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 Ealing]
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Under the Elementary Education Provisional Code, 1922,
Amending Regulations No. 2, 1924, the School Medical Officer
certified that the fall in attendance below 60 per cent, was attributable
to the prevalence of epidemic illness in three schools,
two on account of influenza and the third on account of measles.
Children to the number of 194 were excluded during the year under Article 53 of the Education Code for the following conditions:
Conjunctivitis | 9 |
Impetigo | 139 |
Ringworm of the Head | 19 |
Ring. worm of the Body | 10 |
Scabies | 6 |
Other Skin Diseases | 11 |
Total | 194 |
During routine inspections considerable use is made of the
facilities offered by the Public Health Laboratory. Swabs are
taken from all sore throats and suspicious conditions of the nose
and ear and submitted to bacteriological examination. When
deemed advisable the children are excluded from school pending
the result of the report. In a number of suspected cases of ringworm,
samples of hair were taken for examination.
FOLLOWING UP.
After medical inspection of the children in a school, two copies
of a form giving a list of defective children are sent to the Headteacher.
The head-teacher is asked, when ten weeks have elapsed, to
enter on one copy whether or not the children have received treatment.
This copy is sent to the School Medical Officer and the
other copy is retained for reference but preserved as confidential.
By this means the school nurses are saved unnecessary visits when
the defect noted does not require immediate treatment, and the
head-teachers are kept informed of the physical condition of the
children and are encouraged to consider their physical condition in
relation to their educational progress.