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Cases of mistaken diagnosis are not excluded from the above Table.
Forty-three patients notified as suffering from scarlet fever were found, after admission to
hospital, not to be suffering from any infectious illness at all, with the result that they were
returned home.
During the last two years there has been an increase in the number of scarlet fever cases,
but it can hardly be said that the disease existed in what might be described as epidemic form.
Throughout the year scarlet fever was mild in type, as is reflected in the fact that there was only
one fatal case. The deaths in the preceding years were four, none and two.
Four of the 526 cases of scarlet' fever notified were patients in the same family as a person
who had within the previous 28 days returned from hospital after having been treated for this
disease. In addition, one of those developing the disease was a member of another family living
in the same house as a person who had been discharged from hospital less than 28 days previously
upon recovery from scarlet fever.
Cases of this kind are called "return" cases and very careful investigation was made in
each of the five, with a view to ascertaining the source of infection. No direct evidence that
the disease was contracted from the primary patients could be obtained in any of these "return"
cases.
The importance of proper isolation being effected is shown in the following case. A child
contracted scarlet fever and it was treated at home against advice. Subsequently, all the family
(four) developed the disease and had to be removed to hospital.
Diphtheria.—Three hundred and twenty-six cases of diphtheria were notified during the
year 290 of which were removed to hospital.

Cases of mistaken diagnosis are not excluded from the above Table.