[Report 1933] / School Medical Officer of Health, Hertfordshire County Council.

  • Hertfordshire (England). County Council. n 50062101.
Date:
1933
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1933] / School Medical Officer of Health, Hertfordshire County Council. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    pens, etc., and washing floors and woodwork with water containing some antiseptic. (6) Ventilation and suppression of dust and the cleanliness of school premises; these are of special importance during the winter months. In investigating an outbreak of diphtheria or scarlet fever in a school efforts should be directed to discovering, excluding and treating a carrier or carriers of virulent strains of the organism. In the case of diphtheria the strain of organism found in carriers should be tested for virulence so that all efforts may be concentrated on the carrier of the virulent strain. In the case of scarlet fever swabs from the nose and throat of contacts have shown the presence of carriers of the streptococcus haemolyticus (S.F. strain). In one school an outbreak of scarlet fever was not got under control until carriers were segregated and treated. The treatment of carrier by means of the local applica- tion of anti-diphtheria and anti-streptococcal (S.F.) serum has given good results in some cases. Protection against diphtheria by means of induced immunization should form part of the scheme of prevention. It should be carried out during the early years below school age. Early recognition or at least suspicion of a case of infectious disease with immediate exclusion is the first essential step to take to prevent the spread of infection. To facilitate this, the following information regarding infectious diseases has been circulated in the schools. Public Elementary Schools. Inffxtious Diseases. Infectious diseases occur as isolated cases or in epidemic form, the latter especially in schools, and to prevent their spread certain immediate steps must be taken. When a child has, or is suspected of having, any infectious disease the first and most important thing to do is to exclude the child from school, isolate at home, and call in the doctor. There are certain symptoms which should always be regarded with suspicion, and when they occur in a child a doctor should always he called in by the parent. These symptoms are sore throat, swelling of glands in neck, rash, sickness, fever. Common Infectious Diseases. Scarlet Fever.—Symptoms: sickness, headache, sore throat, fever, flushed face ; rash on second day consists of scarlet rash, first on