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The reports of medical officers of health show that prosecutions for the wilful exposure of a scarlet
fever patient in a public place or public conveyance were successfully instituted in Kensington, Chelsea,
Westminster, St. Giles, and Wandsworth, and of a parent for neglecting to notify the illness of his
child were instituted, in one instance in Kensington and in three instances in Fulham. A magistrate's
order was obtained for the compulsory removal to hospital of a child who was suffering from scarlet
fever in a gipsy's van in Battersea.
The insufficiency of hospital accommodation for cases of scarlet fever is referred to in the reports
relating to Kensington, Fulham, Chelsea, St. Marylebone, Stoke Newington, Hackney, Holborn,
Clerkenwell, St. George-in-the-East, Mile-end Old-town, Poplar, St. George, Southwark, St. Olave,
Wandsworth and Woolwich. Some of the reports state that there was less difficulty in securing the
removal of infected persons than in previous years, and this difficulty, which occurred in July,
September, and October, appears to have practically disappeared after the opening of the Park
Hospital at Hither-green.
The occurrence of "return cases" of scarlet fever, i.e., the occurrence of fresh cases following
the return home of a patient who had been removed to hospital, is discussed in several of the reports.
The medical officer of health of Paddington gives in tabular form account of fourteen so-called "return
cases. In five of these cases the patient returned from hospital presented conditions of ill-health,
especially nasal discharge. One was desquamating on the soles of the feet. In one case it was
thought that the disinfection might have failed. In three cases no cause could be assigned, and in
four there was not sufficient opportunity for investigation.
The medical officer of health of Islington in his report for the first quarter of 1897 gives
account of the occurrence of cases of scarlet fever in an orphanage eight days after the return from
hospital of a girl who had been in the hospital 52 days.
See footnote ('), page 7.