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(d) Overseas Evacuation. 58 medical
examinations were conducted in respect of children
registered for overseas evacuation and special
reports were completed for the Children's Overseas
Reception Board.
(a) Cleansing Facilities in connection with
evacuation. As the Committee is aware, the re is no
Public Cleansing Station in Barking but in order
that, if possible, any dirty children should be
cleansed before departure to the Reception Areas,
you did contemplate making certain minor adaptations
to existing lavatory suites at two schools- one
at each end of the town. It was proposed that
adequate supplies of hot water would be available,
delivered through shampoo fittings of a simple
nature, over existing lavatory basins. Electric
hair dryers were also to be installed. Under this
scheme children found to have nits or live vermin
would have been referred to these places for a
special shampoo. Parents would have been expected
to give the 3hampoo, under trained supervision;
special soap and nit combs would have been available
.
However, the large movement under Plan IV
took place before these adaptations were put in
hand and we were fortunately able to deal with the
dirty cases with the existing facilities; some
children were also cleansed at home. (See page 6
of this Report).
(3) HYGIENE.
Nutrition and vitality are factors it is
almost Impossible to standardise. It Is therefore
obviously diffcult to say at this stage what, if
anything, has been the effect of the War on the
Health of the school population. It is further
heartening to find that no significant variation
from normal has been noted by your medical officers
and this observation will, I feel sure, be accepted
with satisfaction.
(a) The food problem was only at its
inception in 1940 and during that year there was
little cause for any significant variation in
nutrition. Alternative foods, throughout 1940,
wore comparatively casy to obtain and In some
schools a substantial midday meal was served
daily to which children could go either free or
on payment of a small fee.
(b) The comparatively poor hygienic
conditions in shelters had, of course, little or
no influence until August, 1940, and although it
was anticipated there would have been some considerable
spread of infectious diseases, it was found
that apart from scabies (dealt with later) and the
common cold, very little effect on the health of
children was noted due to this particular factor.
(c) So far as the possiblity of nervous
strain due to constant day and night raids is
concerned there is again little evidence. The
lost hours of sleep were often made up by lato
mornings in bed so that schooling was more likely
to suffer than the child's health. The actual
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