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note: The percentages of children referred for treatment differ slightly from those quoted in the defects for
treatment table on page 78 in which the percentages were based on the number of children medically inspected.
Personal hygiene
Health surveys—The number of comprehensive health surveys conducted in 1963 was
five per cent, less than that conducted in 1962. There was a decrease of 11 per cent. in
the number of selective health surveys.
No. found Pupils found to be verminous
No. examined verminous % of No. examined
Annual comprehensive health surveys* .. 293,770 2,401 0.82
(.309,897) (2,577) (0.83)
Additional health surveys* 141,130 2,557 1.81
(158,678) (2£11) (1.83)
* 1962 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 has shown a continuous
decline over the years 1959 to 1963, which is largely due to the introduction in
1960 of Lorexane No. 3. shampoo.
Percentage found to be verminous
Hygiene inspections Comprehensive health surveys
1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963
1.26 1.25 1.27 1.25 0.93 0.90 0.83 0.82
The number of individual children found to be verminous during 1963 was 2,856, a
reduction of 263 from the number in 1962. Fewer selective health surveys were made
(which may account in part for the reduction) because they have tended to be confined
to those schools where the need is greatest.
Details of the work done under the cleansing scheme are shown below. The emphasis
of the cleansing scheme as now carried out is on the children being cleansed by the parents
at home, where any other verminous members of the family may, in the privacy that the
home affords, also use the Lorexane No. 3 shampoo, hence eradicating a possible source
to the child of recurring infestation.
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