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40
Some people regard Scarlatina as a disease which does not
demand the same strict precautions against spread as Scarlet Fever;
and many parishioners have expressed great surprise on being
informed that Scarlatina is essentially Scarlet Fever of a mild type,
and that serious and even fatal cases of the latter can be communicated
by a patient suffering from the former. On this account it
would be a gain if medical practitioners referred to all such cases,
not as Scarlatina but as mild attacks of Scarlet Fever. During the
year, one patient notified as suffering from Scarlatina answered the
door herself when we made our visit.
The Board Schools give medals to those who have paid the
greatest possible number of attendances punctually on every occasion
on which the school has been open during the school year. This
often leads to children keeping up their attendances regardless of
consequences to their health, and one has known instances where
children with sore throats (one of which subsequently proved to be
Diphtheria) have continued school attendance for as long as they
possibly could in order not to lose the medal. There have also been
cases in which infectious disease in a house was kept a secret in
order not to destroy the chances of another member of the family in
securing a medal. In the absence of some form of medical
inspection of the scholars, the giving of these medals thus becomes
a source of danger.
NOTES UPON SANITARY WORK PERFORMED DURING
THE YEAR.
It will be seen from the Appended Report of Mr Burgess that
a large amount of sanitary work has been performed during the year
1897. 1,900 premises were inspected for conditions injurious or
dangerous to health, and insanitary conditions varying in their nature
from slight to very grave, were discovered in a large number of instances.
1,046 Intimation Notices, followed in 234 cases by Statutory
Notices, were complied with.