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9
in one girls' school 65% were found to be infested, while in
one infants' department only 10% were not clean.
The only way to reduce this number is by frequent and
persistent visitation of the schools, exclusions and prosecutions
following where necessary. To be quite candid, this
has not been energetically pursued during the year. The
increasing time taken up by the minor ailment, dental and
ophthalmic clinics, and the increasing numbers who have
to be medically inspected, have rendered it necessary to
drop some of the work, and beyond sending notices and
repeated notices to parents no more bellicose measures
have been adopted.
In some of the worst cases, and especially those
complicated by septic sores, impetigo of the head and
scabies, the use of the Bathing Centre established at
Radnor House has been invaluable, and reference to its
activities is made under the heading of treatment of minor
ailments.
(b) Minor Ailments.
It is a tribute to the value of the Minor Ailment
Clinic to find that the number of minor ailments
discovered during routine inspection is comparatively
small, while the number dealt with at the Clinic, whether
they are sent by the School Nurses and Head Teachers, is
large. Taking for example infectious skin disease and
external eye disease, the percentage of children found
affected at routine inspection was approximately 1% of
each, while at the Clinic these cases constituted 11% and
10% respectively of the 1300 children specially seen. Again,
taking the cases of otorrhœa or discharging ears, 2% of the
routine inspections were found to have this disorder, while
at the clinic 5% of children seen, attended for this
condition.