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124
Council's endeavour therefore, is to test each year all junior school children at about
eight years of age. During 1952 52,865 school pupils were tested, 1,252 of whom failed
their pure tone test, and were referred to audiology centres. It is likely that the
gramophone test will be succeeded in a few years' time by some other form of testing
that can be effectively used at a younger age.
Bathing centres
The cleansing of verminous school pupils (see page 117) is carried out at eight bathing
centres run directly by the Council and, by arrangement with the metropolitan borough
councils concerned, at 21 borough cleansing stations.
Scabies,
impetigo and
ringworm
Children treated for scabies totalled 657, compared with 777 in 1951. The number of
verminous children treated at bathing centres fell by 3,137 to 15,850, while treatments
needed decreased by 1,812 to 27,017.
Cases of impetigo treated at minor ailment and bathing centres numbered 2,063,
compared with 2,224 in 1951.
The incidence of scalp ringworm (29 cases) was lower than in the previous year (40).
Sanitary accommodation in day schools
The Standards for School Premises Regulations, 1951, lay down scales of provisions for
cloakrooms, wash basins, changing rooms, showers, water closets and urinal stalls. Of
the 1,358 schools for which the Council is responsible, many were built over 60
years ago, and at many old schools these modern sanitary standards are not attained.
For example a number of schools are still equipped with trough closets. Although these
are outmoded they are not inherently insanitary given regular flushing and during the
year steps were taken to ensure that the necessary rates of automatic flushing continued
to be available and used. Medical officers when visiting schools do not confine themselves
to seeing the children but interest themselves in general hygiene arrangements and the
condition of the sanitary accommodation in so far as these may affect the health of the
pupils and staff.
Residential schools
In accordance with the Memorandum by the Home Office on the Conduct of
Children's Homes the public health department takes responsibility for the health of the
children in residential schools and other establishments under the direction of the
Children's Committee (see also page 72). There were seven residential schools with
accommodation for 2,800 children, four approved schools with a total accommodation
of 482, two remand homes with accommodation for 142 children, and a number of
other smaller establishments—reception centres, small homes, family homes and aftercare
hostels. At the larger establishments a visiting medical officer, appointed by the
Council, attended for routine medical examinations, and also took the children on to
his national health service ' list.' Periodic visits were made by senior medical and
nursing officers from County Hall. Arrangements were made for the dental treatment of
the children, and visits were made by the Council's psychiatrists (see also page 126).
The problem of enuresis in residential establishments had been the subject of a
survey by Dr. H. G. Williams, one of the Council's psychiatrists in the previous year,
and in 1952, a pamphlet was issued containing his notes on the problem of enuresis
for the guidance of housemothers, and other staff concerned with the residential care of
children.
Infectious diseases in schools
When a pupil is absent from school, and the cause is either known or suspected to be due
to infectious disease, the headteacher immediately notifies the divisional medical officer,
as well as the borough medical officer of health. Table 13, page 181, gives the number of
such cases reported during 1952. As these figures are uncorrected for diagnosis they differ
from the notifications shown in Tables 14 and 15, pages 183-4, which are discussed on
pages 16 to 23.