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Section 69, which prohibits infected persona from carrying on any occupation in such a manner
as to be likely to spread disease.
Section 70, which prohibits the conveyance of infected persons in public conveyances.
Section 72, which prohibits, in certain cases, the retention of the body of a person who has died
of any dangerous infectious disease.
Section 73, as to the body of a person who has died in hospital of any dangerous infectious
disease being removed only for burial.
Section 74, as to the disinfection of a public conveyance if used for carrying the body of a
person who has died of any infectious disease.
Jn 1898 a letter was received from the School Board for London on the subject, and in accordance
with a resolution of the Committee I addressed a circular letter to the various vestries and district
boards asking for their views on the question. The replies received showed a considerable divergence of
opinion, and in these circumstances the Committee think it desirable to consult the councils of the
metropolitan boroughs with reference to the proposal.
I am accordingly to ask that your Council will be so good as to state whether they are in favour of
the extension to measles of the provisions contained in any or all of the sections above mentioned. You
will observe that these sections do not relate to the question of " notification," which is dealt with in
sections 55 and 56.
I shall be glad to be favoured with a reply by the end of January, 1901.
I am, Sir,
Your obedient Servant,
G-. L. Gomme,
Clerk of the Council.
There is no doubt that the risk to child life from measles is insufficiently appreciated, and
that often no care is taken in the home to prevent any extension of the disease within it or to
other houses, or even to schools. The proposal therefore contained in the letter of the London
County Council would if adopted have a useful educational effect in emphasising the need for
precautions for this purpose.
Among efforts which have been made by medical officers of health to prevent extension of
this disease through the association of children in elementary schools has been the closure of
schools or parts of schools attended by children who were attacked. The reports which have
been received show that the following schools were closed in 1900 on account of prevalence of
measles among the scholars—
December, 1899, and January, 1900—Plumstead—Burrage-road Board School,
classes D, E, F, G, infants' department—251 on roll and 37 absent. A" icarage-road Board
School, class G of the infants' department—61 on roll, 8 absent; classes 4 and 5 of the
infants' department'—118 on roll, 19 suffering from measles; all closed for four weeks.
February—Earl-street Board School, infants' department, class A—63 on roll, 33
absent; closed for three weeks. Lambeth—Stockwell Training College, infants' department,
class I.—8 per cent. absent; closed for two weeks; class II.—40 per cent. absent;
closed for three weeks. Christ Church, Chapel-street, Brixton-road, infants' department—average
attendance 95; 40 per cent. absent; closed for about six weeks.
March—Paddington Jewish School, Bayswater, infants' department—85 on roll,
35 per cent, absent; closed for twenty-three days. Westminster—James-street Board
School, infants' department—178 on roll, 83 in attendance; closed for sixteen days.
Clerkenwell—Winchester-street School—One class.
May—Paddington—St. Mary Magdalene School, Cirencestet-street, infants' department—588
on roll, 96 absent, 56 suffering from measles; closed for twenty-five days.
St. Paul's School, Waverley-terrace, infants' department—208 on roll, 100 present;
closed for tweinty-five days. Plumstead—Central School, infants' department—160 on
roll, 38 absent; No. 3 boys' class, 36 on roll, 9 absent; No. 4 girls' class-room, 42 on roll,
14 absent; all closed for four weeks. Mile-end Old Town—Ben Jonson Board School,
Harford-street, infants' department—Closed for three weeks. St. Giles—National
School, Galen-place, infants' department—Closed for fifteen days. Holborn—St.
George-the-Martyr, infants' department—119 absent out of 220, chiefly on account of
measles; closed for three weeks.
June—St. Olave—Fair-street Board School, babies' classes—215 on roll, 29'8 per
cent, absent on account of infectious diseases generally and 22'3 per cent, absent on
account of measles; closed for three weeks. Paddington—St. John's School, Tichbornestreet,
infants' department—153 on roll; about half absent. St. Stephen's School, Westbourne-park—302
on roll; about half absent; both closed for twenty-five days.
Plumstead- Plum-lane School, infants' department—163 on roll, 37 suffering from
measles. Bloomfield-road School, infants, G class—70 on roll, 6 absent; H class, 81
on roll, 6 absent; class C, 74 on roll, 8 absent; class I), 74 on roll, 5 absent;closed for
four weeks. High-street School, infants, H class—92 on roll, 13 absent; and C class,
169 on roll and 17 absent; closed for four weeks. The medical officer of the London
School Board subsequently recommended the closing of the whole infant department.
Conway-street School, infants' department—604 on roll, 69 absent on account of measles
and 52 on account of other infectious diseases; closed for three weeks. Newington—•
Crampton-street Board School, infants' department—Closed for fourteen days on account
of measles and chicken-pox.
July—Plumstead—Purrett-road School, infants' department—451 on roll, 115 absent
on account of measles; closed for three weeks. Shoreditch—Haggerston-road Board
School, infants' department—24 per cent, of children absent; one class-room closed for
three weeks.
October—Plumstead—Eglinton-road, infants' department, class A—57 on roll, 10
suffering from measles; class G, 80 on roll, 9 suffering from measles; both closed for
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