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No treatment of any kind has been adopted by us of those who
on inspection were deemed to need it, but inquiries as to 313 who
had been recommended to seek treatment furnished the following
results:—112 had obtained treatment and had improved, 100 had
left school or for other reasons no information could be obtained, and
101 had either not been treated or showed no improvement.
During next year (1910) I hope to be able to give more information
on this point, and to enable me to do so I have provided
a book to each School, in which the names and other particulars
of those we have advised to seek treatment are entered; and I have
asked the teachers to look up these lists about once a month and
inquire of the children, and if practicable of their parents, as to what
has been done. This device, besides forming an index as to how
much treatment can be secured at the parents' expense, will, I
hope, help to stimulate the parents to a sense of their responsibilities
in the matter; it also will tend to encourage the
teachers in the work of medical inspection by showing them
that it is being turned to practical use. I am glad to say that
all the teachers have expressed their approval of this book.
CLOTHING AND FOOTGEAR.
Out of the total number of children examined (5,036) the
clothing and footgear of 4,782, or approximately 95 per cent., is
described as good; 122 or 2.4 per cent. as indifferent; and 132 or
2.6 per cent. as bad.
It has struck me forcibly in dealing with verminous conditions
that it would be a great advance in the direction of cleanliness
if the clothing of all children were made of washable materials:
the filthy old cloth stuffs worn by some of the boys contrast
very unfavourably with the cotton dresses of the girls.
In Leyton at two of the Schools laundry classes have
been established, which in my opinion have a decidedly beneficial
effect in not only teaching the technical details of laundry work,
but in popularising cleanliness.