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20
SMALL-POX.
There was no small-pox in the Borough during the year, for the only notification
(received during April) was that of a medical student who had been attending the
out-patients' department of one of the large hospitals, and who was soon afterwards
found to be really suffering from chicken-pox.
SCARLET FEVER.
During the 52 weeks ended Saturday, December 30th, 1905, the number of
scarlet fever notifications, excluding duplicates, was 156; 68 belonging to St. Giles
and Bloomsbury, and 88 to the Holborn Division. In the St. Giles District all the
cases were removed to hospital, and in the Holborn District all except six.
In 1904 the number was 99, and in 1903, 144. The decennial average was 216.
The disease was most prevalent in the Borough between the latter part of March
and the middle of May, and again from the middle of September to the end of
November. The principal school affected in the former period was St. George,
Bloomsbury, and in the latter period Christ Church School, Herbrand Street. There
were 12 cases of scarlet fever notified amongst the children attending the latter school,
eleven of them in the Infant's Department out of an average attendance of 111.
After a consultation with the Medical Officer of the Education Department of the
London County Council, the Infants' Department was closed for rather more than a
fortnight, viz., from the 24th November to the 11th December, 1905. The
whole of the Infants' Department of the school and the cloak rooms, lavatories and
waterclosets were thoroughly disinfected. After the closure of the school there were
no further cases of scarlet fever notified amongst any of the children attending the
school.
In the months of April and May there was an outbreak of scarlet fever at the
Holborn Infirmary. Nine of the cases had been resident in this Borough and were
therefore notified to me.
Secondary Cases of Scarlet Fever.
Of the 156 cases of scarlet fever, 133 occurred at different houses in which
there was no secondary case. In eight houses there were two cases, in one house
there were three cases, and in one large tenement house there were four cases, so that
in all there were thirteen secondary cases.
Return Cases op Scarlet Fever.
During the year there was one return case, i.e. a secondary case in which the
illness began on the 21st day after the return from hospital of the primary case. The