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Cases of Mumps are excluded for a period of 3 weeks dating from
the onset of the swelling—as that is usually the first diagnostic sign—but
apparently the exclusion does not save other children.
I noticed this particularly in the Infants' Department of a school near
the Clinic, to which children were promptly sent on suspicion: the
incidence of the disease went calmly on week after week until the
Christmas Holidays, and resumed its career on the re-opening of the
school.
No action was taken during the year under Articles 45 (b) and 57 of
the Code. All the necessary exclusions were made under Article 53 (b).
See Section 4 and Table VII.
NUTRITION.—Only 20 children were found as a result of
routine inspection to be suffering from Malnutrition: the average heights
and weights are very similar to those of previous years.
Dr. Bullough, the County Medical Officer, has kindly sent me the
heights and weights of 25 boys and 27 girls attending the local Secondary
Schools, between the ages of 12 and 13. Their average heights are
respectively 55.4 inches and 55 inches and their average weights 831bs.
and 82 lbs., being 9 lbs heavier than the average of the boys and girls
attending the Elementary Schools, of the same age. The number
examined in the Secondary Schools is small, but that probably does not
account for the marked difference.
Nutrition was noted as excellent in 11 per cent. of the entrants and
18 per cent. of the leavers.
7. FOLLOWING UP.
Every child having a defect has a white card made out for it at the
time of inspection, giving the necessary details and filed under the
heading of the various schools at the Clinic. For special cases a blue
card is used.
Some 6 or 8 weeks after the inspection, the school is visited and the
children with defects are seen. If the defect is remedied, the card is
entered up with the details of treatment and filed under the headings of
the various defects; if not remedied, the School Nurse visits the house
and if possible interviews the parent. In cases where the defect is likely
to injure the child's health, and the parents take no notice, a letter from
the School Medical Officer is sent, inviting the parent to see him, and
in a few cases the Inspector for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children
has been asked to see the parents.
Subsequent re-inspections of unremedied defects are made at intervals
of two or three months by the School Doctors.
During the year, the Nurses paid 2,707 visits to the homes in
connection with the following:—