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22
Secondary Cases of Scarlet Fever.
Of the 98 notifications, 86 occurred in houses in which there was no
secondary case. There were only 6 secondary cases in 6 different houses, no
houses during the year having more than 2 cases of scarlet fever.
Ketukn Cases of Scarlet Fever.
Of the secondary cases of scarlet fever, two were " return " cases, i.e., cases
which occurred in a house soon after the return home of a patient from hospital.
One was probably not a true " return " case as the illness occurred more than six
weeks afterwards, and the primary case was quite well, and had no discharge from
nose or ears after return home. The true return case apparently infected a
relative who lived in a neighbouring house.
Errors in Diagnosis.
During the year 6 patients were returned home from the hospitals of the
Metropolitan Asylums Board reported as not suffering from scarlet fever, or
61 per cent, of the notifications.
DIPHTHERIA.
The number of cases of diphtheria was 47, of which 15 belonged to St. Giles
and Bloomsbury and 32 to the Holborn District. All but two were removed to
hospital. The average number of notifications for the preceding decennium
was 81, 31 for St. Giles and Bloomsbury and 51 for the Holborn District.
Secondary and Return Cases of Diphtheria.
Two of the above cases occurred after the return home of primary cases that
had been removed to hospital the previous year. In one case the illness began a
week after the return home of the primary case and the other about three months
afterwards.
Errors in Diagnosis.
Seven patients were returned from the hospitals of the Metropolitan Asylums
Board not suffering from diphtheria, or 14'9 per cent, of the patients notified.
ENTERIC FEVER.
There were, excluding duplicates, only 16 notifications in comparison with 25
for the preceding year, and a decennial average of 36. Six belonged to St. Giles
and Bloomsbury, and 10 to the Holborn District. All but one of the cases were
removed to hospital.