EASILY CURABLE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 146, 22 June 1937, Page 14

EASILY CURABLE.

NATIVE SKIN DISEASE. HEALTH DEPARTMENT EFFORTS. Every effort is being made by the Health Department to wipe out native skin diseases in country schools, according to a statement by an official of the Health Department in Auckland yesterday. The danger of children in country schools owing to Maori children from nearby settlements suffering from impetigo was emphasised at a meeting of the Auckland Education Board last week. '"In the past two or three years the Health Department has increased its country nursing staff considerably."' said the official. "Treatment is being carried out in country districts and a great deal of valuable work is being done. One difficulty that presents itself is the fact that Maori children go home for their holidays and return to school with these sores. Then they have to be treated all over again." Much was at present being done for Maori hygiene, said the official. Special attention was being paid to impetigo, or the sores which develop on arms, legs and faces. The greatest difficulty was that many of the Maoris, in their homes, did not have the facilities for keeping properly clean. In various country schools, baths had !>een installed so that the necessary sulphur treatment could be carried out The disease was easily curable with \ igorous treatment. It could be almost entirely wiped out. "The disease is not as serious as it is made out to be." said the official. "It can be cleared up. but a great deal depends on netting the Maori houses improved. When that is done there should be little impetigo."'