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156
Annual Report of the London County Council, 1912.
The ages of children at this school vary between 7 and 16 years and the inference is that a
good many of them, therefore, must have suffered from chickenpox before. The previous history of
these children in regard to infectious illness could not be ascertained and the incidence in susceptibles
can, therefore, not be determined. The same experience is met with in elementary schools, and more
especially in infants' departments. When chickenpox is introduced into the school a crop of cases
follows some 13 to 19 days after the exposure to infection. Fortunately, apart from interfering with
and disorganising school attendance,this disease is harmless and school closure or exclusion of susceptible
children is usually not recommended.
Ophthalmia
Ophthalmia has been very prevalent in London during 1912 and cases have been reported from
many districts. The districts where the infection has been most prevalent are Hackney, Hoxton,
Haggerston and Shoreditch, where schools have been in many cases seriously affected. For example,
from London Fields 234 cases have been reported during the year, most of them during the first quarter
of the year. In the annual report of the medical officer for 1911 attention was drawn to an outbreak of
ophthalmia in Drury-lane Industrial School, and it is of interest to note that many of the cases occurred
in boys drawn from the Hoxton district. The outbreak has quite subsided and the school has remained
free throughout 1912.
The disease is very contagious and protracted. Its spread may be ascribed to various causes—
the chief of which are—
(1) Early, mild or chronic cases in an infectious state are not excluded from school. This
was confirmed in every case where a school doctor was asked to make a special visit to a school
affected with ophthalmia.
(2) Children excluded from school do not receive treatment, wander about the street,
come in contact with healthy children in the street and playground.
(3) Infection may further be carried through the agency of towels and handkerchiefs. Dr.
Forbes has also drawn attention to the danger of spread through the agency of swimming baths.
Ringworm
and Favus.
The following table furnishes a comparison of the statistical returns of ringworm which are
compiled periodically, showing the numbers of new cases, cured cases and those outstanding at the
end of each school term. It should be noted that at the end of 1911 there were 2,458 children known
to be suffering from ringworm.
Terms.
New
Cases
reported.
Cured Cases.
Suffering Cases at end of Term.
No.
Treatment by which cures
effected.
No.
Treatment being obtained.
Spring Term 1,617 1,421
X-rays 35%
Ointments, etc., from hospitals,
etc. 37%
Ointments, etc., from private
doctors 23%
Chemists and " home "
remedies 5%
2,480
X-rays 21 %
Ointments, etc., from hospitals,
etc. 39%
Ointments, etc., from private
doctors 27%
Chemists and "home "
remedies 9%
None 4%
Summer Term 2,001 1,635
X-rays 36%
Ointments, etc., from hospitals,
etc. 33%
Ointments, etc. from private
doctors 24%
Chemists and "home"
remedies 7%
2,717
X-rays 22%
Ointments, ctc., from hospitals,
etc. 43%
Ointments, etc. from private
doctors 24%
Chemists and "home"
remedies 9%
None 2%
Michaelmas Term 1,693 2,075
X-rays 39%
Ointments, etc. from hospitals,
etc. 34%
Ointments, etc., from private
doctors 20%
Chemists and "home"
remedies 7%
2,204
X-rays 22%
Ointments, etc., from hospitals,
etc. 40%
Ointments, etc., from private
doctors 24%
Chemists and "home"
remedies 9%
No treatment 5%
The cases in which children were lost sight of owing to removals, or by other means passed out
of the Council's jurisdiction are not recorded in the above table.
During the year large numbers of hair specimens have been forwarded by school doctors and
school nurses for microscopical examination and these have been tested in the laboratory. The subjoined
table sets out the result of these examinations, and for purposes of comparison the work done
in preceding years is also shown.
Year.
Specimens
submitted.
Ringworm found
Favus found.
No fungus found.
Insufficient
material.
1905-6 988 597 104 257 30
1906-7 1,578 1,094 84 336 64
1907-8 2,175 1,705 25 347 58
1908 (Mar. to Dec.) 2,751 2,212 32 423 47
1909 3,019 2,343 37 568 45
1910 3,116 2,400 4 709 3
1911 2,926 2,165 4757 —
1912 2,820 1,991 41721 67