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260
FINDINGS AT ROUTINE MEDICAL INSPECTIONS.
Uncleanliness.
For uncleanliness surveys the health visitors made 589 visits
to schools. At the primary inspections they found vermin in 177
and nits alone in 2,046 children. On these inspections, 3.4 per
cent. of the children showed evidence of infestation as against 3.9
in 1934 and 3.6 in 1933. 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.
During the year a new scheme was evolved and put into
practice, tightening up the whole of this work, and establishing
a cleansing station with an employee in charge. Previously,
children found verminous attended the Minor Ailments Clinic.
The health visitors now have the power to take children found to
be persistently verminous direct from the school to the Cleansing
Station. Authority for this step is provided by Section 87 (2) of
the Education Act, 1921.
Clothing and Footgear.
At routine medical inspections 99.0 per cent. of the boys and
99.2 per cent. girls were clothed and shod properly. Close scrutiny
has been exerted by the medical inspectors and the findings are
satisfactory.
Nutrition.
In the Entrants 6.3 per cent. of the boys and 7.2 per cent.
of the girls were below normal nutrition for the area. In the
Intermediate group 8.5 per cent. of the boys and 7.5 per cent. of
the girls were under average; in the Leavers group 5.3 per cent.
of the boys and 5.4 per cent. girls, giving in the whole school
groups examined 6.9 per cent. boys and 6.9 per cent. girls.
With respect to this subject, more definite standards of what
is considered to mean Malnutrition have been laid down in an
endeavour to eliminate, as far as possible, the varying human
factor in the estimation of physical condition which is most
difficult to define. The words Nutrition and Malnutrition vary
greatly in their significance and meaning with the persons making
the investigations.