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244
FINDINGS AT ROUTINE MEDICAL INSPECTIONS
Uncleanliness.
Frequent special inspections are made by the school nurses
at the schools and the figures obtained by them are naturally less
satisfactory than those in Table XIII.
The health visitors at their uncleanliness surveys made 463
inspections and examined children. At the primary inspections
they found vermin in 297, and nits alone in 2,452 children. On
these inspections, 4.3 per cent. of the children showed evidence
of infestation as against 4.1 in 1930 and 4.3 per cent, in 1929.
In connection with these findings it must be stated that as children
in unsatisfactory families are subject to repeated examinations,
they naturally raise the total percentage found unclean. Uncleanliness
is largely confined to certain families, who are known to the
teachers and health visitors.
Clothing and Footgear.
At routine medical inspections 99.0 per cent, of both boys
and girls were clothed and shod properly. Closer scrutiny has
been exerted by the medical inspectors and the findings are
satisfactory.
Nutrition.
In the entrants 15.0 per cent. of the boys and 16.3 per cent.
of the girls were below average nutrition. In the intermediate
15.5 per cent. of the boys and 17.9 per cent. of the girls were
under average; in the leavers 15.4 per cent. boys and 19.0 per
cent. girls, giving in the whole school groups examined 14.8 per
cent. of the children as under average nutrition.
The figures are lower than in 1930. These findings should
be taken in conjunction with the more elaborate analysis contained
in Table IV.
The subject of child nutrition is a complex one and is
dependent on many and diverse factors. Investigations carried
out in Scotland pointed to efficient mother-care as the dominant