London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
City of Westminster 1909
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Westminster, City of]
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64
Schools and Infectious Disease.
School Teachers are required to notify the Medical Officer of Health when they exclude children on account of infectious disease. The following list shows how far this was carried out and the nature of the cases notified:—
| School. | Actual Cases. | Infection in House. | Other Causes. | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken-pox. | Measles. | Mumps. | Whooping-cough. | Chicken-pox. | Measles. | Mumps. | Whooping-cough. | ||
| Charing Cross Road | 1 | 15 | 2 | 4 | - | 4 | - | 2 | 2 ringworm. |
| Horseferry Road | — | 38 | 1 | 16 | — | 24 | — | — | 2 eczema, 5 blight |
| Buckingham Gate | 1 | 42 | — | 1 | 1 | 15 | — | — | 7 ringworm. |
| Pulteney | — | 30 | — | 7 | — | 30 | - | 3 | 1 blight. |
| St. George's Row | 4 | 7 | 3 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 16 ringworm. | |
| 3 German measles. | |||||||||
| Millbank | 39 | 13 | - | 40 | 4 | 8 | - | - | 41 ringworm. |
| German measles. | |||||||||
| Tower Street | — | 1 | — | — | — | 4 | — | — | |
| Wild Street | 8 | 15 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 9 | — | — | 2 ringworm. |
| Brompton Higher Grade | — | 1 | 1 | 2 | — | — | 2 | — | 1 German measles. |
| Christ Church | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | — | 2 | — | — | 1 ringworm. |
| Holy Trinity | 12 | 4 | 4 | 24 | 8 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 5 ringworm. |
| St. Anne's | 6 | 14 | — | 4 | 1 | 16 | — | — | 3 ringworm. |
| St. Anselm's | 14 | 1 | 11 | 7 | 10 | 1 | 10 | — | 4 ringworm. |
| St. Barnabas | 10 | 17 | 6 | 23 | 3 | 10 | 6 | 2 | 7 ringworm. |
| 2 German measles. | |||||||||
| St. Clement Danes | 7 | 39 | 1 | — | 3 | 2 | — | — | 2 ringworm. |
| St. Edward's, Dufour's Place | — | 13 | — | — | — | 8 | — | — | |
| St. Gabriel's | 13 | 28 | 6 | 19 | 11 | 24 | 4 | 16 | 5 ringworm. |
| 1 German measles. | |||||||||
| St. George's, South Street | 13 | 1 | 10 | 2 | 1 | — | 10 | — | 12 ringworm. |
| St. James the Less | 33 | 2 | 1 | 12 | 10 | 3 | — | — | 4 ringworm. |
| St. Margaret's | — | — | — | 3 | — | — | — | 1 | |
| St. Martin's, Adelaide Place | 2 | 53 | 1 | 12 | 1 | 11 | — | — | 2 ringworm. |
| St. Martin's, Castle Street | 3 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1 ringworm. |
| St. Mary's, 48, Great Peter Street | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| St. Mary's, Hide Place | — | 1 | 22 | 14 | — | 2 | 11 | — | 6 ringworm. |
| St. Matthew's | 11 | 7 | 11 | 4 | 7 | 9 | 7 | - | 17 ringworm. |
| 5 ophthalmia. | |||||||||
| St. Michael's | 4 | 76 | 18 | — | — | 10 | 5 | — | 8 ringworm. |
| St. Paul's | 2 | 1 | 3 | 17 | — | 1 | 2 | 2 | 3 ringworm. |
| St. Peters, Lower Bel grave Place | 4 | 49 | 11 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 3 | - | 1 ringworm. |
| 1 German measles. | |||||||||
| St. Peter's and St. James1 | 2 | 51 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 9 | — | — | 1 German measles. |
| St. Stephen's | 1 | 6 | — | 4 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 9 ringworm. |
| Wesleyan Training | 3 | — | — | — | 3 | 2 | — | 1 | 1 ringworm. |
| Westminster Jews' Free | - | - | - | - | - | 1 | — | 1 | |
| 189 | 527 | 118 | 228 | 69 | 220 | 64 | 35 | ||
In dealing with measles, the following procedure suggested by
Dr. Kerr has been adopted in London generally, with the . approval
of the Local Government Board. The head teacher makes inquiry
as to the measles history of every infant on admission to school.
If a child has already had measles the fact is recorded in the
register; if the child is not known to have suffered that fact
likewise is recorded. The record thus established shows the proportion
of children protected by previous attack to those unprotected,
and it is upon this knowledge that all action is based.
Immediately on the occurrence of a case of measles in a school a card
is distributed to each of the unprotected children in the room, warning
the parents of the danger of infection, and pointing out the serious
character of measles. The case is then reported to the medical officer,