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( 27 )
Willesden is apparently influenced by the state of its
big neighbour. It appears to me that this disease
and diphtheria are very much more influenced by
the Free Education Act than is perhaps usually
supposed. The school attendance officers are more
insistant on the children attending school and the
parents are afraid of the consequences of keeping
their little ones at home for what they think might
be only a slight ailment and consequently send them
when they are not in a fit condition to go. In
several instances children have been sent when in a
state of peeling from scarlet fever, the original
attack having been slight and so escaped notice, or,
if noticed, not recognised; the illness thus not being
severe no doctor has been consulted, and it has only
been when one child has had a severe attack that the
other cases have been brought to notice. The
schools thus become centres of propagation, the
buildings, the desks, the seats, the books, all are in a
condition to rekindle the disease when the children
reassemble after the holidays.
The most complete disinfection should be carried
out during the holidays when there has been illness
of an infectious nature, and even when no instance
of disease has been brought to the notice of the
masters it is desirable that disinfection be done.
A preparation evolving chlorine would be the
best to use, the action of this gas being much more
efficacious than sulphurous acid.