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48
heads, due to infection through scratching caused by irritation
of head lice, are certainly decreasing in number amongst our
scholars. In bad cases with neglectful parents such conditions
are often most tiresome, and much school attendance is
un-necessarily lost.
The Superintendent of the Attendance Officers informs
me that 88 parents have been prosecuted during the year for
the non-attendance of their children on account of verminous
conditions. The School Nurses occasionally attend at Court
when such cases are heard, so that they may give their
evidence if required. I wish to acknowledge with gratitude
the cordial co-operation of the Attendance Officers in this
part of the work, for in obstinate cases it has often been the
only way to get unsatisfactory conditions remedied. Other
neglectful parents too, often take to heart such warnings.
CONDITION OF TEETH.
On routine inspection, 32'1 per cent, of infants, 38'7 per cent,
of older girls, and 39*8 per cent, of older boys were found to
have two or more carious teeth. An inspection of teeth by
a dentist, with the aid of a mirror and probe, would reveal
a far higher percentage than this.
Few people realize the importance to health in keeping
decay from teeth. We have known children suffering from
chronic poisoning from continually swallowing the decayed
matter from teeth. I was requested to see one small boy
who had a most offensive breath, and found it was due to a
mouthful of horribly decaying milk teeth. Not only does