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21
Merton Park Infants' Department.—On May 19th,
44 children were away from the school, either suffering from
or having been in contact with Measles. On examination of
the other children, three were found to have certain spots in
the mouth (called Kopliks spots), which is probably the
earliest reliable sign in the complaint. There were other
children who had suspicious appearances. Owing, therefore,
to the fact that a fresh crop of infection was imminent, and the
difficulty of so excluding infected individuals as to be certain
that some source of infection would not be missed, I advised
the Local Sanitary Authority to close the school for a fortnight,
so as to prevent the spread of the disease. On June the
8th it was deemed advisable to close the school for another fortnight.
In the other Departments of the school (Boys' and
Girls') exclusion of individual children sufficed.
Raynes Park Council Schools.—Measles and Whooping
Cougli: At the end of June three from the Infante' and Girls'
Department were away suffering from Measles, and other
absentees were reported on account of the disease as follows:—
July 1st 4, July 9th 3, 13th 5, and 14th 6, bringing the total
to 21. Whooping Cough also accounted for 26 cases, but of
a total 359 possible attendances, 248 were present. Owing to
the large number of absentees caused by infection or contact, I
on the 14th advised closure of the school, as, in spite of watching
individual children, the disease continued to spread.
Boys' Department.- At the end of June 3 were away suffering
from Measles, but by July 14th there were 70 absentees.
Some of these, however, owed their abence, I think, to the
Scarlet Fever scare, alluded to in another section. In this
instance also I advised closure, and as it was so near the holidays',
the closure corresponded to the remaining days of the
term.