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40
close of the year 90 cases had been admitted, of which number
Kensington contributed one-fifth. Thus another step has been
gained in the effort to make the Hospitals available for the
treatment of Infectious Diseases occurring in all classes of the
community in need of isolation ; and your Yestry having, as
usual, taken a leading part in the movement now brought to a
successful conclusion, it appeared to me just and proper that
the history of the movement should be placed on record.
All that the Managers could do to make publicly known
this new and important departure having been done, I lost no
time in addressing a communication to the medical men
practising in this parish intimating that the Managers "now
admit cases of Diphtheria."
I also invited the co-operation of Head Teachers of all
Public Elementary Schools, to each of whom a copy of the subjoined
circular letter was forwarded :—
INFECTIOUS DISEASE.
" Diphtheria is prevalent in some portions of the Parish, and there is
reason for believing' that the disease has been spread—it certainly may be
spread—through the instrumenta'ity of Public Elementary Schools.
" A rule of the School Board for London forbids children to attend school
from a house where any dangerous infectious disease exists, even although
there be no case of the disease in the family of which the children are
members. The same rule probably is in force in regard to all other Public
Elementary Schools.
" The School Board, moreover, have instructed the Visitors and the Head
Teachers to report to the several Medical Officers of Health any cases of
infectious disease in children that may come to their knowledge in the
discharge of their official duties : it is desirable that Head Teachers in all
Public Elementary Schools should report such cases. Forms have been provided
by the Yestry for this purpose.
" Attention is desired to the Note (2) at the foot of the Form, and it is
particularly requested that the absence from school of children, due to .illness,
may be reported only when there is reasonable ground for suspicion that the
illness is of an infectious character.