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"That the Medical Officer's daily returns of infectious cases, and
of infected premises, should be forwarded to the Divisional
Superintendent of the School Board, and not to the Head Teachers
of the several schools," was not adopted. In like manner, with
reference to resolution (4), I objected to send the daily return of
houses disinfected to the several head teachers—a plan which would
involve much trouble, quite needlessly, inasmuch as no child is
allowed to return to school from an infected house until fourteen
days after the date of disinfection—an interval which would afford
ample time to the Divisional Superintendent to communicate
through the Visitors with the head teachers of the several
schools. Nevertheless, my amendment, "That the certificate of
disinfection be sent, not to the Teachers, but to the Divisional
Superintendent," was negatived.
Immediately after the Conference I had an interview with
the Superintendent of Visitors of the Chelsea Division, which
includes Kensington, who approved my plan and promised to
give effect to it. That gentleman has since informed me that the
plan works most satisfactorily, and secures the object the School
Board had in view in proposing the Conference. The operation
of the plan, moreover, is not limited to Board Schools, but is
extended to all public elementary Schools. It takes the form of
a daily return to the Superintendent, embracing: (a) list of infected
houses; (b) list of sick school children and the schools they
attend; (c) list of other children living in infected houses and the
schools they attend; and (d) list of houses disinfected—which
are taken to be "clean" fourteen days after disinfection, if no
fresh case of illness has occurred. The School Board Visitors
have their appointed districts, and to each Visitor particulars
of the cases in his district are at once forwarded. The Visitors
immediately distribute the information to the several Head
Teachers concerned. Of this plan it may be truly averred that
it involves the least trouble to the Medical Officer of Health, he
having to report to one Divisional Superintendent instead of to
an indefinite number of Head Teachers. It has the effect,