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91
CLEANSING NURSE.
The Cleansing Nurse was first appointed on the 24th March, 1920, but
Miss Conry, after a week or two's work was unfortunately smitten with a
severe illness and died on April 25th. Miss R. Edmonds succeeded her on
July 19th, 1920. She visits a school at short notice and makes an examination
for head and body nits and vermin. A record is kept of all children fonud
verminous at the routine medical inspection or by the teachers. The following
is a summary of the work carried out by Miss Edmonds during the year:—
No. of schools examined 3
,, „ scholars examined 2693
„ „ ,, found with head vermin 188
,, ,, ,, ,, ,, nits 635
,, ,, „ ,, „ body vermin 7
,, ,, ,, excluded 10
Last year the school nurse examined 6,008 children.
From September 14th to the end of the year, Miss Edmonds assisted at the
Minor Ailments Section of the Clinic owing to the absence of the Clinic Nurse
(Mrs. Wilkin) through illness.
Special attention is given to the children found verminous by the Cleansing
Nurse, who are, if necessary, excluded under Article 53 (b) of the code. Cards
giving advice as to prevention and treatment are sent to the parents of such
children. They are examined again in a week or two, and to those still found
verminous, warning cards are given again. The homes of persistently verminous
children are visited by Mrs. Hobbs, 1st schoo nurse.
S6ABIES.
On this loathsome disease, Dr. Strong reported to me as follows:-
"Owing to the unaccountable delay on the part of the Council to equip the
Cleansing Station, we have had to deal with a large number of cases of
scabies at the clinic. I maintain that a clinic is not a suitable place f0r
such cases, but in the absence of the Cleansing Station I have endeavoured
to treat such cases with a certain amount of success; but in spite of constant
and daily supervision the protracted absence of these children has resulted in
a serious loss of grant to the Education Authority. In order to minimise any
risk to other children, all these cases are asked to attend at 9 a.m. punctually,
the earliest time for other cases being 9.30 a.m."