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20
character of their individual domestic conditions, and not to causes
connected with the War.
Cleanliness.—As has been noted in previous reports, the number
of children found verminous at routine medical inspection was
comparatively small, but the systematic examination by the School
Nurse of all the children in the girls' and infants' departments has
been continued. For obvious reasons, the Nurse's visits were not paid
at regnlar intervals, but every class in the departments mentioned was
examined at least twice during the year. Seventy-eight classes in all
were examined, a total of about 3,000 children, and 341 children were
found to show sufficient evidence of living vermin or nits to require
notices to the parents. In 62 instances formal exclusion by the School
Medical Officer was necessary, and in eleven cases proceedings were
taken and convictions obtained.
The number of mothers who go out to work is cjnsiderable and
increasing, and in consequence the time that they can devote to the
cleansing of the children's heads is restricted. This is undoubtedly an
important reason for the increase of verminous cases.
Adenoids and Enlarged Tonsils.—Of all the children
examined for various reasons, 135 were found to have adenoids or
enlarged tonsils to such a degree as to require special treatment. Of
these, 81 were operated upon, 68 being treated at the expense of the
Committee under the arrangement with St. John's Hospital. This
number was considerably in excess of that authorised under the approved
scheme, The reason for thus exceeding the appointed number was
that in so many cases the fathers were away on active service, and in
others the mothers went to work daily, and had no time or opportunity
to hunt about for letters of recommendation for local hospitals, while the
expense of taking the child to a London hospital is prohibitive in most
cases A considerable number of children for whom treatment, although
recommended, was not obtained, were those of Belgian, and especially
of Flemish, parents. Unfortunately, the School Medical Officer does
not speak Flemish, and consequently his powers of persuasion are not
attended with the same degree of success that might otherwise be the
case-