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15
in virtue of his office on admission to a school without permission
from its managers, but in similar instances that had come
under the Local Government Board's notice, managers of
schools tad, as a rule, been found quite willing to avail themselves
of the help and advice of a Medical Officer of Health to
prevent the spread of infectious disease among children, and
also that it was to the interest of the East Ham School Board
that all children who were in an infectious state should be so
recognised and excluded from school—as otherwise the spread
of disease among the scholars might cause a larger diminution
of attendance, and might also render the closing of the schools
necessary.
It will be gathered from this communication that while
the School Board are under no legal obligation to permit me
carrying into effect your instructions it is to their interest, the
children's good, and the District's welfare, that we should
work amicably together in this important undertaking of
detecting, preventing and stamping out Infectious Disease.
Diarrhcea.
Seventy-one deaths were attributed to Diarrhcea, 65 of
these cases were under the age of five years and six over.
It will be also interesting to state that out of this 65 there
were 55 under the age of one year, and all of these infants died
during July, August, and September. It appears to me that
the higher the temperature and the longer it lasts, the greater
the mortality amongst infants from this complaint.
I still consider that the milk supply should be thoroughly
investigated, especially during the summer months, as this is
the main food of these infants.
In this group I have given only those cases of simple
Diarrhcea.