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92
from Whooping-cough were of average amount. In these
calculations the deaths of patients who were removed to
institutions situated without the parish are included.
The dissemination of infective diseases that results from
the return to school of children during convalescence from
these diseases claims the serious consideration of the Board,
the more so as it admits of a simple and easy remedy long
suggested in these Reports (see those for 1859, 1874 and
1882), viz:—
"That children absent from School on account of sickness
be not allowed to return to school, except upon the
production of a certificate from their Medical Attendant that
they may do so without risk of conveying infection to
others;" to which should be added "That children be not
allowed to attend school in whose family there is any
infective disease present."
A printed certificate embodying the foregoing conditions
requiring only the signature of the Medical Attendant is all
that is needed for the prevention of what is admittedly a very
extensive evil. Such a procedure the School Board
Authorities might have been expected to adopt as one of
ordinary care and polity.
It would also greatly conduce to the benefit ot the public
health if a Weekly Return of the names and addresses of all
children absent from School on account of infective disease
were furnished to the Medical Officer of Health.
The months in which the deaths from epidemic diseases
occurred with the mean temperature of each quarter of t'.'.e
year are exhibited in the following Table:—