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21
ascertain the position from another angle and to investigate the
condition of school entrants who had been examined at routine
inspection quite shortly after their admission to school. This
investigation was carried out by Doctor Butler who examined
453 such entrants. It is interesting to note that only four of them
were found to be suffering with nits and that none had vermin.
A further step that was taken was the examination of children
who had been admitted to our war-time nurseries during 1943.
The total admissions amounted to 422. The Matrons of the
lespective nurseries informed me that of the children admitted
six had nits and six were refused admission because they were
verminous. It must be presumed that in the case of the six admitted
the infestation was so mild that it could be treated immediately
without risk of transmission to other children. This
position is not quite so good as that reported in the case of school
entrants.
I also enquired of the Matrons of the Nurseries as to the
habits and clothing of the children whom they admitted. The
reports generally seem to show that there was no need to iefuse
any child on account of unsatisfactory or dirty clothing. Some
children were unsuitably clothed and the parents responded to
advice given them in this respect.
The Matrons agree that generally 75 per cent. of the children
admitted were trained in good habits. On the other hand there
were very few children who had been instructed in the regular
washing of the hands after evacuation of the bowels or bladder,
and few were accustomed to the routine use of a tooth brush.
This is somewhat unfortunate and bears out the suggestions in
the Circulai that if good habits and cleanliness are to be inculcated
into young children the morning and evening toilet with their
routine of undressing, cleaning the teeth, washing, saying prayers
and getting into a clean bed in a well ventilated bedroom ; waking
in the morning, washing, dressing, cleansing of the teeth, breakfasting,
opening of the bowels and rewashing-are the most important
hygienic habits a young child has to learn. Parents must
be taught to realise the importance of these bedtime and early
morning hours in the training of their children. The experience
of some of my colleagues in the reception areas has shown that
there are far too many children whose idea of going to bed is to
take off their shoes and some of their outer clothing and get into
bed ; whilst getting up in the morning consists of replacing these
clothes, possibly douching with cold water and having a piece of
bread with peihaps some jam as they hurry off on their way to
school.
I do not think these conditions apply in Enfield but in order