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94
The following table shows the number of cases supervised by
he Public Health Department during 1910:—

The more serious cases are again less frequent than in former
years, and long outstanding attacks would be unknown were it not
that some of the parents refused to have X-rays applied for
children who are unlikely to be cured by drugs in any reasonable
time. The number of children excluded from school at the end of
the year was 82, as compared with 82 twelve months previously.
Of the 243 new scalp cases 161 were treated at the Town Hall, 65 by
application of X-rays, 96 by drugs, while a further 20 of the
pievious year's cases were also given X-rays. 19 suspicious cases were
also examined and proved not to have ringworm. Altogether 1465
attendances were made by children at the Town Hall in connection
with the treatment of this disease.
In respect to the question of X-ray treatment, we have now
sufficient experience to make our figures of some value, and I find
that from the beginning of this treatment down to the end of 1910
425 children have been treated by X-rays, and that the average time
taken to complete the cure amounted to 73 days. This period
seems somewhat lengthy, but it must be remembered that in the
majority of cases submitted to X-rays the disease was widespread
and likely to resist treatment. The time was also increased by the
following considerations:—
Occasionally X-rays had to be re-applied as another focus of
disease had developed, or the first application was not sufficiently
prolonged.
In some instances the holiday season accounted for the delay in
submitting the children for a freeing certificate.
Occasionally children developed some other unhealthy condition
of the scalp which had to be treated before freeing for school.