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APPENDIX II.
Report on Elementary Schools.
With a rapidly increasing population, work in connection with
the schools naturally becomes heavier each year.
It has been found impossible during the past year to devote
the amount of time to school work that is really necessary, and
additional assistance has for some time been needed. The very
heavy duties imposed by the recent Act relating to the Medical
Inspection of School Children will render it necessary to provide
this assistance at an early date.
The following is a summary of some of the chief duties
performed during the year:—
INFECTIOUS DISEASES.
1. Scarlet Fever.—This disease was more prevalent
than during the previous year, the cases being particularly
numerous during the last four months of the year.
The schools chiefly affected were visited as often as
possible, and on several occasions children were found to be
present who were suffering from the disease.
2. Diphtheria.—This disease was also more prevalent,
and at about the same period of the year.
The bacteriological laboratory has been of the utmost
value in enabling an accurate diagnosis to be made in mild
or doubtful cases of this disease, and by the exclusion of the
children found to be affected I am of opinion that on several
occasions the closing of a school or department has been
obviated.
The schools chiefly affected by the above two diseases
were as follows, arranged in order according to the number
of cases occurring in each:—