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25
Reference to this Table discloses the tact that 1908 has
presented more Infectious Disease than any one of the previous
10 years, and 47 in excess of 1907.
Scarlet Fever.
One hundred and thirty-two of the Infectious cases are
attributable to Scarlet Fever: 35 of the cases occurred between
the ages of 1 and 5 years, 78 between 5 and 15 years, 7 between
15 and 25 years, and 12 over 25 years of age. It will
De seen that by far the greater number of cases were among
children who had attained school age, and were pupils in the
elementary or infants' departments of the Council's Schools.
For the most part the disease was of a mild type, and
of the number only one died.
By order of the Council all persons residing in the house
along with the Scarlet Fever patient and those children
seated immediately to the right and left of the affected child
at School, were medically examined, and the results of such
examinations were reported to the Council. There has resulted
from this order medical examinations of, and reports
upon 202 people, and in all cases with a negative result, no
cases of Scarlet Fever being detected among them.
On a previous occasion in view of the prevalence of
Scarlet Fever, it was suggested by the Council that single
handed I should perform the Herculean task of examining
all the School children of Beckenham. I expressed my
willingness to undertake such an inspection, with the view
of discovering presumed infected children, provided I were
given assistance. I therefore placed before the Council the
names of various local medical gentlemen for that purpose.
But in view of the expense which would be incurred, their
assistance was not forthcoming, and the proposed enquiry
therefore fell through.
Had such an enquiry been undertaken, to be of any value
the medical examinations would have had to have been searching
and thorough. In face of the recent outcry n regard to
medical inspection of school children, this enquiry, if it had