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87
of age, this percentage being the same as that of the previous year. Owing to the
operation of the Local Government Act, 1929, a considerable number of employees
at the former poor law schools was examined.
Physical
education of
teachers.
During the year all applicants for admission to the Council s course of physical
education were medically examined. The number was 430, of whom 33 were deemed
to be physically unfit to undergo the training.
Accidents
and sudden
illnesses at
County Hall.
The arrangements made in 1922 whereby medical aid could be given in the event
of cases of accident or sudden illness at the County Hall were continued during 1930
and aid was rendered and advice given in 527 cases. Generally, the cases were of a
minor character, but of 48 cases of injury 1 was serious, and of 103 cases of illness
5 were serious ; 376 cases attended for the treatment of minor ailments. In addition,
during June and July 12 persons employed at the County Hall who had been in
contact with cases of smallpox were inspected on 90 occasions as a precautionary
measure.
Infectious Diseases in School.
Introduction.
The practice of controlling infectious illness by means of close supervision of
the children in the schools referred to in previous annual reports has been further
extended during the period under review, especially in relation to smallpox and with
the employment of additional school nursing assistance, it has been possible to introduce
departures from previous practice in regard to the attendance at school of the
contacts of this disease.
It is a matter for consideration whether the enormous loss of school attendance
caused through the exclusion from school of home contacts of infectious disease
could not be further eliminated if adequate skilled supervision were introduced to
safeguard other children in the school population.
Problems connected with the control of infectious illness in the residential
schools and children's homes, the administration of which devolved upon the Council
under the Local Government Act, 1929, are being submitted to most careful
consideration. The different poor law authorities responsible had, prior to April,
1930, adopted various measures for the prevention of the introduction and spread
of infection in the 32 institutions involved. Steps have been taken to co-ordinate
and regularise the procedure and a comprehensive scheme has been formulated.
The generalised systems of quarantine adopted in some of the institutions involving
the segregation of healthy children will be discontinued and the basis of preventive
action will rest on a carefully organised system of surveillance having as its objective
the segregation only of the unhealthy children.
Since these residential children's homes were transferred to the care of the Council
advice has been given on various problems that have arisen and the facilities afforded
by the Council's laboratory at the County Hall have been placed at the disposal of
the medical staff

The number of cases of smallpox notified amongst school children was 1,774. as compared
with 726 in 1929.