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XV.
microscopic examination of these colonies will reveal the presence of the true
diphtheria bacillus if it was in the throat of the person from whom the swab
was taken.
There is nothing very new, and nothing at all original in this. The
question of the control of Diphtheria as a school disease is mentioned frequently
in the Report, and I need only refer you to the remarks of Dr. Kerr (Vol. II.,
page 238) where he states that any outbreak in a London School can be stamped
out in two or three days. This may, or may not be so in London, but I do not
anticipate that so good a result could be reasonably expected under any
circumstances in this district. The benefit that I should look for would be the
prevention of epidemics, and I believe that a scientific and properly organised
system of dealing with every isolated case of Diphtheria in our Schools would
not only have the effect of greatly reducing the number arising in them, but
would also materially lessen the total number of cases in the district of patients
other than school children.
Diphtheria amongst the School children in this district is a matter that
very closely affects the public, and is directly the cause of considerable
expense. During the year 1905, nearly 62 per cent. of the total cases of
Diphtheria notified were children attending the Public Elementary Schools,
and these children formed over 63 per cent. of the cases of this disease
from this district, treated at the public cost in Mogden Hospital during
the same period
Any definite system to be arranged in this district in connection with
Diphtheria, would of course have to be carefully considered in its details
after the appointment of, and in consultation with the School Doctor who
would have to carry it out, but the general idea would be as follows:—
On the notification of a case of Diphtheria in a child attending any
one particular School, the School Doctor would be at once informed by the
Health Department, and would keep that School under special observation,
and warn the teachers to exercise extra care in noticing the appearance
of the children. He would make a general inspection of all the children,
and a special inspection of those likely to have come in contact with the
affected child, Possibly one or two might be found to have obvious signs,
such as sore throat. Probably it would not be necessary to examine the