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46
We endeavour to co-operate with the Medical Superintendents of the Fever
Hospitals serving the County of London; information is now sent to them as to
any bacteriological examinations before admission or after discharge of the patients,
and also with regard to return cases of diphtheria or scarlet fever.
Diphtheria in Hospitals.
Information was received of 53 cases of diphtheria occurring among in-patients
or staffs at three hospitals in the Borough.
The information was obtained from the notifications of removal received from
the London County Council, or from the ordinary notification certificates furnished
by the doctors diagnosing the disease.
From one hospital there were 37 notifications of which 35 were clinical cases
(22 were notified " nasal ") and two were notified as " carriers." Of these
37 notifications four related to Holborn residents, being members of the resident
medical or nursing staff. Thirty-three were in-patients admitted from areas
outside the Holborn Borough. Copies of the notifications of these cases if sent
to the Holborn Public Health Department are forwarded to the Medical Officers
of Health from the districts from which the patients are admitted.
From a second hospital 12 cases were removed, five clinical (one nasal) and
seven " carriers " only. Of the 12 cases notified, six were Holborn residents
(four nurses and two in-patients); the remaining six were in-patients admitted
from out-side the Holborn area.
From a third hospital four cases were notified, three clinical and one
" carrier "; two were Holborn residents (nurses at the hospital) and two were inpatients
admitted from outside the Borough.

Diphtheria Contacts.
As in former years we have continued to swab all diphtheria contacts among
school children and toddlers.