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42 Medical Officers of Health Annual Report.
As regards distribution, it has not been localised in
any particular part of the sub-district, but has been spread
over the parish fairly evenly. The great influence of
personal infection in its spread has again been shown in
many instances; for example, the occurrence of second and
third cases in houses, when there has been an outbreak,
amongst those children who have been exposed to infection,
and the same thing among children in the same classes in
the elementary schools. As an illustration of the need of
special care and precaution in preventing its spread in
schools, a small outbreak in connection with the Bonneville
Road Board School may be instanced. The school in
question is a temporary one, constructed of corrugated
iron and not over-crowded. During November, four cases
of Diphtheria were notified in boys attending the school.
On enquiry it was found that there were other cases
amongst scholars in the same room who lived outside
Clapham Parish, and as to whom I had, of course, had no
notification. It also appeared that all the boys had their
seats in the same part of the room. Suspecting that there
might be a boy in an infectious condition in this part of the
school room, I, with the Assistant to the Medical Officer of
the School Board, examined the throats of a considerable
number of boys. We found two with throats suggestive
of Diphtheria, and clearly infectious. These boys were
sent home, and not allowed to come back to school till
certified as free from infection by their doctors. Excepting
one further case, that of a boy, who was already ill at this
time and was notified two days subsequently, there were
no more cases reported in connection with this school.
These boys looked ill at the time, and would no doubt
have been kept at home by parents belonging to a more
educated and careful class. This confirms my opinion
that much more could be done in preventing the spread of
this disease by the examination of children attending
elementary schools by a medical man. Great pressure,