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Close co-ordination with the School Medical Service exists and
it has been arranged that entrants to infants' departments should be
notified to this department in order that they may receive a " boosting
dose " if they have already been immunised in infancy, or the two
standard doses of antigen. It is hoped that the comparative freedom
of the population as a whole from Diphtheria will not lull parents into
a state of false security.
In order to maintain the interest of parents in the importance of
immunisation, the head teachers and factory executives all received a
personal letter from the Medical Officer of Health inviting earnest
consideration of this important subject.
VERMINOUS
CONDITIONS.
The Health Visitors have given special
attention to the control of head lice, and in
accordance with Circular 2831 of the Ministry
•of Health dated July, 1943, they have, when occasion so demanded,
visited the homes of children outside their normal working hours in
order to instruct the mothers with regard to the elimination of vermin.
In times like these it is often difficult otherwise to make contact with
mothers who, in many cases, are employed during the greater part of
the day.
There are no statistical records of the prevalence of head lice,
but one gathers from medical inspections prior to evacuation and other
indications, that parents are becoming more conscious of their duties
in this respect. New reagents are now available for the eradication
of nits and five vermin, these mark a long step forward and simplify
the technique.
Assistance has been received on many occasions from the School
Medical Department of the County Council, which employs a lady
in this district specifically for cleansing the heads of school children.
In many instances her services have been utilised for pre-school
children, as it will be agreed that it is useless to cleanse some members
of a family and leave others who will readily cause re-infestation of
their brothers and sisters, and even parents.
SCABIES
CLINIC.
In the autumn the Council, being concerned
with the apparent increase in Scabies, resolved
to provide treatment for this condition, and
after receiving permission from the Scheme-making Authority, commenced
treatment sessions at Five Elms First Aid Post. The reagent
used is a preparation of Benzyl-Benzoate, it is applied after the patient
has had a hot bath and been thoroughly dried. Normally one application
suffices to clear up the condition, but occasionally obstinate
cases occur requiring further treatment.
One important factor is that the whole family infected should be
treated if possible at one session, otherwise those cured soon become
re-infected. From the time that the clinic was opened in the middle
of September to the end of the year 274 treatments were given.