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151
The routine cleanliness surveys made by the health visitors are a
better guide to the condition attained in the various schools.
The health visitors during the course of their school surveys
for uncleanliness made 48,465 inspections of children, and found
head vermin in 355, and nits alone in 3,538. Thus, on the basis
of these inspections, 8.0 per cent, of the children seen showed
evidence of infestation, as against 9.5 per cent, in 1924.
(b) Malnutrition.
159 children were found during routine inspection to need
treatment for malnutrition, and 110 were referred for observation.
Thus, out of the 8,269 children examined as routine cases, approximately
3.2 per cent, showed evidence of malnutrition.
(c) Defective Vision and External Eye Disease.
413 children, or 5.0 per cent, of those seen during routine
inspection, were found to show defective eyesight requiring treatment.
In addition, 42 children, seen as routine cases, were found to
be suffering from squint, and 30 (0.4 per cent.) had external eye
disease requiring treatment.
(d) Ear Disease.
60 children, or 0.7 per cent, of those examined during routine
inspection, had markedly defective hearing, and 21 (0.2 per cent.)
showed evidence of a notable degree of ear disease.
(e) Enlarged Tonsils and Adenoids.
Of the children examined during routine inspection, 210 (2.5
per cent.) had enlarged tonsils and adenoids requiring treatment,
while 763 (8.8 per cent.) were affected in slighter degree.
(/) Lymphatic Glands.
in 18 children, seen as routine cases, the cervical glands were
enlarged to an extent needing treatment, while in 216 other cases
the children were kept under observation.
(g) Dental Disease.
492 children (6.0 per cent.) were referred for treatment on
account of dental decay. This, of course, does not give an accurate
picture of the prevalence of dental caries among school children,
which is more fully depicted in the section of the report dealing
with dental treatment.