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7
Scarlet Fever.
A total of 18 cases and no deaths. These 18 or the
majority of them are mostly connected cases, and not
sporadic, and as the sequence continued into 1896 it is
desirable that I should here recapitulate and put together
in one narrative the substance of the various reports that
I have made to you during the development of this small
and localised outbreak up to the end of the year.
There was an entire immunity from scarlatina from
the earlier part of the year until the middle of August,
when two little children, brother and sister, contracted it
somewhere. They were removed at once to the Isolation
Hospital and all the usual precautions taken, and no
further cases seem to have resulted from this.
On October 25th a case was reported of a child who
had been attending St. Mark's Schools. She was removed
forthwith to the Isolation Hospital and all necessary steps
were taken to ensure no further spread of the disease.
On the 15th November a lad of 18 walked into the
surgery on Victoria Terrace, complaining of sore throat,
and on examination was found to have a well-developed
attack of scarlatina, the rash showing freely. The case
was at once reported to me, and I saw him myself, had
him detained till the arrival of the ambulance, and then
sent him to the Hospital. The source of infection in this
case was ascertained later on, and will be referred to
presently.
On Monday, November 18th, two cases were notified
me at the same time, and I was at once struck with the
fact that they were both young children of about the same
age, 6 to 8 years, both were living in the same part of the
district, and both were of the same class in life, and
probably attended the same school. I then made up my