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16
parents. In cases where the husband has returned, the
position is rendered even more acute.
Concurrently with the increase of overcrowding,
there has been a growth in the number of houses which
have been discovered to be verminous. Here again, we
have experienced difficulty, as the re-agents used for
killing are in short supply.
VERMINOUS
HEADS.
The presence of lice and nits has undoubtedly
increased, so much so,
that the Ministry of Health has
issued a Circular which gives additional powers to Local
Authorities, particularly with regard to dealing with children
up to school leaving age. It is difficult to convince
some parents that the presence of nits amounts to a verminous
condition. It is sometimes stated that the child
"grows them." This of course, is absurd, as the fact
that nits are the eggs of lice, is conclusive evidence that
a visitation must have taken place. Unfortunately, verminous
heads are not confined to children; they are of no
infrequent occurrence among adults. The attention of
my department has on numerous occasions been directed
to this by factory nurses and hairdressers. The fashion
of wearing short hair, which at one time one hoped would
mitigate this, has been more than offset by the still more
recent fashion of artificial waving. I am informed that
thorough combing of waved hair is inimical to the preservation
of the wave. Fortunately a new preparation has
recently been made available for dealing easily with nits
and lice, this is an oily product which is easily applied
and is very effective. The neglect, however, of thorough
combing is a bad habit which should be corrected, as, in
spite of the lethal action of the oil referred to, the omission
of thorough brushing and combing at least once daily
is likely to damage the hair.