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34
During the year attention was especially required in connection with the following
schools:—
Catherine Street School.—During October and the early part of November a series
of fourteen cases of scarlet fever occurred amongst the children attending or residing in
houses from which children attended this school. It appears that towards the end of
August a case of scarlet fever was removed from a house in a street in close proximity to
the school, and on the 29th September following a case of scarlet fever was discovered
amongst the children living next door to this house. The patient in this case had had
what was considered to be a "cold." He was not seen by a medical man for more than a
fortnight after his illness began, and consequently no precautions as to isolation had
been taken and other children from the house in which he resided were attending the
school. Whether this focus of infection was the origin of the cases in connection with
the school is uncertain but I am inclined to believe that it was. The first case of the
series was certified on October 3rd, and with intervals of a few days between them
cases were certified until November 9th. The cases then ceased. On December 6th
three cases occurred in a family, children fromi which were attending the school, but it
is improbable that these were connected with the cases during October and November.
The school was kept under observation. The cases were mostly amongst the children
attending the infants' department. A watch was kept for children exhibiting suspicious
symptoms, particularly discharges from nose and ears and signs of throat trouble, and
a few were discovered and excluded. It was impossible, however, to say definitely that
any particular scholar was the source of infection. The usual instructions were given
as to precautions for ventilation and disinfection in the class rooms.
Canal Road School.—The babies' room in the infants' department was closed in
November under the advice of the Medical Officer (Education) of the London County
Council, on account of measles, and the necessary steps were taken as to' disinfection by
the Sanitary Authority.
BACTERIOLOGICAL EXAMINATIONS.
In connection with 43 cases of suspected infectious disease bacteriological examinations
were made by Dr. Bulloch at the London Hospital Medical School. In eleven
the disease suspected was consumption, in seven typhoid fever, in twenty-three diphtheria,
in one anthrax and in one case glanders. The results were positive in five of
the suspected cases of consumption, in two of the suspected cases of typhoid fever, in six
of the cases in which diphtheria was suspected and in the case of glanders.
DISINFECTION.
During the year 957 premises were disinfected. The number of articles removed
and disinfected at the Borough Disinfecting Station was 14,063 as compared with
8,911 in 1903, 55,025 in 1902 and 17,226 in 1901. The disinfected articles included
1,029 beds, 769 mattresses, 2,241 pillows, 735 bolsters and 9,289 miscellaneous articles,