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other four are left in the community, and yet it is not improbable
that they possessed infectious throats.
This question of double infections is illustrated in another case.
William F. L., aged 7, living at 15, I R. This boy contracted
Scarlet Fever at school, and went to hospital on March 7th. He
was discharged on May 19th in apparently good health. He
went to the seaside for convalescence. On June 7th Dr. Sandilands
saw him and found the following conditions present. Both tonsils
were enlarged and pale in colour. Mucous membrane of the fauces,
pharynx and soft palate was anaemic; no signs of inflammation; no
exudation from crypt of tonsils or elsewhere; mucus or mucopurulent
discharge from the right nostril and excoriation of the
nostril. A swab was taken (June 7th) from the throat and the
Diphtheria bacillus was found. Desiring to be sure of our position
we swabbed this boy again (June 8th), and again the Diphtheria
bacillus was found. On June 6th the baby sister of this boy was
notified by a medical practitioner as suffering from Diphtheria, but
on reaching hospital the child was found to be suffering from
Scarlet Fever. I notified William F. L. as Diphtheria and he was
returned as suffering from no infectious disease. The explanation
appears to be that the boy suffered from Scarlet Fever from which
he had almost recovered but still retained some infection. Then he
suffered from Post-Scarlatinial Diphtheria from which he appeared
quickly to recover. But his baby sister contracted Diphtheria or
Scarlet Fever or both from him.
Nor are these the only cases in which difficulties have arisen,
owing to the subtlety of diphtheria infection and the methods by
which the infection of it is conveyed.
Diphtheria in Cats.—This year again we have come across some
further cases of diphtheria which may have been contracted from
diseased cats—six in all. In three cases it has not been possible to
have any bacteriological examination made of the suspected cats,
which had been destroyed. In one of these cases this was very unfortunate
as all the evidence pointed rather definitely to the infected
child having contracted infection from the cat. In three other