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frequently. Of 4,083 pupils inspected 8 had some head infestation
and in every case the parents were informed of the condition and
with one exeception the child was cleansed by the parent to the
satisfaction of the school nurse; this child was cleansed under arrangements
made by the Local Education Authority.
3. B.C.G. VACCINATION OF 13 YEAR PUPILS
Although this is a well established scheme which, after extensive
trials by the Medical Research Council with the use of B.C.G.
(Bacille Calmette-Guerin) vaccine has shown, without doubt, that
such vaccination in the early teen years confers a considerable
measure of protection against tuberculosis; the response this year has
been very poor.
The parents of every child (including those attending independent
schools) of thirteen years of age is invited to agree to their child's
participation in the scheme and last year only 421 (55% of those
eligible) gave their consent. This compares very unfavourably with
the 66.21% response obtained in 1959 and 61.17% in 1958. There was
a decrease in the response from parents in all districts comprising the
Forest Division but none so great as in this Borough.
4. TUBERCULOSIS CASE FINDING AMONG SCHOOL
ENTRANTS
The purpose of this scheme is to trace, by giving a child a simple
skin test, the possible source of a tuberculous infection in an adult,
which may not have previously been discovered. Here again parents
are invited to give their consent and where this is given, the skin
testing is carried out at the school as part of the child's first routine
medical inspection. There is always a high rate of acceptance for
participation in this scheme and this year 382 (72.21%) were tested.
In 1959 the acceptance rate was 71.7%.
Of the number tested, nine gave a positive reaction; two proved
to be contacts of patients known to the Chest Clinic and the remaining
seven, with their family contacts, were investigated but nothing
of any significance was discovered.
5. DEFECTIVE HEARING
In the Summer it was decided to conduct an experiment of testing
the hearing of some of the children just before they commenced
attendance at school for the first time. Children who were due to be
admitted to two infant schools in September were chosen and parents
were invited to bring their child to the clinic during August and,
most surprisingly, 53 out of 56 invited, attended for a test with the
following results:-
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