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44
More or less marked insanitary conditions were found in 83
houses in which Scarlet Fever occurred.
The "return" cases were as follows: —
1. This is a group of cases arising apparently from a case of Scarlet
Fever returned home in an infectious state.
(a) Winifred G., aged 9 years, was removed from 37, C. Street, on
Feb. 2nd, suffering from Scarlet Fever. She returned home
on Wednesday, March 29th, in apparently good health, save
for slight swelling of the ankles. The mother reported that
she had noticed some loose skin on one of Winifred's feet, the
day after her return. On Friday, March 31st, twelve days
after her return, Winifred complained of swollen glands in the
neck, and on the evening of the following Monday, a sister
and brother, Irene and Reginald, fell ill. She does not appear
to have complained of sore throat, or to have had any cold in
the head. On April 13th, the fauces were normal. There was
no diarrhoea or rhinorrhœa or any history of ear-ache. The
feet and hands showed no desquamation. The submaxillary
glands on both sides were slightly enlarged, but not tender,
and any inflammation there had been was subsiding.
The Medical Superintendent of the North-Western Hospital at
Hampstead wrote me on April 16th, stating that this child's
"attack of Scarlet Fever was of the simple type; the only
"complication being a mild adenitis affecting the cervical
"glands on the right side. This lasted from Feb. 27th to
"March 15th. On the latter date she was quite well and
"left the Hospital 14 days later. At no time during her
"illness had she any discharge from either her ears or nose,
"and when dismissed she was quite free from desquamation."
(b) Irene G., aged 5 years, sickened with Scarlet Fever on
Monday, April 3rd; had not been in contact with any children
outside her family. She left school on Feb. 2nd, and
had not been back to school since that date, except to pay a
visit to her teacher on the day she sickened, viz.:—April 3rd.
Her mother used to allow her to take money from the
customers, many of whom were children, but the shop was
closed on Saturday, March 26th, and had not been re-opened.
Thus, the last time she was exposed to this indirect contact
with other children was nine days before she fell ill. She
spent her afternoons in the Bunhill Fields Cemetery, but,
according to her nurse, did not play there with other children.