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The procedure for dealing with infestation in school children adopted by the Education
Committee in 1953 and described in detail in the annual report for that year, was
continued throughout 1954. The following figures relate to the work done during the year:-
Total number of individual pupils found to be infested 413
Total of individual pupils in respect of whom cleansing
Notices were issued (Section 54 (2) of Education Act, 1944) 112
Total of individual pupils in respect of whom cleansing
Orders were issued (Section 5^ (3) of Education Act, 1944) 10
Although 10 cleansing Orders were issued, only 2 children were compulsorlly cleansed
at the Treatment Centre. Experience shows that the force of the cleansing Notice often has
the effect of making the parents realise their responsibilities so that, even though it is
necessary to issue a cleansing Order, by the time it is in the parents hands, a number of
the children have been satisfactorily cleansed. During the six years under review the
percentage of infestation has dropped from 4.6 in 1953 to 1.46 in the present year.
There was a reduction of 34 cleansing Notices and a decrease of 5 cleansing Orders
issued during the year compared with the previous year. Nine cases had a second notice,
and one had three notices.
It is obvious from these figures that we have now reached the level of infestation
which represents the hard core of families who, in spite of all our efforts, have failed
to respond. To deal with this difficult problem a special committee of doctors, nurses
and Public Health Inspectors was set up under the Chairmanship of the Deputy Medical Officer
of Health to study ways in which this resistant group of families could be approached in an
effective way.
HOME VISITS
This important function is carried out by the school nurses and health visitors.
The School Health Service frequently requires the nurse to visit the children's homds to
obtain reports of various kinds, and this is welcomed as an excellent opportunity of
getting to know really intimately the families for whose welfare they are concerned.
Much valuable social work is carried out by the nurses in giving help and guidance in a
variety of ways. During the year the school nurses paid 1,419 home visits. The number
includes 297 visits in connection with the Medical Research Council's controlled B.C.G.
trial on school leavers mentioned on page 99. The total number of visits was l6l fewer
than in 1957, but whereas the total for 1957 included 1,100 visits in connection with the
Medical Research Council's B.C.G. trial, in 1958 these dropped to 297 visits. Thus the
difference of about 650 visits represents an increase in home visits for all the other
reasons, made mainly at the request of the medical officers. The report on social
conditions is becoming increasingly used by school medical officers as an integral
factor in the assessment of the child's general condition.
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