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sultation with the Borough Education Officer, a letter was sent to
the parents of all children attending the Junior Mixed Department,
together with a leaflet of advice on the precautions to be taken. On
the same date all doctors in the town were notified so that suspect
cases could be investigated where necessary. The usual routine
precautions for schools were also adopted by arrangement with
the Education Department and the Head Teacher.
On the following day similar action had to be taken in regard
to the Infants' Department except that it was not again necessary
to advise family doctors.
The usual enquiries at school canteens, school kitchens and in
the homes of absentees were made and on reviewing the results it
appeared that the first known case was a child reported by the
family doctor to be suffering from food poisoning at the beginning
of February. Owing to the infectivity of bacillary dysentery the
probability of symptomless carriers, and the very cold weather at
that time and the consequent freezing of water closets between
February 2nd and 5th, the condition spread fairly rapidly in the
Junior Department from child to child. School meals and milk
did not appear to have been involved.
In view of the possibility of undetected cases at other schools,
and again after consultation with the Borough Education Officer,
a circular letter was addressed to all Head Teachers on the 22nd
February advising as to personal and environmental hygiene and the
measures to be operated if a case was suspected of dysentery.
The advice was on the lines of the memorandum on bacillary
dysentery issued by the Ministry of Health. The attention of Head
Teachers was also drawn to the preventive measures necessary by
a circular from the Borough Education Officer on 26th February.
Apart from those cases at the Forest Road School, single cases
were notified from Winns Avenue Junior Mixed Department,
Chapel End Junior Mixed Department, Roger Ascham Junior
Mixed Department, and from St. Mary's and St. Patrick's R.C., but
not all were confirmed bacteriologically since all cases of diarrhoea
at a time like this are apt to be labelled dysentery, and without
proof.
Bacillary dysentery is an acute infection of the gastro intestinal
tract, fortunately rarely fatal but highly infective. The condition
is now endemic in most communities and is being studied by a
special committee of the Medical Research Council. It is commonest
during the first three months of the year, and in previous attacks
at schools and day nurseries up to nearly 50% of the children have
been affected before the outbreak terminated.