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83
Tuberculosis in Schools
During 1958 a total of six cases of tuberculosis were notified in school
children, five pulmonary and one of bone. This compares with three in the previous
year and seven and fourteen in 1956 and 1955 respectively. These cases were
discussed with the appropriate chest physicians and in two instances epidemiological
investigations were considered necessary at the school.
1. A case of pulmonary tuberculosis was discovered in a senior
pupil at a special school in Tottenham. This boy's parents
had not accepted the offer of B.C.G. vaccination for him.
Following on consultation with the chest physician, it was
decided to undertake epidemiological investigations at this
school. As a result of skin testing, four children were found
to be tuberculin positive. These plus seven children who
had had B.C.G. and two who had tuberculous meningitis, in
all of whom the tuberculin test was of no value, were referred
for X-ray. In addition, all of the teaching and domestic staff
were X-rayed. In all cases X-rays were negative, but in
view of the highly infective nature of the primary case, the
chest physician has asked for a repeat X-ray of the children
early in the new year.
2. Following the notification of a case of tuberculosis in a girl
attending a primary school in Hornsey, epidemiological
investigations were undertaken at the school. As a result
of skin testing of her classmates, all the children were found
to be Mantoux negative and no further action was, therefore,
necessary. All the teaching and domestic staff were X-rayed
and found to be fit.
School Nursing Service
The field covered by the school nurse has included preparation for and
attendance at routine medical inspections of schoolchildren, attendance at various
specialist and minor ailment clinics, certain home visits to parents of school
children including those required for the follow-up of defaulters from clinics, home
reports for hospitals or for the giving of advice to parents.
Every school was visited at the beginning of each term in order to carry out
hygiene inspections and further visits were made as often as appeared necessary.
School visits of this kind are an important part of the measures taken by the school
nurse for the maintenance of the cleanliness and health of the school child. The
discovering of minor defects and verminous conditions before these develop into
matters of serious concern are the primary duties of the school nurse and are
intended to fill in the gaps between routine medical inspections which occur on at