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83
A further important work which was inaugurated last
year with considerable success was continued, namely, that
of seeing all oases who wore kept from school with various
Complaints. The Attendance Officers who had full knowledge
of such cases were instructed to ask the parents to bring the
children, who were not being attended by a medical man, to
the Offices for the Medical Officer to examine. This was
carefully carried out, and the cases were examined at intervals
of a week, in some cases less, until they were well. I am glad
to say that the parents valued the advice given, and owing
to the constant exercise the children recovered more rapidly
and were thus able to resume their school duties at an early
date. A very large percentage of these cases was due to
Impetigo and Ring-worm, and verminous condition of the
head, which, owing to neglect, had reached alarming proportions.
Up to the time of their seeing me many of the children
had undergone no treatment, and were thus daily getting
rapidly worse, thereby causing unnecessary suffering to the
children. I regret to say that a great amount of ignorance
is still displayed by parents in the treatment of simple ailments,
and this shows the need for some elementary teaching
in the upbringing of children. The ladies of the School Care
Committee have been of considerable assistance in visiting
cases and keeping them under observation after I have given
instructions as to their treatment, but I am bound to say,
as a medical man, that the services of a skilled Nurse are
required in many cases. During the year children have
been brought to me in a very bad state with Impetigo, and
the mothers have admitted to me that all they have done has
been to smear some ointment over the surface. One still
hears of Ring-worm being treated with a mixture of ink and
tobacco dust. It is also amazing to me to find how indifferent
many parents seem to be in cases of nasal obstructions in