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31
School Hygiene.
In my report for 1903 the arrangements which had been
made with the local bodies, then managing Public Elementary
Schools, with the aim of checking the spread, at these schools, of
various infective disorders, were detailed.
During 1904 these arrangements worked admirably, the
school attendances reaching a hitherto (for this district) unprecedented
percentage.
During the latter part of 1904 I was enabled, by arrangement,
to examine scholars suspected of disease, and not already
under medical observation. These examinations proved very
valuable, and co-ordinated easily and advantageously with the
arrangements previously made.
At the beginning of 1905, however, the Local School
Attendance Committee made other plans for the carrying out of
the medical examination of scholars, and later in the year the
County Education Committee appointed as their adviser on medical
subjects a special Education Medical Officer.
As a result of the policy adopted by the Surrey Education
Committee before this appointment was made, local Medical
Officers of Health have now no official duties or status in connection
with the health of scholars and the hygienic arrangements of
public elementary schools.
In the recent able and exhaustive report of the County
Education Medical Officer, it is true that the advisability of school
teachers communicating with and asking the advice of local Medical
Officers of Health is plainly urged.
But the practical outcome in this district has been that one
no longer receives the notifications, arranged for in 1903 from
teachers, of children suffering from suspected disease. And the