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58
MEASLES AND WHOOPING COUGH.
These diseases are not notifiable under the Infectious Disease
(Notification) Act ; but a fair idea of their prevalence may be gleaned
from the notifications received from School Teachers. Weekly returns
are sent to the M.O.H. from the Head Teachers of the various
departments of the Council's Schools, intimating the occurrence of
non-notifiable infectious' diseases amongst school children.
The schools are divided into three groups, each group being
put in charge of a nurse, who visits the homes of the patients and
gives such advice as appears most necessary. Doubtless they are
instrumental in urging the parents to seek medical advice when otherwise
the sufferers would receive no professional attention, and thus
it is reasonable to suppose lives are saved.
The rule with regard to exclusion from school of contacts with
Measles and Whooping Cough cases is this—children attending the
Senior Departments and coming from homes infected with these diseases
may continue at school, provided the patient is properly isolated and
the senior scholar already has had the complaint. All infant scholars
coming from infected homes are excluded.
636 children were notified as suffering from Measles during 1914.
470 children were notified as suffering from Whooping Cough
during 1914.