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69
It is a noteworthy fact that, whereas so many children's
heads have been in the condition described, only in a very
few instances (19 in all—10 boys and 9 girls) have the bodies
been found to be in a similar state. A few children who
were found to be in an exceedingly unclean condition were
excluded from school, and a peremptory note sent to the
parents or guardian requiring the child to be cleansed forthwith;
in practically every case this has had the desired effect.
By the Finchley Act of 1908 extensive authority is given to
your Medical Officer (or to a person authorised by him) to
inspect any child attending any school maintained or provided
by the Council, and to exclude such scholar and give notice
to the parents or guardian to cleanse such child within 24
hours; and if such parents fail to comply, your Medical
Officer (or such person authorised by him) may cause such
child to be removed and cleansed. It has not been found
necessary to enforce these provisions, the peremptory notice
mentioned above having had the desired effect hitherto.
RINGWORM.
In the Midsummer I had the honour to submit a report
on the number of cases of ringworm, as the systematic inspection
was bringing to light many cases which otherwise
would have been overlooked. I thereupon received instructions
from the Committee to make a special effort to deal with
this troublesome complaint. The School Nurse was requested
to bring to the notice of your Medical Officer any cases of a
suspicious nature. In every case where ringworm is suspected
a microscopical examination of the hair is made). Whenever
ringworm was thus observed, the child was excluded and,
according to the instructions of the Committee, was not readmitted
to school till the parents produced a certificate from
a medical man to the effect that the child was free from
infection. At the same time your Medical Officer received
instructions to examine any specimens of hair for ringworm at
the request of any medical attendant. Many of the medical