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10
STEPS TAKEN TO COMBAT INFESTATION.
The following observations submitted to the Ministry of Health
subsequent to the issue of the Annual Report for 1943 can be
reproduced here as they apply to 1944 with equal force.
For many years very active steps have been taken in the
, schools to promote the cleanliness of school children and the good
effect of these steps on the mothers has been shown in the cleanliness
of the children of all ages. Some indication of the improvement
may be seen in the figures relating to the head inspections of school
children carried out at regular intervals in each year in the schools.
The percentage of children found in successive years, in all the
•schools, to have perfectly clean heads, and by that is meant those
whose heads are quite clean, even free from nits, were :—
1935 97.1 per cent.
1936 97.2 „ „
1937 6.7 „ „
1938 97.0 „ „
1939 7.2 „ „
1940 97.0 „
1941 96.0 „ „
1942 96.7 „ „
1943 97.0 „
1944 97.5 „ „
These figures are certainly notable. The cleanliness of Ealing
children has even been noted by others who have come into touch
with them in the Reception Areas for there have been many
expressions of appreciation of their condition. The method adopted
has been regular inspection, followed by notices regarding those
unclean and exclusion of those found to have more than a few nits.
These notices have given advice as to the maintenance of cleanliness.
The duty of the mothers to keep their children clean has been
impressed upon them and they have been told how to do it. No
child has been cleansed by the school nurses ; the mother has had
to, do the cleansing. After several warnings a mother who has
offended has been prosecuted under the School Attendance Byelaws.
The School Nurses have followed up other and especially older
children and even the mothers in the homes, because it has been
found that children'after being cleansed have received new infestations
from older members of the family. When all other measures
have failed to bring about the desired result lethane oil has been supplied
free of charge for use by the mother herself or by the girls who
have left school. The use of lethane oil has only been advised as a last
resort to deal with such contacts. Regular care and attention
have been advised or urged as the proper way of keeping school
children clean and the same applies to children under school age.