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CHILDREN UNDER 5 YEARS OF AGE.
These generally come to light in connection with their elder brothers and sisters. In 1944, 402 were treated
at the Centres for Scabies, making 1,235 attendances, and 55 were treated for Lice, making 58 attendances. The
figures for 1942 were 363 treated for Scabies, making 977 attendances, and 34 treated for Lice, making 34 attendances,
and for 1943, 834 treated for Scabies, making 2,014 attendances, and 73 treated for Lice, making 73 attendances.
ADULTS.
\
The figures below indicate that there is a considerable increase in Lice and Scabies amongst adults, or in any
case that a greater number of adults suffering from these conditions are coming to the notice of the Health Department.
These adults mainly come to the notice of the Health Department as contacts with known cases amongst •
school children or as cases referred from hospitals or factories or by private doctors. Every effort has been made to
secure the attendance of the men as well as the women in a family and the appointment of a suitably qualified male
attendant at the new Treatment Clinic has greatly contributed to the success of this effort.

SECONDARY AND JUNIOR TECHNICAL, ETC., SCHOOLS.
The arrangement by which the Medical and Dental Staff of the Willesden Council carry out the inspection
of pupils attending the Secondary and Junior Technical Schools in Willesden on behalf of the Middlesex County
Council has been continued. The total number of pupils on the rolls of these Schools now included in this arrangement
is approximately 3,000.
In 1944, 808 routine medical inspections and 304 special and reinspections were carried out. 166 pupils seen
at the routine inspections required treatment, including 74 on account of defective vision and 89 on account of
deformities, mainly such as flat foot and postural curvature.
The Middlesex County Council have arranged with the Willesden Council for pupils suffering from defective
vision, orthopaedic defects and minor ailments to be treated at the Willesden Health Centres. 205 such defects were
treated.
1,960 pupils were dentally inspected in 1944. 1,500 were found to require treatment and 590 were treated at the
Willesden Council's Dental Clinics under the Middlesex County Council's Scheme.
3,136 attendances were made at the Clinics during the year for medical and dental treatment.
REPORTS OF SPECIALISTS ATTACHED TO THE COUNCIL'S HEALTH CENTRES.
Dermatological Department.—Report by H. Haldin-Davis, m.d., f.r.c.p., f.r.c.s. :—"There is not much
to add to the report made for 1943, but two of the problems mentioned in that report have now been satisfactorily
dealt with.
The X-ray treatment of Ringworm which had previously given considerable difficulty, especially in cases
below school age, has now been undertaken by the University College Hospital with very satisfactory results.
As regards the treatment of Naevi or birthmarks now dealt with, by the Radium Institute, it should be
mentioned that although this involves a journey to Northwood, which is quite an undertaking for the mothers
of infants in war-time, this difficulty is now balanced by the fact that with modern X-ray technique a single treatment
is usually sufficient to cure the case, whereas when these cases were treated with radium, although the results were
very good, repeated attendances, extending over a number of months and sometimes for a year or two, were necessary
in order to obtain a satisfactory result."
Otherwise the work of the Dermatological Department has proceeded on normal lines throughout the year.
Eye Department.—Mr. B. R. Medlycott, m.b., b.s., m.r.c.s., l.r.c.p., d.o.m.s., Ophthalmic Surgeon to
the Council.—During 1944 Dr. Catherine Orr-Ewing and Mr. L. Mushin have carried on the work of this
department in the absence of Mr. Medlycott, on War service.
Dr. Orr-Ewing reports as follows :—
" The outstanding feature of 1944 was the evacuation of children in the summer, which resulted in a
reduction of attendances at Clinics. Many children returned in the autumn with the usual aftermath of
evacuation—lost glasses, broken glasses and the freedom from parental control were used as an excuse by some