Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Croydon]
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of one or two cases as no grant would be lost by so doing, f Under
present conditions, however, school managers find it more profitable
to close the whole school than to lower the average attendance by
closing one or more classes. Thus the Board of Education places a
high premium on antiquated and unsatisfactory methods of dealing
with school epidemics. To illustrate how the present method
works out, I obtained from the Head Teacher of the British Infants'
School certain particulars relating to the epidemic of measles
prevalent in that school at the end of the year. One hundred and
thirty-five children attended this school of whom 59 were stated to
have suffered from measles at some previous epidemic, 75 were
stated not to have had measles, and concerning one no statement
was made. On October 3rd one of those who had not previously
suffered from the disease was attacked with measles and his illness
was followed by the following cases:—
1905. No. of Cases.
October 26. 1
27 3
28 3
„ 30 1
November 1. 1
4 1
5 1
7 4
9 2
1 0 3
1 1 4
1 2 5
1 3 6
„17 4
1 9 3
2 0 17
School Closed.
„ 21 4
„ 22. i
„ 23 2
,, 28 2
1906.
January 28. 2
t Article 101* read :—" Where the Department arc satisfied that by reason of
a rotice of the Sanitary Authority under Article 88 or any provision of an Act of
Parliament requiring the exclusion of certain children, or by reason of the
exclusion under medical advice of children from infected houses, the average
attendance has been seriously diminished and that consequently a loss of grant
would, but for this Article, be incurred, the Department have power to make a
special grant not exceeding the amount of such loss in addition to the ordinary
grant."