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measures against neglectful parents, and should the Education
Authority decide to take legal proceedings they will undoubtedly
have the moral support of the community. By far
the greater number of the cases of infection found in the
schools are of slight degree, and indicate recent contamination
by a dirty child, for which the parent of the clean child
cannot always be blamed. But few parents will be now found
who will excuse the presence of living vermin in the hair, as
used to be done in old days. There still remains, however,
a remarkable indifference in some mothers to the presence of
the eggs or ova in the hair. The excuse is often made that
the eggs are dead. It cannot be too strongly insisted on
that the presence of the eggs, whether dead or alive, is the
mark of a loathsome insect, and should not be tolerated by
any mother who is proud of her children.
Mental Condition.—Many children were found to be
markedly below the normal level of intellect. There were
also some apparently dull children seen who were found on
careful examination to be partly deprived of the "avenues
of sensation" owing to deafness or defective eyesight. Some
children, again, were merely backward owing to long absence
from school. Occasional children are met with in which the
dulled mentality is due to chronic under-feeding or underclothing.
During the year a careful census was made of the
numbers of children above the age of eight and on the school
roll who were feeble-minded. These children are practically
incapable of benefitting from the ordinary class teaching.
They respond much more readily to individual teaching and
to class teaching (such as manual work) where no strain is
put on the reasoning powers. When in the ordinary elementary
school they are often a hindrance to the effective
teaching of the other scholars. It is to be hoped that before
long special schools, followed by permanent supervision, will
be provided for these unfortunate children.