View report page

176
Possible Exciting Causes.
In order to ascertain whether there might be any predisposing
or exciting cause operative in the production of plantar warts,
arrangements were made for the completion of a form of questionnaire
in respect of each child who attended for treatment.
Public Swimming Pools.
It has been suggested that the infection is probably spread at
swimming pools, and more probably when persons are walking or
running about on the surrounds of the pools.
It was found, however, that of 258 cases investigated, only
195 (75 per cent.) had been attending swimming pools.
Footwear.
Of the 258 cases, 248 (96 per cent.) had instruction in Physical
Training as part of the school curriculum. Of these, some 241
(97 per cent.) had been wearing rubber plimsol shoes while taking
part in physical training at school. In order to determine whether
infection might be spread by the wearing of the same plimsols by
different children, enquiry was made as to whether the rubber
shoes were worn only by the affected child. It was found that,
of 241 children who had been wearing rubber shoes, the shoes were
private property in 165 cases and school property in 76 cases.
In 68 per cent, of the children who wore rubber shoes there was
therefore no possibility of spread of infection from rubber shoes
worn at school.
Wellington boots had been worn by only 70 (27 per cent.) of
the children affected.
The footwear of each affected child was examined for the
presence of nails or uneven surfaces which might cause abrasion
of the plantar skin ; but in only 90 cases (34 per cent.) was there
either evidence or history of the presence of nails or sharp projections
where the warts developed.
It has been suggested that cheap footwear of foreign manufacture
may be responsible for the increase in plantar warts, and
attention was therefore directed to the source of the footwear.
It was found, however, that the boots and shoes of affected children
had been bought from as many as 49 vendors, and that the three