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From the commencement of September until the end of the year a
considerable number of scarlet fever "contacts" and "suspects," who
had been excluded from School, were visited by the Medical Officer of
Health at their homes, as there was an unusual prevalence of the disease
in the autumn. The great majority of the "suspects'' visited were found
to be suffering from ordinary sore throats and colds or other illnesses not
of an infectious nature. Twenty-four cases of scarlet fever occurred in
Slaidburn Street between the 14th July and the 25th October, very largely
amongst children of school age. Sixteen of these cases were notified in
September. All the cases were promptly removed to hospital. On the
matter being reported to the Borough Surveyor, arrangements were made
for the daily watering of the street with a weak disinfectant, and for the
more freauent removal of house refuse from the back vards of the houses.
Verminous School Children.—During the year 1913, 187 children
attending elementary schools in the Borough, were reported by the
School Medical Officer for the County of London, as being found by the
School Nurses to be in a verminous condition as regards their heads, their
bodies, or both heads and bodies. The corresponding number reported in
1912 was 242 children. Of the total 187 in 1913, 155 were reported once
only, 21 were reported twice, 7 three times, and 4 four times.
The homes of these children were visited by the Lady Sanitary
Inspector; altogether 227 visits were paid in connection with this work.
There appears to be a certain improvement as regards the cleanliness of
the children in 1913 as compared with 1912, but the 32 cases reported
more than once belonged to homes where the sense of parental responsibility
is so slightly developed that but little good can be effected by home
visiting. To aid the mothers of the children in cleansing the heads and
freeing them from vermin, the Public Health Committee authorised the
purchase of tooth-combs of the best quality, which are too expensive for
the very poor to buy, and these are now given to necessitous cases with
careful instructions as to how they are to be used.