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During the year, 408 specimens of hair from school children were examined
for ringworm at the laboratory at County Hall. After microscopical examination
fungus was found in 134 of these (116 small spore ringworm, 15 large spore ringworm
and 3 favus).
Play centrcs
As has been the practice m previous years, co-operation has been maintained with
the Play Centres Committee, who were notified of all schools where infectious disease
was prevalent. The Committee have continued the scheme for the distribution of
notices warning parents against sending children to the centres if they are unwell or
are home contacts of infectious illness.
School
journeys
Special arrangements for the medical examination of children before departure
for school journeys were continued, and borough medical officers of health have again
been asked to co-operate by forwarding information when a case of infectious disease
occurs in a home from which a child has proceeded on a school journey. Particulars
of the general arrangements made for school journeys during 1938 are set out on page
41.
Hop picking
—infectious
disease
The measures taken in co-operation with the Kent public health authority with
a view to preventing the introduction of infectious diseases among workers in the
hop-gardens, which have been described in previous annual reports, were continued in
1938.
Approved
schools and
remand
home
Residential establishments for children
There was a recrudescence of body ringworm at Ardale approved school, twentynine
cases having been reported during the year. A special visit was paid to the school
in May by a medical officer from County Hall who made a thorough examination and
proffered suggestions on the method of treatment and disinfection of clothing. The
outbreak subsided in October and no further case has been reported since.
At Stamford House remand home there occurred during the year a number of
cases of scarlet fever, diphtheria and scabies. All necessary steps were taken to
prevent the spread of infection but the incidence of infectious disease was not regarded
as excessive, bearing in mind the shifting population of the home. One boy was found
to be suffering from gonorrhcea on admission. He was admitted to hospital and later
discharged as cured. Another boy, who was found to be suffering from gonorrhcea
on admission, was discharged by the court before treatment was completed. He was
subsequently re-admitted to the remand home, but, as he refused treatment, he was
sent by the court to a prison hospital for treatment.
Reference to the occurrence of cases of vulvo-vaginitis at this home is made later
in this report.
Residential
special and
open-air
schools
Residential
schools,
children's
homes, and
children's
receiving
homes
Active immunisation against diphtheria was continued during 1938 at all five of
the approved schools, and, in addition, active immunisation against scarlet fever was
continued at the Mayford school.
The numbers of cases of infectious disease at the residential special and open-air
schools were not unduly excessive and no special comment is called for.
The infectious diseases occurring in the residential schools, children's homes and
children's receiving homes in numbers sufficient to warrant special mention were :
measles at three institutions, German measles at two, and chickenpox at three. All
practicable steps were taken to prevent the dissemination of infectious disease in the
establishments, including the removal of patients to appropriate hospitals.