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14
(c) Minor Ailments.—Although there is no significant alteration
in the number of minor ailments found during routine
inspections it is significant that a much larger number of children
have actually been treated at your Minor Ailment Clinic.
It will be seen readily that this increase in work does not
mean an increased incidence of minor ailments but that your
children have, during the year under review, presented themselves
in larger numbers than heretofore for treatment at your Clinic.
The Clinic at East Street too has been used for a certain
number of re-inspections, and many mothers have brought their
children up during the year for advice for conditions other than
those included under the heading " Minor Ailments." This has been
of very considerable helpfulness to the children, to their parents
and to you as an Education Authority, and development along these
lines cannot but be beneficial to the town.
(d) Skin Disease.—The common skin diseases include impetigo,
septic sores, scabies, ringworm, etc. These showed on the whole a
decline compared with previous years, and, although it is wrong
to argue that these conditions occur only amongst dirty people,
it is right to say that on the whole they are less frequent among
cleanly than they are amongst people of indifferent cleanliness.
The treatment of impetigo is sometimes fought with much
difficulty. In its most severe forms it occurs usually amongst
children whose parents are indifferent to their condition. Rigorous
medical treatment with ointment will cure these cases, but unfortunately
without co-operation from the parents your work at the
Clinic is brought to nought.
Some of these intractable cases, so it is presently taught, are
not true cases of impetigo at all but are really a very mild form of
lupus. This has suggested the use of artificial sunlight in the cure
of these cases and I have begun to use this form of treatment.
Your artificial sunlight lamp, however, is of a form which does not
lend itself to economic treatment in these cases and an extension
of services will be necessary if we are to take up this work seriously.