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11
Clothing and Footgear.
The percentage of those noted as imperfectly clothed was 3'4
and very defective boots 5'4. However, it must be remembered
that the boots are not infrequently borrowed from another member
of the family for the occasion of the inspection and the figure
stated is rather more favourable than that normally existing, but
Twickenham children, are on the whole well clad. It is much to
be regretted, that the Trustees of the charitable fund which has in
the past supplied many slippers for the use of children arriving at
school with wet feet, have not felt that they were able to continue
to supply these during the year under review. They were a gift
of great value and one which added not only to the comfort but also
helped to safeguard the health of many children. The same fund
has, however, lent several pairs of boots to necessitous children.
Verminous Children.
The subject of verminous conditions of either the head or
body has attracted some attention locally during the past year. It
cannot be too clearly stated that the number of children found
verminous at routine inspection bears no relationship to that
normally existing. Children attending the elementary schools in
Twickenham are relatively free from this trouble in comparison
with many districts, and it is because there are so many children
from clean homes in the schools that considerable attention has
been paid to this matter. The school nurse has made frequent
"visits to the schools and given notices to parents of children found
to be affected.
When attention is thus drawn to what is only a comparatively
slight case, an opportunity is given to the parents to deal with it at
once, and such advice is usually acted upon promptly although
perhaps in some cases it may not have been appreciated.
If parents could see some of the cases which eventually come
to the clinic as a consequence of neglected verminous conditions,
there would, it may be safely asserted, be none to resent advice
which, at any rate, is meant in the kindest way.