing with verminous
heads while benzyl benzoate is still the main treatment for scabies.
Handicapped children
In December, 1944, 44 special units for defective children were functioning in
London. In all, 1,808 children were examined in London or in the reception areas
as to their suitability for special education. Of these, 508 and 463, respectively,
were certified as fit for instruction at day schools for the mentally or physically
defective. Of the children attending and seen in special schools, and at the special
parties for handicapped children, 57 were sufficiently improved to justify return to
elementary school instruction, and 67 children over 14 years of age were released
from special schools as being no longer certifiable.
The number of London children accommodated in the Council's hospital schools
at the end of December, 1944, was 801. Some of these hospital schools were in
" evacuation " premises.

In addition, 2,567 children attending day special schools had school dinner,
making a total of 86,520 pupils having school dinner on the selected day. Of these, '