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46
Infectious Disease.
all the absentees due to infectious disease. In this way
valuable information is given of the occurrence of nonnotifiable
infectious diseases, the extent of prevalence
thereby being estimated fairly accurately. As the
names and addresses of the absentees are indicated
they can be visited at their homes either by the School
Nurses or Health Visitors.
During the year there were notified from the schools
12 absences owing to measles, 279 to whooping cough,
252 to chicken pox, and 355 to mumps, all of which
were investigated by the School Nurses or Health
Visitors. Cases of these diseases occurred with varying
frequency during the first six months of the year,
but chiefly in March and April when several schools
were affected. Mumps was so prevalent in St. Mary's
Infants' School that closure of the school for four weeks
was recommended on the 3rd June.
Attendance at the schools suffered greatly from
September to the end of the year owing to a very severe
epidemic of scarlet fever. In connection with this
epidemic, the teachers made returns of cases of sore
throat, of rash, of peeling of the hands, and of suspected
scarlet fever. The cases notified in this way, numbering
540, were investigated by the School Nurses, resulting
in the discovery of many actual and many missed cases
of scarlet fever. One school, Christ Church Girls',
was so severely affected with scarlet fever that its
closure was recommended from the 26th November
until the 'onset of the Christmas holidays.
Under Article 53, 407 children were excluded during
the year. The conditions necessitating exclusion were
as follows:—