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referred for treatment and 37 were referred for observation; of
the 6 referred for treatment, this was provided as follows:—School
Clinic, 2; Hospital, 2; Private Doctor, 1; at home, 1.
Uncleanliness.—With respect to this condition a much higher
standard is now insisted upon than formerly. Frequent inspections
are made by the School Nurse, assistance is given in cleansing the
children, and thpse who persistently offend are prosecuted. It is
now rare to see a gross case of a vermin infested head, and the
84 cases (80 Routine, 4 Specials) returned in Table 2 as defective,
consist mainly of those showing nits on the hair.
Forty-one cases are returned as uncleanliness of the body; this
does not necessarily mean dirty bodies from lack of washing. There
are only a few of these latter cases, they consist of children whose
bodies are flea-bitten, but who are otherwise clean. These cases
are met with usually in the summer months and are difficult to deal
with unless the house is thoroughly cleansed. It would be a step
forward if the home was cleaned by the Sanitary Authority in all
these cases infested by vermin. It certainly should be done in
recurring cases. A considerable number are returned clean as a
result of representations and advice, but for recurring offenders the
home and its contents should be disinfested by the Sanitary
Authority, and if after such disinfestation it is allowed to become
infested again, the occupier should be dealt with in an exemplary
way. A thorough cleansing by the Sanitary Authority would, I
believe, have an important educative effect and impress pn the
occupants that a vermin infested house is an offence and dangerous
to the community.
With regard to the following up pf these cases, see " Cleansing
Scheme,'' page 63.
Skin Diseases.—Eleven cases of Ringworm of the Scalp were
found during the year, 1 case during the Routine Inspections, and
10 through the School Clinic. Of these 11 cases, 10 were provided
with X-ray treatment by the Education Committee, and 1 refused
this form of treatment. Eight of the cases occurred in a Home for
" Waifs and Strays,'' and they all occurred at the same time. The