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39
comprise all those relating to dangerous and infectious diseases, with
the exception of compulsory notifications) for if they are to be compulsory
the sections would have to be made so by an " order " of the
London County Council, which would have to be approved by the
Local Government Board.
I pointed out to the Committee that at present the fact that measles
is prevalent in a district where notification is not compulsory can only
be learnt through article 148 (2) of the Code of regulations and
instructions for the guidance of managers, correspondents, and
teachers of the School Board for London, which article states that,
any child showing symptoms of an infectious disease, or coming from
a house where an infectious disease exists, must be sent home at
once, and the Medical Officer of Health for the district must also at
the same time be informed of the child's exclusion, and furnished
with the name and address of the child and the reason for its exclusion
on a form with which the teachers are supplied.*
The School Board for London exclude a child suffering from
measles for at least one month, and children coming from a house
where measles exist who are not themselves suffering are excluded
from school for 14 days.
Again when measles exists in the district the fact comes to
the knowledge of the Medical Officer by the Registrars of Deaths
forwarding immediately a copy of the entry made in their registers.
The reason why measles was not recommended in the past to be
made a notifiable disease by the late Board of Works was that it was
felt useless to notify the disease because the patients could not be
admitted into the hospitals.
It may be mentioned that upon the receipt of the Registrar's returns
disinfection is now always offered to persons in houses where a death
from measles has occurred, but the offer is scarcely ever accepted.
* Unfortunately the Voluntary Schools have no such regulation or instruction.