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39
lethargy in remedying it when it is once established. Children of
certain families come up for exclusion for uncleanliness with the
regularity of "habituals," and the cleansing of their verminous
heads which should be a matter simply of days, is allowed by their
negligent parents to run into weeks.
Only the most stringent application of the law can be expected
to inculcate a sense of responsibility into such parents ; and the
more harshly they are dealt with by the Justices the less likely
are they to permit the recurrence of the condition.
At the periodical inspection of heads held after the usual
school holidays, 418, or 5 per cent., of the children were excluded
out of 8,247 examined. In addition, 12 were excluded at routine
medical inspection, and 44 of those specially referred by the school
teachers.
Failure to cleanse an excluded child within 14 days is met
by a summons under the Attendance Bye-Laws. During the
year 33 summonses were issued. Fines of 10/- were imposed in
twenty cases, and 5/- in eleven cases. Two cases were adjourned
for cleansing which was carried out within the time allowed.
Minor Ailments.—Minor ailments found on routine and
non-routine examinations were as follows:—
Ringworm of head 16
Ringworm of body 17
Scabies 26
Impetigo 127
Minor Injuries 21
Other Skin Diseases 150
Ear Disease (including Otorrhoea) 44
Eye Disease (including Blepharitis and Conjunctivitis) 55
Total 456
Enlarged Tonsils and Adenoids.—On routine inspection
86 cases of enlarged tonsils were found to require treatment and
92 to require observation. Thirteen cases of adenoids only and