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42 Report of the Medical Officer of Health.
The chart shows that there were three maxima, one in
January, one in May, and the other in September and October,
but only on one occasion did the number of notifications exceed
30 per week, while in 1901 this number was exceeded several
times.
The smallest number of notifications was received during the
week ending the 19th December, only four cases having been
notified.
The prevalence of Scarlet Fever was again due to the fact
that a large proportion of the cases was not diagnosed till
desquamation was noticed, and consequently no precautions were
taken by the parents.
The average number of notifications per week was about 16,
compared with 20 in 1902. During 26 weeks the notifications
were either at or above this average, and during 26 weeks they
were under this average.
The only outbreak calling for special notice occurred in
September and October, the particulars of which were laid before
the Public Health Committee.
This outbreak was, in my opinion, due to the milk supply to
one purveyor, and it was of special interest, as although no definite
source of infection could be found either in this Borough or at the
farm from which the milk was delivered, yet the withdrawal of the
milk from one particular farm at once stopped the outbreak. At
the expiration of 14 days the milk supply from the farm was again
supplied and again cases occurred. The milk was then
Pasteurised by the dairyman and the outbreak again ceased.
The particulars of the cases reported to the Committee were
as follows: —
The first case was notified in the last week of August, followed
by another on the 1st September, one on the 2nd, two on the 5 th,
five on the 7th, and one on the 9th. Inquiries were made in each
case as to the possible source of infection, and when five cases
were notified on the 7th it was seen that all the houses in which
the cases occurred had only one thing in common, viz.:—the milk
supply.