London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

View report page

London County Council 1912

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London County Council]

This page requires JavaScript

145
Report of the County Medical Officer—Education.
Similar
classes in
Sweden,
During the period in which this experiment has been in progress classes of a similar character
have been established in Sweden for children selected by the school doctors as retarded or slightly defective
in their physical development. In the Stockholm Folk schools the children throughout the exercises,
which last for some 30 to 35 minutes, are clad only in knickers and gymnasium shoes so that every
movement of their trunk and limbs may be noted by the instructresses. The children thoroughly enjoy
the classes and although attendance is voluntary, it is stated that no objection has ever been raised
by parents, but that on the contrary there are more applicants than can be provided for at present. The
first three months' experience showed a great improvement and resulted in a large number of the children
being able to return to, and profit by, the ordinary class work. No limit of attendance had, however,
been proposed, as part of the experimental stage was being devoted to ascertaining the limits of defect
susceptible of full benefit from class methods as opposed to individual instruction and treatment. The
experience in the Council's schools is of a similar nature, though in London the teachers of the special
classes have not had the advantage of a full training in remedial gymnastics.
Infectious Diseases.
Amendment
of Regulations.
During 1912 the rules and regulations for the guidance of teachers in dealing with infectious
diseases occurring among school children or in their homes have been revised and regulations have also
been framed to apply to secondary schools, technical institutes, etc. Copies of the full text of all these
rules and regulations may be obtained from the offices of the Public Health Department.
The principal modifications effected are as follows:—
Diphtheria and Scarlet Fever.—Children suffering from either of these diseases and under
treatment in their homes were allowed under the former rules to return to school when the medical
attendant issued a certificate of freedom from infection, whereas the contacts were not allowed to
resume attendance until two weeks after the premises had been disinfected.
Under the revised instructions both patients and contacts are similarly dealt with and are required
to remain away from school until the expiration of two weeks from the date of disinfection of the
premises.
Children excluded, on suspicion of their being possible mild or unrecognised cases of scarlet fever
or diphtheria, are now required to absent themselves from school attendance for a provisional period of
four weeks. They are allowed to return, however, if appropriate medical certificates are furnished in the
meantime, otherwise arrangements are made upon the termination of the provisional exclusion period
for the suspected children to be examined by the school doctor with a view to determining whether
or not they are fit to attend school without danger of conveying infection. In the case of diphtheria
the examination is conducted upon bacteriological lines.
The former rules did not specify any provisional period of exclusion and the children were not
allowed to resume attendance until they were certified as free from infection ; in cases of suspected
diphtheria a certificate based upon bacteriological examination was demanded. By the operation of these
rules during outbreaks of scarlet fever or diphtheria children were frequently out of school for an unnecessarily
long period where there was difficulty in procuring a certificate in the prescribed form.
Measles.—The former rules provided that children attending senior departments who had been
in contact with cases of measles at home and had not previously suffered from the disease should
be excluded from school until the Monday following the expiration of a period of 14 days from the
occurrence of the first case in the house.
The new rules require the exclusion of such children until the Monday following the expiration
of a period of 14 days from the commencement of illness of the last case in the house.
The practice of permitting children in senior departments to attend school, in the event of the
occurrence of measles in their homes, if they have previously suffered from the disease, has been
continued.
German Measles.—A differentiation has been made between ordinary measles (morbilli) and
German measles (rubella), whereas formerly they were dealt with similarly for purposes of exclusion.
Whooping Cough and Chicken pox.—The exclusion period for "contacts" has been altered to
three weeks instead of two weeks as formerly, and for unprotected children attending senior departments
the period has been calculated from the onset of illness of the last case in the house, instead of
the first case.
Sore Throat.—All cases of sore throat of any description are, under the revised rules, required
to be excluded trom school.
Ringworm.—Children suffering from ringworm on parts of the body other than the scalp were
allowed to attend school under the earlier regulations if they were under proper medical treatment.
This rule has now been withdrawn.
Cooperation
with Army
medical
authorities.
The Board of Education issued a circular (774) in July, 1911, to local education authorities
intimating the desirability of co-operating with the Army medical service in protecting military communities
from the possibilities of infection conveyed through the agency of soldiers' children attending
public elementary schools. Negotiations with the Army medical authorities have now been completed
and a scheme established with the object of securing the interchange of information respecting the
occurrence of infectious disease.
18820
x1