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These figures are, of course, uncorrected for diagnosis, but they indicate the trend
of infectious disease in the child community, and are the only figures available in respect
of diseases which are not statutorily notifiable.
When the number of cases of infectious disease reported from a particular school
indicates the possibility of an outbreak special visits are made by a school nursing sister,
and, if necessary, by a school doctor, in order to investigate the situation and take
whatever control action is considered desirable.
The system of notification by the Head and careful observation of the pupils in the
school has been the practice for many years and is an important contribution towards
the control of the spread of infectious disease.
In March, six cases of clinical tonsillitis occurred in a residential school for educationally
sub-normal boys. They were found to have been caused by a mitis strain of diphtheria
bacillus. The boys at the school had been immunised in the past and therefore had
very mild symptoms. Swabbing of all boys in the school brought to light 27 healthy
carriers. Some of these were admitted to hospital but the remainder were treated at the
school with erythromycin, with outstanding success.
Diphtheria at
Bishopswood
Farm School
In the following term two boys suffered from throat infection with diphtheria
bacilli, one of whom had quite a sharp attack. On this occasion 15 carriers were discovered,
all of whom responded to erythromycin. There were no further incidents of
this nature at the school.
There was a small outbreak of ringworm of the scalp in the children s home at Hutton
in May. One boy was noticed to have a suspicious patch on his scalp which proved to
be ringworm. Next day all the children living in the home and all the children coming
into the junior school from the area around—Hutton and Shenfield—were examined by
ultra violet light. Six more cases were found amongst children living in the home, in four
separate houses ; all these children were isolated and later transferred to Goldie Leigh
Hospital for treatment together with another child who was confined to the sick bay
with whooping cough, when found to have ringworm also.
Ringworm
at Hutton
There was no further spread, cither in the home or among the Essex children—none
of whom was found to be infected.
In January, two children in Langley House reception centre were reported as being
treated with Castellani's paint. On enquiry as to which part was being treated it was
found to be the temple region and that the condition was considered to be ringworm
of the skin. The two children were then examined by Woods glass filter and ultra
violet light, when it was established that the condition was ringworm of the head.
As a result all the children in Langley House were examined in the same way and two
more found to be infected. The necessary treatment was arranged and epilation carried
out at Lambeth Hospital.
Ringworm
of the head
at Langley
House
reception
centre
The children at Langley House attend several different schools; these were visited
and the children in the classes to which the Langley children belong were all examined
by the Woods glass filter and ultra violet light. Three schools in all were visited but no
positive cases were found. Another case was found in Langley House—a child re-admitted
to Langley House from hospital who was a brother of two of the infected children
Subsequently there was another case in Langley House—a child who had spent a lot f
the time between December, 1953, and May, 1954, in hospital. He was diagnosed as
having ringworm on 4th May. Six children in all were affected, three of whom were
brothers and it seems very likely that this family was the source of the infection.
Medical treatment
Under Section 3 of the National Health Service Act, 1946, it became a duty of the
Minister of Health to provide through Regional Hospital Boards and Boards of
Governors of Teaching Hospitals, the services of specialists at hospitals, health centres,
clinics, etc. The Council, as Local Education Authority, also has a duty under Section
48 (3) of the Education Act, 1944, ' to make such arrangements as are necessary for
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