View report page

72 ADMINISTRATIVE WORK.
In addition to the scholars ("P.A.") included in Table 44, as excluded from school onaccount
of the infectious diseases specified in that Table, 1,085 other children were reported to
the Department during the year as either absent or excluded from school for various reasons. (See
Table 45, page 83.) In 1911 only 329 absentees from such causes were reported. Each child
so excluded being visited, some many times, the addition to the work of the Department
following on the increase from 329 to 1,085 was very considerable.
" Sore Throaty*—This term is used in school reports in a very loose way and undoubtedly
includes a variety of disorders. Hence cases of "sore throat" are regarded by the Department
with more or less suspicion, depending on the amount and character of the recognised infectious
disease for the time being prevailing in the Borough. Last year 377 children were reported by
the schools as absent or excluded for "sore throat," and 21 other cases were discovered by the
Staff of the Department. In 1911 only 82 cases came to the knowledge of the Department.
The distribution of the 398 known cases, quâ time, shows, as might be expected, a heavy
incidence between January and April, but throughout the year the cases were considerably more
numerous than in 1911.
Jan. Feb. March. April. May. June. July. Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec.
82 90 98 30 10 18 14 3 6 18 23 6
- (2) (6) (1) (1) (18) (6) (-) (12) (13) (13) (10)
The italic figures in parentheses are the numbers reported in 1911.
The figures in Table 45 show the cases reported by the school teachers were principally
among the children in the Girls' and Infants' Departments of the Provided Schools. The Nonprovided
Schools appear to have been singularly free. From Beethoven Street, Droop Street,
and Kilburn Lane Schools the largest numbers were reported—numbers far in excess of the
records of any other schools.
Droop Street School.—On January 11th a letter was received from the Head Teacher of the
Girls' Department calling attention to a number of obscure cases of "sore throat" which
had occurred in Room "F" just before the end of the previous school term, but of which no
report had been sent at the time to the Department. A list of 14 children was received a day
or two later, and among the children included in that list were three from whose throats and/or
noses the Klebs-Loffler bacillus (the true diphtheria bacillus) was obtained, and one, the Hoffman
(pseudo-diphtheria bacillus).
The School Medical Officer of the County was informed of the correspondence, and he
caused special inspections of the School to be made on January 17th (Girls' Department),
February 7th (Girls' and Infants'), and March 11th (all Departments). On each occasion a
number of children were selected for swabbing owing to the unhealthy state of their noses
and/or throats. The children "swabbed" totalled 44, "positive" † cultures being obtained
from 6, and "suspicious "J from 10.
In addition, 16 children were swabbed out of school, most of them at the Town Hall, 10
yielding "positive" and 6 "suspicious" cultures.
Beethoven Street School.—In the same week as the preceding School, numerous cases were
reported from this School. Special inspections were made on January 21st and February 7th
(Mixed Department), February 26th (Infants'), and March 19th (Mixed). Swabs were taken
from 57 children at those inspections, 5 "positive" and 12 "suspicious" cultures being obtained.
Further, 10 swabs were taken outside the school, 6 yielding "positive" and 4 "suspicious"
results.
* It has been found impossible to make room for the whole of the information collected relating to the cases
of "sore throat." Sufficient material is available for a statement running to many pages.
† A " positive" culture is one in which the Klebs-LÖffler bacillus is identified.
† A "suspicious" culture is one in which the Hoffman (pseudo-diphtheria) bacillus is found.