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57
An outbreak of diphtheria occurred at Bonner Hill
Road Infants' School in October, and was limited to six
infants in one class and direct contacts of these cases. The
class was closely watched and swabbed, with the result that
four positive infants were isolated. The outbreak then
ceased abruptly. No infant was allowed to return to
School until at least two negative results were received,
and they had been declared free from infection by the
School Medical Officer.
The infection was extremely virulent and resulted in
the death of one of the infants, and gave rise to six
further cases among family contacts, one of which proved
fatal.
The outbreak was definitely accounted for by the fact
that an infant returned to School after a brief illness, no
doctor having been summoned, which subsequently was
proved to have been an attack of diphtheria.
FOLLOWING-UP.
The following-up of children suffering from defects is
carried out by the School Medical Officer and School
Nurses, aided in some instances by the Teachers and
Attendance Officers.
The procedure adopted and the various duties of the
School Nurses were set out in detail in the Annual Report
for 1930.
The following table specifies some of the work carried
out by the School Nurses during 1932:—
Number of children prepared for Routine Medical
Inspection 1470
Number examined at Schools for uncleanliness 15216
Number of following-up home visits 780
Total number of visits to the Schools 601
Total Number of Clinic Sessions 429
The Central Aid Society has helped in obtaining letters
for hospitals, etc., in cases where the parents cannot afford
to pay, and also in sending children away for convalescence
to the seaside.
The National Society for Prevention of Cruelty to
Children has aided in following up obstinate cases when
notified by the School Medical Officer.