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14
The number of children suffering from other infectious
diseases was not in excess of the normal average.
As in previous years, in all cases where the Head
Teacher has reported that a child has been absent from
school and the absence was believed to be due to Measles,
Whooping Cough, or Mumps, the School Nurses have
visited the home, and when the diagnosis was verified
contacts from the same household have been excluded, in
accordance with the Joint Memorandum of the Medical
Officers of the Local Government Board and Board of
Education, issued in 1909. Although this had been carried
out as thoroughly as possible—and of course it could only
apply to cases coming to the knowledge of and reported by
the Head Teachers—it had not the desired result in
preventing the spread of those diseases in the Infants'
Schools, although at times extensive exclusions made
serious inroads on the attendance.
After careful consideration, it was decided to cease
routine exclusion of contacts of Measles, Whooping Cough
Chicken Pox, or Mumps, and to substitute a system of daily
visits to the Infant Schools by the School Nursing Staff.
For several years past, the School Nurses have visited
daily for ten days classes where a case of Diphtheria has
occurred, and examined the throats of the children. The
method of daily visits to all Infants' Departments was
therefore an extension of this procedure.
The Committee approved the course suggested and a
commencement was made at the end of the year. Certain
schools were allotted to each Nurse, corresponding as far
as possible to the district usually covered by her in the
course of her duties as Health Visitor.
The following instructions were issued to the Nursing
Staff:—