Dr. G.S. Buchanan's report to the Local Government Board upon epidemic diphtheria in the borough of Tunbridge Wells / [G.S. Buchanan].
- George Seaton Buchanan
- Date:
- 1898
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: Dr. G.S. Buchanan's report to the Local Government Board upon epidemic diphtheria in the borough of Tunbridge Wells / [G.S. Buchanan]. Source: Wellcome Collection.
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![From search of the school registers, I obtained particulars of the attendance at school of the children who suffered from diphtheria in the earlier months of the epidemic. They may be summarised as follows :— Table D. Week ending Total Cases of Diphtheria notified. Of which were Children attending St. James’ and St. Barnabas’ Schools np to, or within a few days of, the date of notification. Total Dwellings notified as newly- invaded by Diph¬ theria. Number of these Dwellings from which a Child or Children habitually attended St. James’ or St. Barnabas’ Schools. Number of these Dwellings in which the first notified Case of Diphtheria was a Child attending St. James’ or St. Barnabas’ School up to, or within a few days of, the date of notification. January 5 4 [Both Schools 1 1 [Both Schools 12 2 opened January 10.] 1 . . . opened January 10.] 19 • • » ... • , • • • • • • • • 26 ... ... • • . • . • • • • February 2 1 • • • 1 • . . ... 9 8 6 ) * 4 4 4 16 8 3 f 6 3 3 23 35 lb 22 22 17 March 2 17 10 9 5 9 10 [Both Schools closed February 21. 5 3 [Both Schools closed February 21. 16 6 Schools opened : St. Barnabas, Mar. 21. 4 3 Schools opened : St. Barnabas, Mar. 21. 23 5 St. James5, Mar. 28.] 4 2 St. James’, Mar. 28.] 30 12 i}* 6 5 2 April 6 11 6 2 2 * All St. Barnabas. f 14 St. Barnabas. f 5 St. Barnabas. It appeared from the figures above given that nearly all the houses known to have been invaded during the period of outbreak, February 3 to March 9, were dwellings from which one or more children were attending St. James’ or St. Barnabas’ School ; that after these schools were closed (at the instance of the Medical Officer of Health) on February 21st, the weekly number of houses newly invaded began to diminish ; and that after March 28th, at which date both schools had been reopened, there was a slight increase in the weekly number of newly invaded houses. As regards children actually attending school immediately antecedent to illness, it appeared that prior to, and for about a week after, the date of closing the schools, such children formed a majority of the total cases notified, and further that in a large proportion of dwellings invaded during this period, the first case to be notified was a child who was attending or who had just ceased attending one or other of these schools. The information at my disposal was insufficient to indicate whether, after the first five or six weeks of the epidemic attendance at these schools had operated to maintain the prevalent diphtheria. St. Barnabas School was open (save for a few days at Easter and at Whitsuntide) from March 21st to August 17th ; St. James’ School was similarly open from March 28th to August 12th. Up to April 6th the incidence of disease, as shown by notifications, upon the scholars has been shown in Table D. From April 7th to August 17th, 81 dwellings in the borough were notified as newly invaded, and in 31 of these, St. James’ or St. Barnabas’ School was attended by one or more children in the household. During the same period, children attending certain other public elementary schools and certain private schools in the borough were attacked by diphtheria, but in no case in such large numbers as to call for comment. As to opportunities of infection in Sunday schools, I learnt that within East, \\ ard area a large number of children attend the two Sunday schools of St. Janies and St. Barnabas, and that these Sunday schools were closed during approximately the.same period in February and March as the day schools. Particulars of attendance at Sunday school of children who were attacked by diphtheria had not been sought, and, as I was informed that nearly every](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b30557756_0008.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
