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78
A case of Scarlet Fever was notified from No. 10 Gonsalva
Road, on the 7th March. The patient had been attending
hospital since the 2nd March. He last visited the hospital on
the 7th, coming home feeling very ill. On receipt of the notification
that the patient was suffering from Scarlet Fever,
enquiries were made by the Inspector, when he was informed no
other member of the patient's family was ill. On the 8th March
a child living in the same house was notified, and the followingday
(the 9th) two children of the first patient were notified, and
removed to hospital. It was then ascertained that the two last
patients had been ill, one three weeks previously, and the other
a fortnight previously. Both of these children were "peeling"
when notified, and had infected their father and the other child
living in the house.
Another case, which infected several other persons, occurred
at Crescent Place. On the nth February two children were
notified to be suffering from Scarlet Fever, from No. 3 Crescent
Place. On making enquiries, I ascertained that a boy was
lying ill at No. 1 Crescent Place, supposed to be suffering from
Bright's disease. The mother of the two patients at No. 3
Crescent Place had visited the patient at No. 1 a week previously,
spending some time with him. On visiting No. 1 I
found the boy to be suffering from scarlatinal nephritis, and
another child in the same house suffering from Scarlet Fever. A
third child was notified a few days later, from No. 3. Making
in all four cases infected from this unrecognised case.
Numerous instances such as the above could be quoted, but
the examples given sufficiently illustrate the difficulties met with
in limiting the spread of infection. Ignorance and carelessness
on the part of parents in not calling in medical aid in cases of
doubtful illness is largely responsible for the spread of infection.
Notwithstanding these difficulties, the fact that we had
fewer cases of Scarlet Fever in the Borough during 1907 than
in the previous year—although a very great increase was
recorded in the number of cases in the County of London in
1907—is a very satisfactory feature of the year's work to be
able to record, and speaks well for the activity of the Sanitary