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23. Three children attended Lee Street School with Scarlet
Fever for several weeks before their mother called in a doctor.
I think this was a case of ignorance, but culpable ignorance.
24. Between the 3rd and 28th June, 12 cases of Scarlet
Fever were reported to me, all living in the isolated group of
streets known as the Slade district; 8 houses were effected,
and children from all these houses attended the Slade Board
School; 9 of the patients were themselves scholars at the
school.
Milk was supplied to the above-mentioned houses from five
different sources, and there were exceptionally few cases of
Scarlet Fever outside this district. I made enquiries at 5
houses and, with one exception, could find no connection
between the cases besides the common school. The exception
was that the mother of one patient had visited frequently next
door, where another case occurred.
In pursuit of what I conceived to be my duty, under these
circumstances I visited the school, and asked leave of the
head teacher to examine the children, with a view to the
detection of any mild and unsuspected cases of Scarlet
Fever. The examination consisted solely of viewing the face,
ears, throat, and hands of each child. Among the thirty
children I examined, I discovered two with unhealthy throats,
and one with a discharge from the ear, who I requested might
be excluded from school as possible conveyers of infection.
The teacher now requested me to desist, saying she thought
she had better consult the School Board before submitting any
further children for examination. Consequently, no more
children were examined, but whether as a result of the action
taken, or not, no more cases occurred in connection with this
school.