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PREVALENCE 0F AND CONTROL OVER„< INFECTIOUS
AND OTHER DISEASES.
CONTROL OF VERMIN AND SCABIES
By the courtesy of the School Medical Officer particulars regarding the
cleanliness surveys in schools have been obtained, and are as follows: -
Number of children examined: -
Primary Schools 13,483
Secondary Modern Schools 4,876
18, 359
Number of children requiring treatment 106
Number of children in respect of whom
cleansing notices were issued 72
Number of children cleansed by Local
Health Authority 48
There was a fall in the number of children found to be infested with head
lice, from 131 in 1955 to 106 in 1956,
Although this figure is less for the year, the findings are still not to
be considered very satisfactory since the number requiring compulsory cleansing
appears to be rising annually i. e. 25 in 1953. 29 in 1954, 37 in 1955, 48 in
1956.
By arrangement with the Medical Officer of Health of Hammersmith, persons
requiring cleansing because of infestation with scabies or vermin, can be
treated at the Hammersmith Cleansing Station During 1956., seven persons were
referred for cleansing,, five for scabies infestation and two for verminous
infestation. All of these cases were cleared quickly.
INFECTIOUS DISEASE
In the year 1956 there was a marked decrease in the incidence of infectious
disease This was due mainly to the fall in measles notifications.
Measles is a disease showing a marked biennial fluctuation and the current
year was the year of low incidence. The up and down nature of this disease
can be observed from the following table of notifications of this disease
during the past ten years.
1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956
438 335 511 269 863 413 810 47 659 107
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