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46
DIPHTHERIA.
An outbreak of Diphtheria occurred in the Infants' Department of the
Princess Road School, of which the following is a brief summary:—
Between the middle of May and the end of July, before the summer
holidays, there were, in the Infants' Department of the Princess Road School,
13 cases of Diphtheria, of which 6 were fatal; of these, 13 cases, 10 occurred
in classroom F, 1 in B, 1 in G, 1 in D, and none in the other three classrooms.
The summer holidays commenced on the 26th July and terminated on the
28th August. No cases occurred in that district during the holidays amongst
any of the children attending the school.
For the first fortnight on the reassembly of the schools there were no cases
of diphtheria in any part of the schools, boys, girls, or infants.
Between the 1lth September and the 8th December, there were 18 cases, of
which 3 were fatal; of the 18 eases, 7 occurred in classroom B, 4 in D, 2 in C,
2 in Hall, 2 in F, and 1 in G, and none in E.
The London County Council Education Department asked that the classrooms,
etc., might be sprayed and fumigated, and it was pointed out that what
was wanted was closure of the school and thorough cleansing of all surfaces,
furniture and fittings. The school was closed on Friday, December 8th, the
London County Council admitted the disinfectors and the rooms were sprayed
and disinfected on the 8th and 9th December, when the department was found
to be in a filthy condition. The Infants' Department was closed until after
the Christmas holidays, and the London County Council Education Department
thoroughly cleansed the school.
ACUTE POLIO-MYELITIS AND CEREBRO-SPINAL FEVER.
Cerebro-spinal Fever (Epidemic Cerebro-spinal Meningitis) was first made
a notifiable disease in London in 1907, and the Order came into effect on the
12th March of that year, and the Order has been renewed from year to year
since. The term cerebro-spinal fever includes posterior basal meningitis, but
not meningitis due to tuberculosis, syphilis, middle-ear disease, or injury. The
services of Dr. Wanklyn, Assistant Medical Officer of Health, Public Health
Department, London County Council, 8, St. Martin's Place, W.C., are available
for the investigation of cases in association with medical practitioners, should
they so desire.
A circular letter of the Local Government Board, dated 12th December, 1911,
advised the permanent notification of Acute Polio-Myelitis or Acute PolioEncephalitis
and of Cerebro-spinal Fever or Epidemic Cerebro-spinal Meningitis.
Accordingly the London County Council made an Order requiring, from and
including 13th March, 1912, the notification, in the Administrative County of
London, of these two diseases. The dangers of these diseases are, that they
are believed to be communicable, that their onset is insidious, that they mainly
attack young children, and are often the cause of infantile paralysis.