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Miscellaneous Closures.—Pocock-strcet Cookery Centre. Closed for one session by instructress
in consequence of a case of scarlet fever.
Wesleyan Practising School.—The boys', girls' and infants' departments were closed on the
recommendation of the local Medical Officer of Health for 10 days before the Easter holidays, in consequence
of the depletion of the teaching staff by reason of an outbreak of German measles among the
teachers at the Training College in connection with the school.
Disinfection Requiring Closure for Short Periods. — Broomsleigh-street School
(Infants). One room closed for one session—scarlet fever.
IIawley-crescent (Girls').—One room closed for one day—scarlet fever.
Moberly (Infants').—One room closed for two days—scarlet fever.
" Stanley " (Infants').—One room closed for one session—scarlet fever and diphtheria.
St. Andrew's, Streatham.—Infants' department closed by order of the local sanitary authority
for three sessions—measles.
St. Mary Magdalene (R.C.), Brockley.—Infants' classroom closed for one session. Case of scarlatinal
desquamation.
Victory-'place (Girls').—One room closed by order of local Sanitary Authority for one session—
scarlet fever.
Wood-street (Infants').—Two rooms closed for one day—scarlet fever.
MEASLES.
The first special enquiry which I proposed to the late School Board for London has now been
conducted for a period of five years in the district of Woolwich by Dr. C. J. Thomas in co-operation with
Dr. Davies, the Medical Officer of Health, and may be said to have revolutionised our ideas, as it has
given much valuable information in regard to the distribution and methods of treating measles outbreaks
in the schools. It has resulted in a great saving in school attendance and has incidentally
shown also that the measles death rate may be minimised. By means of advice cards there has been
accomplished a gradual education of the parents to a sense of their responsibility and to the seriousness
of the disease. The principles deduced from this enquiry seemed of sufficient weight and importance
to justify their application to the whole of London, and the Council therefore resolved on 28th
January, 1908, that the rules of this system should be adopted in all the infants' departments
of the public elementary schools in the metropolitan area. They have also been recommended generally
by the Local Government Board. Instructions have been given to all the head teachers of infants'
departments and the new methods are now in operation. The following procedure lias been adopted.
The infants' head teacher makes enquiry as to the measles history of each scholar on the roll, and of
every child newly admitted to the department. If a child has already had measles, this is recorded
in the attendance register by the letter M ; if the child is not known to have suffered, this is noted by the
letter 0. Should a child with a negative measles history contract the disease before leaving the infants'
department, a suitable alteration is made in the register. The record thus established serves to show
fit any time the proportion of children protected by previous attack to those who are unprotected and
liable to attack when exposed to infection, and it is upon this knowledge that any action is based.
Immediately a case of measles occurs in the department, a copy of the following dark red card is distributed
to each of the unprotected children in the classroom in which the patient was attending :—