View report page

8
5- Findings at Medical Inspections.
(a) Malnutrition. — I have no evidence that there is any
malnutrition owing to lack of food. 1 have not seen any cases in
the number of children seen at Routine and other Inspections and
have not had any reports from Head Teachers as to ill-nourished
children.
Children are found occasionally under-nourished more as a
result of unsuitable diet than of shortage of food. Advice is given
to the parents in these cases.
(b) Uncleanliness. The degree of cleanliness of both head
and body is noted at the inspections.
12 children were referred for treatment owing to verminous
or "nitty" heads.
During the year the average number of visits per school by
the Nurses for Cleanliness Inspections was 8. The total number
of examinations during these inspections was 8,284, as compared
with 9,861 in 1932. 327 individual children were found either to
be verminous or to have so many nits in their hair that notices
had to be sent to the parents.
The verminous cases are, of course, at once excluded from
school.
When children have to be excluded, the Education
Secretary is at once advised and a letter is sent by him to the
parent with the information that if the child's head is not cleansed
in one week, prosecution will follow. This I find has the desired
effect and no proceedings have had to be taken during the year.
No cleansing of heads is done at the Clinic, but occasionally
hair has been cut short after permission in writing has been
obtained from a parent.
(c) Minor Ailments and Diseases of the Skin. (Table IV.,
page 25). During the year 604 minor ailments were referred for
treatment as compared with 643 in 1932.