Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for West Ham]
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Schools.—The Public Elementary Schools consist of 48 Council
Schools and 14 Non-Provided Schools, together with four Council
Special Schools, and two Higher Elementary Schools, affording in the
aggregate accommodation for 67,122 scholars.
The Schools are for the most part modern substantially built
buildings, adequately supplied with water and provided with sufficient
surrounding air space, while their general cleanliness appears to be
well looked after.
With a view to checking the spread of epidemic disease it has
been the practice for many years past for the Medical Officer of Health
on receiving information of the occurrence of infectious disease in the
family of a scholar to send a red-coloured notice to the Head Teacher
of the School (Day School and Sunday School) recommending the
exclusion of children coming from the infected home, subsequently
followed by a white notice freeing the family from quarantine on the
completion of the necessary isolation and the official disinfection of
the premises. Each School is provided with a supply of disinfectants
for general or special use.
The particular action taken with regard to Schools during the
year will be found under the heading " Chief Zymotic Diseases."
Methods of Dealing with Infectious Disease.—Prior
to the Infectious Disease Notification Act, 1899, the notification of
these diseases in West Ham had been compulsory for 11 years, under
special powers obtained by the West Ham Corporation Act, 1888,
which provided for the notification of all the diseases specified in the
general Act, with the exception of Erysipelas and Membranous Croup.