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75
Report of the Medical Officer of Health.
"On Thursday, the 12th, I communicated with the
Education Department, London County Council, and advised
that the throats of all the children in the Infants' Department
should be swabbed. This was done that afternoon and on
the 13th I received a communication from the Education
Department stating that a positive result had been obtained
in six cases. The Medical Officer who examined the children
stated that clinically there were no definite symptoms in those
in whom the positive results were obtained, except slight
inflammation on one side of the throat. Four of these six
cases were at once removed to hospital and the premises
disinfected.
"In all, 18 cases were notified among children attending
the Girls' and Infants' combined school, and these notifications
were received as follows:-one on the 7th, three on the
12th, one on the 13th, six on the 14th, three on the 16th, two
on the 18th, one on the 19th, and one on the 20th. 15 of
these cases were removed to hospital.
"On the 17th December I visited Roehampton and saw
the Head Mistress of the school, who informed me that
several children had not been at school on Thursday afternoon
and in consequence were not examined by the Medical
Officer to the Education Department. As it was important
to ascertain if any of these children were suffering from sore
throat their homes were visited, and in one case it was ascertained
that the child had a sore throat, and that a medical
man was in attendance. I communicated with the medical
attendant advising him to take a swab, but this was not done.
He has, however, since informed me that the child is probably
suffering from Diphtheritic paralysis, and there is no doubt
but that this child had an attack of Diphtheria. Two other
cases that were not at school on the 12th were also notified,
one on the 19th and the other on the 20th December.
"In Roehampton there are three institutions for the
reception of children, but in only two of these do the children
attend the public school. One of the cases swabbed by the
Medical Officer to the Education Department was an inmate
of one of these institutions, and I advised the Medical Officer