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103
the scheme has worked well and the majority of the children
showed a satisfactory gain in weight.
(b) Uncleanliness. The Education Committee have, for
a number of years, made arrangements for the cleansing of
children with unclean heads at the Health Centre. A cleansing
room has been equipped with all the necessary facilities
for this work, which is carried out by the nursing staff.
During 1937, seventy-two children were cleansed at the
Health Centre. This represents a decrease on the figure of one
hundred and thirty-three for the previous year.
It is felt that no child should be cleansed at the Health
Centre unless the mother, on account of illness or other bona
fide reasons, is unable to carry this out herself. Many cases,
however, have been dealt with at the Health Centre in order
to minimise the long absence from school which is often
caused by this trouble.
No legal proceedings under the Education Act, 1921, or
the Attendance Byelaws, were taken against the parents of
such children during 1937. Forty-one warning letters, however,
were sent and these produced the desired effect.
(c) Minor Ailments and Diseases of the Skin. The work
of the Minor Ailment Clinic at the Health Centre is shown in
Table IV. This Clinic is well attended. The number of
defects dealt with was nine hundred and sixty-five, an increase
of one as compared with the figure for the previous year. A
school nurse is in attendance at this clinic daily, including
Saturdays, from 9 to 11 a.m.
The Committee have made arrangements for the treatment
of children with ringworm of the head by means of
X-rays at the St. John's Hospital at a cost of £1 10s. Od. per
case. The parents are required to contribute according to
their circumstances.
One child with ringworm of the scalp, twenty children
with ringworm of the body, nineteen with scabies, one hundred
and thirty-one with impetigo and one hundred and ninety-two
with other diseases of the skin received treatment at the minor
ailment clinic.
(d) Visual Defects and External Eye Disease. Details
of the work of the Refraction Clinic are given in Table IV,
Group II.
This clinic is held every Monday afternoon from 2 to 4.
Occasionally during the year it is necessary to hold further
sessions on Wednesday afternoons.