View report page

106
1897]
Council and the Medical Officer to the School Board for London. The
former has contended that undoubtedly Diphtheria has been influenced
by schools, while the latter has stoutly denied that such is the fact.
Now first as regards Scarlet Fever. A reference to the ScarletFever
Chart, p. 76, shows that from the middle of April to the latter
end of September, the curve of the disease for a period of years has
gradually and constantly risen. There it is seen that during the month
of August, which is the period in which the public elementary schools are
closed for the summer holidays, there is no stay to the rise in the curve,
from which it might be reasonably argued, if there were no other circumstances
to be stated, that the schools could not be a factor in the
increase. If, however, we examine the ages of the persons attacked,
and divide them into three groups, the pre-school age, 0—3, the school
age, 4—14, and the post school age, 14 and upwards, we would expect to
find, if the schools were in no way responsible, that the rise in the
curve has been effected by an increase of the disease at all these ages.
Unfortunately for the schools such is not the case, for an examination
of the figures reveal these facts, that whereas the figures for
children under the school age, and persons over that age, steadily increase
from July to September, those for the school age show a decrease in
August, which is followed by an enormous increase in September.
Pre-school Age.
(0-3.)
School Age.
(3-14.)
Post-school Age.
(14 and upwards.)
June 98 675 140
July 111 783 168
August 145 778 210
September 158 1,155 189
Here we see that cases among children under the school age
increased from 98 in June to 111 in July, to 145 in August, reaching
158 in September; and that at the post school age the 140 cases in
June became 168 in July and increased to 210 in August, but fell to
189 in September. What a contrast this is to what occurred at the
school age! The cases which increased from 675 in June to 783 in July
fell to 778 in August, when the schools were closed, but increased to
1.155 in September when the schools were re-opened.