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9
RINGWORM, ITCH, AND KINDRED DISEASES.
I wish to draw particular attention to the prevalence of
ailments due to nothing but uncleanliness and avoidable dirt and to
neglect on the part of parents. At present the discovery of all such
infectious disorders as Ringworm and Itch is left a great deal too
much to chance. Children who are seen to be in doubtful health
are sent down by their Teachers to the Town Hall to be examined
by me at 10 a.m. every morning, and during the year I certainly
saw a very large number in this manner. But something like a
periodical examination of the children by their Teachers should be
compulsory, and thus these disagreeable ailments might be treated
in time. The majority of those I saw at the Town Hall were
suffering from the direct results of filthy habits and neglect at home.
We should hear less about sore throats, bronchitis, adenoids,
enlarged tonsils, and the like, if parents kept their children's mouths
clean and if a little more attention was given to the use of the
toothbrush. Again, there is no excuse for the dirty state of the
.heads of the children, chiefly girls, who 1 examined.
MEASLES IN SCHOOLS.
The question constantly arises as to whether it is advisable to
close the Infant Schools when an outbreak of Measles occurs. I
think it unnecessary to do so. Those children who have not already
had Measles should be excluded, but all who have had it, even if
they live in a Measles infected house, might be permitted to attend
School. At the same time parents should be informed why their
children are not allowed to attend School and should be warned not
to let them visit infected houses. In such a district as ours, very
little good would be done by closing the Schools, as children living
in the same street and houses often attend different Schools and the
closing of Schools is no guarantee that, during playtime, the healthy
are not mixing with those who either have the ailment or are living
in infected houses.