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(f) X-Ray Treatment for Ringworm of Scalp.
This service is still available, for appropriate cases,
but none such have come to our notice during the year.
(g) SpeechTraining. This service was not
re-opened in 1940.
Foot Clinic . The Municipal Foot Clinic
was opened on 11.7.38, its services having been
available to school-children throughout 1940, and
during that year the poor attendance is presumably
due to evacuation.
Attendances of O.E.S,
scholars.
1938 1939 1940
49 284 19
(7) INFECTIOUS DISEASES.
It can be stated at the outset that the
amount of notifiable infectious disease in 1940 was
negligible, certainly very much less than in 1939
or 1938. There were none of the usual epidemics of
measles or whooping cough and none of the schools
or school departments were obliged to close on
account of infectious diseases.
There was very little demand for
Immunisation Clinics and only 20 patients were
completely inoculated against diphtheria during
1940. At the end. of the year, however, numbers
were already rising and it can be stated here that
the figures for 1941 will be more satisfactory.
Immunisation against Scarlet Fever and Whooping
cough was also carried out on a small scale.
(8) SKIN DISEASES.
There is no doubt at all that Impetigo,
ringworm and skin diseases in general have all decreased,
probably in proportion to the number of
scholars evacuated.
By contrast, Scabies has very markedly
Increased and the spread of this troublesome complaint
has been particuifarly difficult to control,
mainly for two reasons - (a) the disease is not
notifiable and (b) more than one member of the
family is usually infected and there are no facilities
in the area for treatment of other than school
children and children under five. Even when the
children are cleared by the treatment which is
provided for them at your clinics, there remain a
number of untreated and possibly undiagnosed cases
which are a constant source of fresh outbreaks.
The crowded, shelter problem was particularly
propitious to the spread of scabies from one person
to another and from one family to another; soldiers
coming home on leave often either brought scabies
with them or took it back when they returned. In
this way the complaint has become widespread, throughout
the country.
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