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the parents, the evil remains unabated, and the whole procedure is
most disheartening to all engaged in the effort at amelioration.
The liberty of the subject in such cases amounts to no less
than a licence to diff use a loathsome form of verminous infestation,
which would not be countenanced were the results less disgusting
but more dangerous to life.
The remedy is obvious, but statutory powers are necessary for
its application.
It consists in the forcible seizure and cleansing of persons
known to be persistently verminous, and the penalizing of the
condition by less irrational forms than fining.
ASSISTANCE GIVEN BY THE TEACHERS.
I have again to express my appreciation of the whole-hearted
co-operation of the teachers in all matters having for their object
improvement of the health of the school children. In the
table on page 27, details as to the extent of this cooperation
are given ; the Assistant School Medical Officers, almost
all of them, speak most highly of the assistance rendered, and it is
certainly exceptional to find a head teacher lacking in seconding
any of the efforts called for as the outcome of medical inspection.
PARENTS.
Parents were present at 48 % of the inspections of boys, and
at 60 % of girls. When not present, information as to infectious
illnesses from which the child has suffered is sent on the printed
forms supplied for the purpose.
A few parents, amounting in all to 137, are still found to
object to the medical inspection of their children.
In some cases it is certain that such objections arise from
fear that conditions betraying neglect of the child should be discovered.
Medical inspection generally, however, is rightly looked
upon by the parents as a privilege conferred in the best interests
of the child, and is appreciated accordingly.