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52
1. Uncleanliness.
The numbers found at the Routine Medical Inspections
were remarkably low. Of course the parents are
warned beforehand that these inspections are to take
place and no doubt children are often specially cleaned
up for the occasion. That however is all to the good.
It is one of the beneficial effects of Medical Inspection,
though an indirect one. The numbers found unclean
by the nurses when they visit the school without notice
being given is also gratifyingly low. Moreover, in the
great bulk of the cases improvement is rapidly effected
as a result of the nurses' representations to the parents.
As long as there is one child in the schools with nits in
her hair the ultimate aim has not been attained, but
there seems little doubt that a gradual improvement
is taking place, and that it is coming more and more to
be looked on as a disgrace for a child to be in an uncleanly
condition. I regard this gradual educational
effect as of far greater importance than the benefit to
the individual children who are cleansed, valuable
though the latter is.
2. In Impetigo and Scabies which may also be classed
as dirt diseases there has been a distinct falling off in
the number of cases during the year, which is another
hopeful sign.
3. The number of Ringworm cases shows no sign of
diminishing at present. This can hardly be called a
"dirt disease" and, so far as is known, it has no ill
effects on the health of the sufferers. On the other hand
it is a serious disease from the point of view of school
attendance, since the children suffering from it must be
excluded, and, even with efficient treatment, it often
takes many months to cure. The only rapid cure is
X-ray treatment and this is not easily available. There
is a certain amount of prejudice against this form of
treatment owing to the fact that permanent baldness
has sometimes resulted from the application of the
X-rays. It may be that this risk can never be entirely
discounted but now that a vast experience in the
use of X-ray has been accumulated it appears that the
risk in the hands of a thoroughly skilled radiologist is
very small indeed.
I have sometimes been asked if there were
any danger of the brain being injuriously affected by