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14
It was impossible to get more detailed information as to whether
contiguous scholars were affected, but this is not of so much
moment, as I am informed the relative positions of scholars are
frequently changed owing to various circumstances. The point I
wish to bring out clearly is that any arrangement such as above
described which brings children into close relation with each other
during school hours is an agent which favours the spread of
infectious disease amongst scholars should an unrecognised case be
introduced amongst them.
I am of opinion that in school each class should have a separate
class-room, and each child a separate seat and desk, with a space
between each seat of about 2 feet, and the floor space for each
scholar should not be much less than 15 sq. feet. A special kind of
seat and desk would be required for infants. I shall have to refer
again in this report to this subject in connection with diphtheria.
With regard to the St. James' School, closing was resorted to
at the end of July with the satisfactory result of causing the
disease to disappear from the school. Of course, everything was
done by the Public Health Department in the way of disinfection
and isolation to prevent any further spread of the disease.
Typhoid or Enteric Fever.—The number of cases notified
during the year was 207, of which 65 died. This is equal to an attack
rate of .9 per 1,000, and a death rate of .3 per 1,000. The disease was
most prevalent during the last four months of the year. This is the
usual period for this disease; but this year it appeared to be exceptional
as regards its duration—the rise commencing in the third
week of September and keeping above the average until the last
week of the year. Out of the total I found upon enquiry that 15
cases were introduce into Hackney after the summer holidays.