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126
Annual Report of the London County Council, 1914.
ailments and defects which are likely to retard the development of children. The activities of the school
include (a) infant consultations (b) home visiting and meals for mothers ; (c) systematic classes in health,
infant care, home nursing, first aid, cookery, and needlew ork. The Council has, under its scheme for
supplying teachers to clubs, mothers' meetings and similar institutions, assisted mateiially in the work
of these schools. Instruction in health subjects has been given by lecturers chosen from the appropriate
panel or by qualified officers of the particular institution concerned, who have been specially approved
for the purpose, while the Council's permanent peripatetic staff has been utilised for the lessons in
domestic subjects. So far as the education authority is concerned aid is given to those activities of
a school which are educational rather than to those which are primarily clinical. In order that there
might be continuity of dealing with the whole period from before birth until the time when a child is
entered on a school register, an estimate was laid before Parliament during its last Session for a grant,
to be distributed in aid of the expenditure of local authorities and voluntary agencies, in respect of
institutions or other provisions for maternity and child welfare. The Local Government Board,
in the explanatory letter which it issued as to the formulation of schemes or the expansion of work already
undertaken in this direction, stated that its grant would normally amount to one-half of the approved
expenditure,but might be less if the Board so decided. It also pointed out that any questions of doubt
or difficulty as to the work of an institution coming within the scope of the Local Government Board
or the Board of Education would be investigated by a joint committee of officers of the two Boards.
Infectious Diseases.
The subjoined table shows the incidence of scarlet fever, diphtheria and measles during the
past nine years ; the figures for whooping cough are furnished for two years as the records of this
disease were not kept prior to 1913. The incidence of scarlet fever and diphtheria upon persons of
all ages is compared with the number of school cases notified.

Scarlet Fever.—There was a considerable incidence of scarlet fever in London, during the year,
forming port of a general prevalence throughout the country. In fact the London figures in 1914
were the highest experienced since the year 1907. On reference to the Annual Report of 1913 it
will be seen that this epidemic prevalence of scarlet fever was first observed in May of that year, that
there was a marked increase immediately after the summer holidays, and that it reached its maximum
in the latter part of October. The prevalence experienced during 1914 was a continuation of the
outbreak of 1913, the incidence remaining high throughout the winter, spring and summer months,
and again rising after the summer holidays. The highest number of cases was reached in October.