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16
In the last quarter of 1925 there was an unusual incidence of scarlet
fever amongst scholars attending Belmont Road School. A daily inspection
of the scholars failed to bring to light more than one or two suspicious
cases. An offer was made to the parents of children attending infected
classes that, if they wished it, I would be willing to inoculate the
susceptible contacts with scarlatinal antitoxin; 136, or about 50 per cent.
of the parents accepted. Each child was given 3 c.c.'s intramuscularly,
and the children thus protected were spaced out in their classes alternately
with the remainder of the children. For a fortnight there was no further
notification of scarlet fever from the school. None of the inoculated
contracted the disease and there was no further unusual incidence of the
disease in the school thereafter.
With regard to measles, whooping cough, chicken pox and mumps,
the Board of Education's rules are observed.
Notifications under the Infectious Disease Notification Acts, 18891899,
were received in respect of the following diseases occurring amongst
children of school age, with the noted frequency:—
Scarlet Fever 279
Diphtheria 150
Enteric Fever 1
Erysipelas 5
Pneumonia 21
Encephalitis Lethargica 1
Cerebro Spinal Meningitis 1