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157
these Glands had suppurated and a chronic discharge had resulted,
or in which there was other specific reason, were cases regarded as
Tuberculous.
There is no doubt that this method of classification leads
to a very considerable under-estimation of the number of children
suffering from Tuberculous Glands. Personally I am of opinion that
a very large proportion of chronically enlarged Cervical Glands are
due to Tuberculosis; and further, that this condition is often
produced by eating the flesh or by drinking the milk of tuberculous
animals. My reason for this opinion is, as I pointed out in last
year's Report, principally derived by analogy from the pig; an
animal which no doubt derives its Tuberculosis mainly from its
food, and in which the Cervical Glands are the first organ to
become affected.
Every morning throughout the year (except Saturday and
other Holidays) I see a number of children at the Town Hall
who are referred to me by the teachers or by Dr. Kirkhope, for
my advice as to their fitness to attend school.
These children are then certified by me as fit or unfit to attend
school; the unfit are advised to seek appropriate treatment and
to come to me again, in most cases in a week's time, when they
are certified either as fit to return to school, or recertified as unfit
on a card provided for this purpose.*
Below I append a list of those ailments which during the
past year have necessitated the children suffering from them to
attend at the Town Hall, where 4,447 examinations have been
made by me.
Ringworm of Body
117
,, ,, Scalp
147
Skin Diseases (Impetigo, Eczema, &c.)
345
Dirty Heads (verminous state)
301
* See Appendix, pages 168, 169.