View report page

144
example, note the figures for deafness, blindness, diseases of the larynx,
exophthalmic-goitre and arthritis, in the above table. (All these cases had
been seen by the medical officer, and there was no question of the organic nature
of the disease and of its gravity.)
The figures for tuberculosis show that the disease tends to attack the young
male teacher in his twenties or early thirties, and to run a more acute course than it
does in the woman teacher. Her danger period lies in the later thirties and forties,
and she is able to resign. The question arises whether the young men teachers
living a rather sedentary life, and perhaps in lodgings, obtain a sufficiency of the
out-door exercises and the diet they require. The fact that the male deaths from
heart disease are relatively high, and are often sudden, suggests that more attention
should be paid to adequate rest on recovery from influenza, and to the early symptoms
of high blood-pressure. The number of deaths from the effects of influenza in both
sexes is much larger than would appear from the figures, and this condition is
certainly responsible for many of the cardiac breakdowns in women.
Physical
education of
teachers.
During the year, all applicants for admission to the Council's course of physical
education were examined, the number being 317; of these 11 were deemed to be
physically unfit to undergo the training.
Accidents and
sudden illness
at County
Hall.
The arrangements made in 1922, whereby medical and could be given in the
event of cases of accident or sudden illness at the County Hall, were continued in
1929, and aid was rendered and advice given in 409 cases. Generally the cases were
of a minor character, but of 30 cases of injury, 2 were serious—in 1 case multiple
injuries leading to death, and in the other case a partial fracture.
Introduction.
Infectious Diseases in Schools.
In the report for 1928, the importance of paying special attention to cases of
infection in the early stages, so as to obviate the spread of disease through unrecognised,
or missed, cases, was emphasised. The dangers of relying upon disinfection
as a panacea, in dealing with outbreaks of infectious illness in schools, was
also stressed in this connection. Continued experience of the present methods
of control by means of close supervision has accentuated the truth of the arguments
already put forward, which need not be repeated.

School
inspections
in connection
with
infectious
illness.
Strict supervision of children attending the Council's schools is exercised, and
visits by assistant medical officers and/or school nurses are paid to schools where
cases of infectious illness have occurred among the pupils, with a view to ensuring,
as far as possible, that all sources of infection are eliminated, in order that healthy
children may continue to attend school without risk of infection due to school
attendance.
The following table shows the numbers of schools visited and the numbers of
children examined in connection with investigations into the occurrence of scarlet
fever and diphtheria in the Council's schools during 1929:—