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24
INFECTIOUS DISEASES AND SCHOOLS.
The numbers of children belonging to Shoreditch who were suffering from
infectious diseases, or were resident in houses in which infectious diseases existed,
concerning whom intimations of exclusion from school were received from head
teachers in accordance with the requirements of the school management code of
the London County Council, were as follows:—6 for enteric fever, 352 for
diphtheria, 689 for scarlet fever, 882 measles, 503 chicken-pox, 370 whooping
cough, 322 mumps and 1,218 for other infectious ailments. The exclusions
altogether numbered 4,342 and related to 43 schools.
On account of the occurrence of cases of measles amongst those attending,
children under five years who had not had measles were by order of the school
medical officer excluded from class rooms of the infants' departments of the
following schools:—Maidstone Street, Laburnum Street, Gopsall Street, Canal Road,
Hamond Square, St. Monica's, St. John's Road, Napier Street, St. John's Church,
Haggerston Road and Wenlock Road. Some 21 class rooms were affected. The
exclusions numbered 202 of which 8 occurred in February, 8 March, 15 April,
151 May, 12 June and 8 in November.
Intimations were also received from the school medical officer as to the
exclusion of twelve children found as the result of bacteriological examination to
be harbouring diphtheria bacilli in throat or nose. These cases were kept under
observation until they were free from the micro-organisms.
BACTERIOLOGICAL EXAMINATIONS.
The bacteriological examinations made by Dr. Bulloch, F.R.S., at the London
Hospital Medical School numbered 219, of which 56 were for suspected
diphtheria, 3 for enteric fever, 153 for consumption and 7 for cerebro-spinal fever.
The positive results were 11 for diphtheria, 1 for enteric fever, 56 for consumption
and 2 for cerebro-spinal fever.
In addition some 320 specimens were examined for tubercle bacilli in
connection with the work at the Tuberculosis Dispensary.
DISINFECTION.
The premises disinfected numbered 1,406; the articles removed and disinfected
at the Borough disinfecting station totalled 39,147 and included 1,560 beds,
1,895 mattresses, 2,951 pillows, 1,316 bolsters and 31,425 others, such as sheets,
blankeis, quilts, curtains, carpets, clothing and the like. Included amongst the
foregoing are 159 beds, 220 mattresses, 365 pillows, 106 bolsters and 2,086 other
articles dealt with on account of vermin. It was necessary to destroy one bed and
four palliasses which were so dilapidated and contaminated as to render it
inadvisable to return them. These were replaced with new. In two instances
there was a little damage to articles removed for which compensation was made.