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Infective Diseases. 37
They were devised in order to get over these difficulties
and to ensure as far as was practicable that all young children
suffering from Measles should be brought under observation
in an early stage of their illness and watched for complications.
In order to save unnecessary delays in the transmission of
the names of absentees from schools in districts where Measles
was prevalent, I was able to arrange, with the co-operation
of the Medical Officer of Health of the London County Council,
for frequent consultations at these schools between the Health
Visitors concerned, and the school nurses. At these consultations
the school nurse handed to the Health Visitor the names and
addresses of all children reported absent from school on account
of Measles, together with other information concerning them.
It was also arranged that as long as Measles continued to be
prevalent in the neighbourhood of the school, all the home
visiting of these absentees should be carried out by the Health
Visitor, unless it was found that absence from school was due
to some other cause. In this manner the home supervision
of children suffering from Measles was carried out by the
Health Visitors of the Borough Council who are the authority
for the control of infectious diseases, and the possibility of overlapping
between the visits of the Health Visitor and the School
Nurse, respectively, was avoided.
Owing to the large number of cases which occur during an
epidemic it is impossible for the visiting to be done by the
permanent staff of Health Visitors, and the Council decided
in 1927 to engage temporary Health Visitors for this purpose.
During the epidemic, five ladies were appointed in this capacity
for varying periods between 19th December, 1927, and 30th
June, 1928, and the total service of these temporary officers
was 60 weeks.
The new arrangements made were very successful and their
efficiency was enhanced by the consultations which took place
between the school nurses and the Health Visitors. The nurses
were able to pass on the information they obtained at the schools
with a minimum of delay and this enabled the Health Visitors to
investigate the cases at a much earlier stage than in previous
years.