— 82 — The following points call for comment (i) The schools in Kassala, Bed Sea and Upper Nile Provinces are not representative of the people of the provinces in which they are situated, but for the most part represent populations alien to the provinces which have settled in the towns in which the schools are situated. The figures given for these provinces afford no indication therefore as to conditions among the native population of the provinces. Similarly, the schools at Khartoum, Omdurman, Atbara, and Wad-Medani represent the mixed populations of large towns and do not correctly indicate conditions among rural populations of the provinces. With these exceptions the figures afford a fair indication of the conditions under the headings given of the children and boys and girls of the provinces concerned. (There are two girls’ schools included in the figures).

(ii) The high trachoma rate in Haifa, Dongola, Berber and the White Nile Provinces is noticeable. The boys, although treated at the schools, return re¬ infected after their summer holidays. The disease is not likely to be eliminated from the schools until treatment can also be carried out among the whole juvenile population of all the villages. This is being attempted in Dongola Province.

(iii) The high bilharzial rate in Haifa, Dongola and the White Nile Provinces and the Nuba Mountains.

Systematic anti-bilharzial work is at present undertaken in Dongola and the White Nile Provinces, but not in Haifa Province or in the Nuba Mountains. The bilharzia incidence percentage was recorded for the elementary schools in Dongola in 1921 as 20 p.c. It would appear therefore from the present figures that a definite improvement has taken place during that period of years.

(iv) Tuberculosis. Five cases of tuberculosis are recorded (of which one at the Gordon College was glandular). The others were pulmonary. One occurred at the Gordon College, two of the others occurred in Kordofan and the third in the White Nile Province close to the Kordofan border.