View report page

Scarlet fever.
During 1929, 7,462 cases of scarlet fever were reported as occurring among
children attending the Council's schools, and 170 schools were visited from time to
time by the Council's medical staff in connection with outbreaks of this disease.
At these inspections 19,140 children were examined. Scarlet fever in recent years
has been of such a mild type that there has been much difficulty of control because
many cases were unrecognised, some of them pursuing their usual occupations while
still in an infectious condition.
Diphtheria.
In addition to investigations by medical officers, valuable work was done by
school nurses in following up the medical officers' visits for scarlet fever and diphtheria,
as well as in connection with minor infectious ailments. In 1929 the prevalence
of diphtheria showed a slight decrease, 5,081 cases having been reported as occurring
among school children as compared with 5,178 in 1928 and 5,097 in the previous
year.
During the year 148 schools were visited owing to outbreaks of diphtheria in
the localities concerned, involving 211 visits by assistant medical officers, whilst
in a number of these schools a nurse was also in attendance daily dining the outbreak,
with a view to advising the head teachers and swabbing suspects. In the course
of these investigations and during ordinary medical inspections, etc., 5,557 swabs
were bacteriologically examined in the Council's pathological laboratory, of which
706 showed the presence of micro-organisms indistinguishable from B. Diphtheriœ,
and the remainder were negative. These 706 positive results related to 502 children,
of whom 187 were officially notified as cases of diphtheria. In 4 cases which
yielded several successive positive results tests were made for the virulence of the
micro-organisms and 3 of them proved to be virulent, whilst 1 was avirulent. This
latter case was readmitted to school.
The subject of diphtheria in London was fully dealt with in last year's annual
report of the school medical officer.
It was then pointed out that the question of diphtheria carriers and their adequate
treatment had been occupying the serious attention of the school medical service
for many years and that the Council had entered into arrangements with three
voluntary hospitals, viz., Guy's, London and St. Mary's, to establish special clinics
for the purpose of dealing with diphtheria carriers. These clinics have now been
functioning for two or three years, and have proved very valuable in providing the
treatment required in the case of persistent "carriers," each of which, as has already
been pointed out, needs to be studied and treated on special lines. During the
year under review 107 children were referred by the Council to these clinics (Guy's
Hospital 81, London Hospital 16, St. Mary's Hospital 8). All were treated and
allowed to return to school after varying periods. There were no instances of
recurrence, so far as is at present known.
Diphtheria
prevention in
London
in 1929.
In connection with measures for diphtheria prevention by means of the Schick
test and active immunisation by inoculation with toxoid antitoxin and toxoid, which
have now replaced the use of toxin antitoxin, as afforded in London, there are now
14 boroughs where provision is made through the welfare centres to enable parents
to have their children protected against attack by the disease.