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62
It will be seen that in 40 per cent. of the total number of
cases notified, two or more persons of the same family or living in
the same house were infected. In a very large number of instances,
it was found that the source of infection was traceable to
a mild, undiscovered case or to some suspicious illness, from
which one or more members of the family or families residing in
the house was suffering.
In one house (Alfred Street), in which 8 cases occurred, and
which was due to this cause, the following is the history of the
outbreak. The family, which occupied the whole house of six
rooms, comprised twelve persons—father, mother and ten children.
The ages of the latter ranged from 19 to 3 years. The two elder
children escaped. One of the younger children—a boy, aged 11—
came home from school feeling ill on the 2nd November. Next
day he complained of headache and malaise, but no sore throat or
vomiting. His illness was not considered of sufficient importance
to call in a doctor. Between the 11th and the 17th, seven cases
were notified. As a result of this outbreak the history and nature
of the illness of the boy referred to was enquired into, and on
examination he was found to be suffering from scarlatinal
sequelae, and subsequently notified and removed to hospital.
The case in which seven members of the same family, living
in Church Road, presents some features of interest. On the 10th
February, R. D—, aged 8, was notified to be suffering from
Scarlet Fever, and removed to hospital the same day. This child
attended Bolingbroke Road L.C.C. School, in connection with
which school very few cases were notified from amongst the large
number of children attending therein during 1908. An elder
sister, aged 18, of this patient was notified, and removed to
hospital on the 22nd March. On enquiries being made, it was
ascertained that this patient had been employed as a cleaner at
the same school, and, in the absence of other evidence, it was
surmised that she must have been infected at the school in the
course of her occupation. This patient was not discharged from
hospital until the 9th May.