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report there have been seven cases on the 11th, 15th 16th May,
1927 ; 18th, 21st July, 1927 ; 27th, 30th August, 1927.
There have been no deaths. The first case, J. W. of Islington,
aged 3 years 10 months, appeared to be unwell and languid on
the 11th May, 1927. The Matron advised the mother to take the
child to hospital. This was done, and a swab of the throat taken ;
it was found to be positive, and the child removed to an infectious
disease hospital next day.
The second case was P. D. of Islington, aged 3 years 10 months.
She attended the nursery on the 15th May, 1927, and was found
to be unwell. She was sent to St. Bartholomew's Hospital, where
a diagnosis of Heavy cold was made. As she was worse next day
she was sent again, and a swab of the throat taken. This was
found to be positive, and the child was removed to an infectious
disease hospital.
On the 15th May, 1927, the throats of the Matron, nurses, and
the children were all swabbed for bacteriological examination.
One positive swab was found, and this child was the third case —
P. E. of Islington, aged 1 year 8 months. She was stated to be
suffering from a " cold " and had a nasal discharge, but did not
appear ill. She was sent to an infectious disease hospital on the
16th May, 1927. No more cases occurred until the 18th July,
1927, when the fourth case occurred. F. H. of Islington, aged
3 years 2 months, was drowsy and cold during the evening of the
18th July, 1927 ; she was taken to the Royal Free Hospital, where
a swab was taken and found positive. She was removed to an
infectious disease hospital.
Further swabbing gave a positive result in the case of one
nurse. She was not ill, so the swab was repeated on the 21st July,
1927. The nasal swab was found to be negative, but the throat
positive. The fifth case was therefore N. W. of Ashford, Kent,
aged 17 years, and she was removed to an isolation hospital as a
carrier of the diphtheria bacillus. On the 27th August, 1927, the
sixth case was discovered. The nursery had been closed from the
22nd July, 1927, until the 22nd August, 1927, for the summer