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not be a matter of great difficulty to find, as a nucleus for such
a school, a country house in rural Middlesex or Hertfordshire;
indeed, nearly three years ago, when I was searching for a house
that could be made into a small-pox hospital, I saw several that
could have been used for the purpose of a convalescent home
and school administrative block. Necessarily all new schemes
and reforms begin in a small way, and a house that would take
even a couple of mothers and a dozen school children would be
of immediate value to the Borough.
Open-air Classes.—I should like to see a number of these
established in the Borough. They would benefit considerably
the groups of children that I have mentioned, although not to
the same extent as would a residential school. At the Hornsey
High School an excellent open-air class-room was built during
the year; and the girls who have been taught in it have all
improved in health.
GENERAL REVIEW OF HOME CONDITIONS AND
EMPLOYMENT.
Under this heading I have nothing to add to the remarks
which I made in my former Reports.
ACTION TAKEN TO DETECT AND PREVENT THE SPREAD
OF INFECTION IN SCHOOLS.
This is, generally speaking, the same as last year. The
teachers, school attendance officers, nurses and medical officers
are always on the watch for possible cases of infectious disease,
and no doubt the good health of the school children during the
year was due, in part, to this carefulness.
In order still further to check the incidence of infectious
disease in the schools it would be desirable to have sufficient
trained nurses in order that one of these might visit every class
daily and follow to their homes such children as were absent.
The daily presence of a nurse in a school is certainly calculated
to reduce the amount of infectious disease, since she becomes
aware of early cases of illness.