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163
[1912
NON-NOTIFIABLE INFECTIOUS DISEASES AMONG THE
CHILDREN ATTENDING THE PUBLIC ELEMENTARY
SCHOOLS.
For a long time it had been very difficult to get the teachers to report
the non-notifiable infectious diseases that occurred from time to time
among the children attending these schools, but since the London County
Council took over their management from the late School Board for
London there has been a gradual improvement, so that now the
notification of these diseases is extremely good. During the year 1912, no
less than 5,968 cases were notified by the teachers of the various schools, as
contrasted with the decennial average of 4,030. The notifications for the
year shows an increase of 1,092 on those reported in 1911, the chief increase
being due to Chicken Pox and Whooping Cough.
Measles.—The teachers notified 1,377 cases, as contrasted with 1,698 in
1911, and an average of 1,427 in the preceding 10 years. The return was
lower than any since 1908.
Chicken Pox.—This disease showed a very large increase; indeed,
the tale is greater than any that has been recorded during the last 10
years, for the returns show that the cases numbered 1,156, as contrasted
with an average of 560. No school in the borough seems to have escaped,
although the incidence of the disease in them varied very much; thus in
Duncombe Road School there were 120 cases, while in the Shelburne Road
School there were only 4, and in St. Paul's School only 2.
Whooping Cough.—894 cases were notified, or 266 more than the
average of the preceding 10 years. The largest number of cases in any one
school was 61 in Montem Street School, which was closely followed by Canonbury
Road School with 58. Particulars for all the schools are given in Table
XCV.
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