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and discharging teeth. It was most disagreeable to examine
them, but now it is a pleasure to see the result oi
the treatment by the School Dentist, and is one of the
greatest encouragements to carry on the work. In future
we propose to confine our attention mainly to the younger
children of ti and 8 years old. We believe in this way
we shall be better able to preserve the teeth from becoming
carious and so prevent the necessity for many
permanent teeth being extracted.
Infectious Diseases.—Review of the action taken to
detect and prevent the spread of Infectious
Disease.
There has been no great epidemic of infectious disease
amongst the school children during the year. It
was therefore unnecessary to close any of the schools for
that cause. But during the year many visits have been
paid to the schools in search of the probable cause of infection
to children who have been notified as suffering
from infectious disease. Classes have been examined individually,
and any suspicious child removed. On two
such occasions a child was found to be peeling after a
mild attack of scarlet fever, and had in all probability
been the cause of several cases which had occurred
amongst the children of the same class. On their removal
to an isolation hospital, no more cases occurred
amongst the other children.
At times suspicious cases of sore throats are sent
down to the School Clinic by the teachers for their inspection
by the Medical Officer, and in like manner all
children who have been the subject of or in contact with
any infectious disease are not allowed to return to school
without previous examination and certification of their
fitness. In the early part of the year a family whose children
(3) attended one of our schools was attacked by
small-pox. The school children belonging to the several
classes were visited and kept under observation for three
weeks as a safeguard against any further outbreak, fortunately
no other case arose in that school.