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me by refusing to accept any certificate of disinfection except
my own, and not from any medical man unless he has made a
bacteriological examination. In many cases I have had this
co-operation; those teachers who have followed my advice
by only accepting my certificate, I have to thank, and
to express the hope that those who have not done so will see
the advantage that must accrue to the school in which they are
interested from the adoption of such a system of preventing
the resumption of school attendance by children who may still
be infectious, although apparently quite recovered.
I append below the percentage of fatal cases in relation
to the number of persons attacked by diphtheria and scarlet
fever since the year 1895.
Case Mortality op Diphtheria and Scarlet Fever.
Diphtheria.
Scarlet Fever.
1895
19.5
5.3
18.4
1896
4.2
2.7
1897
14.3
1.9
1898
12.4
1.6
12.7
1899
In May measles was very prevalent all over the Parish,
but specially in the neighbourhood of Gloucester Road Board
School, and at one time it seemed as if that school were an
agent in the propagation of the disease, and it was accordingly
disinfected by your officials under my superintendence. From
a careful consideration of the circumstances I have come to
the conclusion that attendance here was not the sole agent,
because I found on making inquiries where the cases had
been notified to me from the school that the disease seemed
to select particular streets, and houses adjoining those where
there had been outbreaks of the disease seemed very likely to
be attacked, although the children may have attended quite
different schools.
xiii.