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5
direction that I feel confident that most progress can
be made toward the ideal sanatory state. On several
occasions two or three cases of infectious disease
have been observed in connection with certain
elementary schools. On each occasion the school
has been visited and all suspected persons, together
with the brothers and sisters, have been excluded
from the school. This has given rise to a considerable
amount of discontent among parents, but in each
case this weeding out of suspected families has
stopped the recurrence of further cases, and has thus
staved off an epidemic and so avoided school closure.
These remarks do not apply to Measles which,
not being notifiable, can only be dealt with when it
becomes epidemic.
There are other milder diseases in connection
with school life, such as infectious Impetigo and the
presence of vermin, and Ringworm, which I think
call for preventive measures. Something is done,
but I think more vigilant inspection and arrangements
to provide other means of cure, than the
attention of the mother when she has any spare time,
would materially increase the record of attendances.
The sight and hearing of school children is also
of great importance. At Bradford the Medical
Officer to the School Board tests the eyesight of
each child once a year, with the result that although
40 per cent. of children under seven had defective
vision, the early treatment had reduced the number
with defects at twelve years to only 15 per cent.
A great deal of good might be done by arranging
with the school authorities to give lectures to the
elder children and such parents as care to attend on
elementary matters connected with health. This has
been done with great success in several towns, and
might be done here with very little expense.