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7
Small Pox.—No case of Small Pox has been notified
during the year, although 101 occurred in London with 16
deaths.
Scarlet Fever.—The corrected number of deaths was 12;
the annual average for the last 10 years being 22.7. 420 cases
were reported during the year, of which 289 were removed to
Hospital. Two Hundred and Thirty-one occurred in Limehouse,
118 in Ratcliff, 71 in Shadwell and Wapping. This is an increase
of 75 over the number reported in 1896, although the number of
deaths is less by 2. The death rate was 21 per 1,000 of the
population. The death rate for the whole of London from
Scarlet Fever, was .17per 1,000 of the population. The mortality
was 2 8 per cent. of the seizures. The average mortality for the
last 10 years was 116 per cent. of the seizures. This increase
in the number of notifications is partly due to the fact that
the disease was of a mild type, and in several instances the
children were kept at home without Medical attendance,
and no attempt made at isolation. In October I received
a communication from the Head Mistress, in the Infants'
Department of Collingwood Street Board School, informing me
that she had sent home one of the pupils because her hands were
peeling. When the child had been questioned by the governess
it seemed that she denied that she had been ill, but that the
peeling was due to a very bad scald she had some time before.
She attended school with her hands in this condition for several
days. I immediately visited the child's home. The child as well
as the father and mother were out, and the shop was in charge of
of three other children. When I was in the shop, at least six
children came in and were served with ice cream and sweets.
I noticed that one of the three children had a discharge from her
ears. As a discharge from the ears is a frequent complication of
Scarlet Fever, I became suspicious, and examined her hands and
feet. I found that she was desquamating. I then examined the
other two, and found that they were also suffering from Scarlet
Fever. I left Mr. Pavitt, the Inspector for the No. 2 district
(who was with me at the time) in the shop, to prevent the
children selling any more sweets. I then went to look for the
mother and father and found her with two of the other children,
one of them being the child that had been sent home from
School. I examined them and found both suffering from Scarlet
Fever. There was another child who was out playing. I sent