London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

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Islington 1925

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Islington, Metropolitan Borough of]

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37 [1925
THE INFECTIOUS DISEASES IN THE PUBLIC ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS.
1,052 cases of the notifiable infectious diseases occurred in the Public
Elementary Schools of the Borough, of which G32 were Scarlet Fever and 418
Diphtheria.

The number of notifications of the several diseases are given below :

Disease.No. of Notifications.Average of preceding 10 years.Increase or Decrease.
Small Pox
Scarlet Fever632674— 42
Diphtheria418399+ 19
Enteric Fever21+ 1
Other Diseases-
Total1,0521,074- 22

Non-Notifiable Diseases.- 5,555 cases came to the knowledge of the
Medical Officer of Health during the year, viz. : 1,793 cases of Measles, 1,261
cases of Chicken Pox, 871 of Whooping Cough, and 1,630 of other diseases.
The information respecting these cases was received from the teachers of 60
schools.
Exclusion of Scholars from Schools.—3,446 children were excluded
from classrooms of various schools owing to the presence of an infectious disease,
chiefiy Diphtheria and Scarlet Fever, in the houses wherein they lived.
The non-notifiable diseases among children attending the Public Elementary
Schools were :
Disease.
Notifications
by Teachers.
Average of
preceding 10 years.
Increase
or Decrease.
Measles ,793 1,689 + 104
Chicken Pox 1,261 762 + 499
Whooping Cough 871 563 + 308
* Other Diseases 1,630 2,438 — 808
5,555 5,452 + 103
* Note.—" Other Diseases " include Mumps, Scabies, Ophthalmia, Itch, etc.
BACTERIOLOGICAL EXAMINATIONS.
2,78G examinations were made for the medical profession of the sputum, of
swabs from the throat and of the blood of patients suspected to be suffering from
Pulmonary Tuberculosis, Diphtheria and Enteric Fever, respectively.
This number is an increase of 479 on that of the preceding year. It is also
1,310 above the decennial average. Of the total examinations, 394 or 14 per cent.
gave positive results.
Diphtheria.—1,850 specimens were examined for Diphtheria, of which 233,
or 12.G percent., were found to contain Diphtheria bacilli.
Enteric Fever.—14 specimens of blood were examined, 2 of which gave
positive results.
Pulmonary Tuberculosis.—922 specimens of sputum were examined,
100, or 17.3 per cent., of which showed that the patients were suffering from this
disease.