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Sanitary Circumstances of the District. 23
The supervision of the health of the school-children therefore
devolves upon the local Education Authority under the Education
Act (Administrative Provisions), 1907. Notwithstanding this, each
school in which any case or cases of infectious disease occurred
among the scholars was immediately notified of the fact by the
Public Health Department, who also gave all facilities and assistance
for the effectual disinfection of the classroom. The contacts in the
School were examined by the Medical Officer of Health. During the
earlier part of the year Measles was very prevalent, and it was found
necessary to close Barnes Green School for 11 days in order to prevent
the spread of the disease. In the same school several cases of
Scarlet Fever occurred; it was deemed advisable to close the infected
class-room for one week. Chicken-pox also prevailed in the Railway
Side School during the latter half of the year. Cases of
Diphtheria occurred also amongst scholars attending Mortlake
National Schools, necessitating immediate visitation and swabing
of the contacts, disinfection, etc.
In accordance with the request of the Local Government
Board that the Medical Officer of Health should state in his report
what arrangements are in force for the discharge of the duties of
School Medical Officer, and for the medical inspection of children
in the Public Elementary Schools in the district, it may be
stated that the County Medical Officer is the School Medical
Officer, and for this district, in conjunction with other districts,
there is an assistant School Medical Officer, who visits the
schools at stated intervals to inspect the children. The Council,
appreciating the value of unification, and with a desire to give
effect to the recommendations contained in circulars, etc., of the
Local Government Board that the Medical Officer of Health
should, where possible, give his whole time to work of a public
health character, passed a resolution asking the Surrey Education
Committee to make such arrangements as would allow
the work of medical inspection of children being carried out by
their Medical Officer of Health.