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Health surveys—The number of comprehensive health surveys conducted in 1961 was
only slightly less than that conducted in 1960, but there was a decrease of 56 per cent. in
the number of selective health surveys. This is explained in large part by the fact that in
1960 examinations of children for athlete's foot, plantar warts and other communicable
disease were included; whereas in 1961 they have been excluded from this figure and are
shown separately later in the same table.
No. found Pupils found to be verminous
No. examined verminous % of No. examined
Annual comprehensive health surveys* 323,800 2,899 0.90
(326,372) (3,028) (0.93)
Additional health surveys* 189,216 3,327 1.76
(435,166) (5,413) (1.24)
* 1960 figures in brackets.
To assess the comparative level of infestation amongst schoolchildren, only the findings
for comprehensive health surveys (each child seen once a year) can be compared with the
former hygiene inspections (each child seen once a term). As will be seen in the following
table, the percentage found to be verminous at comprehensive surveys fell considerably
between 1959 and 1960 but has now stabilised at about the level of the latter year.
Percentage found to be verminous
Hygiene inspections Comprehensive health surveys
1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961
1.35 1.26 1.25 1.27 1.25 0.93 0.90
The number of individual children found to be verminous in 1961 was 4,127, a reduction
of 743 from the number in 1960. The average annual reduction from 1955 to 1959 was
450. Comparison with the earlier years of these figures and those of the percentage found
verminous, tabled above, throws into relief the dramatic change brought about by the use
of Lorexane.
Details of the work done under the cleansing scheme are shown below. The new cleansing
scheme itself is, of course, fundamentally different from past practice in its emphasis on
children being cleansed at home by the parents and makes comparison with past years
very difficult. It appears, however, that of the number found verminous at comprehensive
and selective health surveys more than seven out of every ten were given a tube of Lorexane
and the number of statutory notices issued showed a drop from 320 in 1960 to 62 in 1961.

Bathing centres—The number of cases of infestation with vermin treated at bathing
centres showed a reduction of 34 per cent. compared with 1960 and the number of treatments
a reduction of 36 per cent. There can be little doubt that these reductions are directly
attributable to the introduction of Lorexane.
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