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part confined to those which affect childhood, such as
Scarlet Fever, Whooping Cough, and Infantile Diarrhcea.
The former disease raged over the whole district,
but mostly in the neighbourhood of Northcote Road,
and the spreading of it was especially noticeable amongst
those children who attended the Board School in that
district. The managers of the latter, as also those of other
schools were communicated with, and they rendered us
every assistance in their power by making careful enquiry
in reference to all absentees, by at once refusing admission
to the school of any children residing in an infected
house, and notifying the fact to the Inspector. These
with other means, no doubt had the effect of materially
arresting what was a most alarming epidemic. At one
time the absentees from one school numbered nearly 50
per cent., the majority being affected with the disease,
others being retained at home through fear of contagion.
This affords another instance of the danger which exists
in massing large numbers of children together, and the
benefits accruing from an early knowledge of the existence
of infectious disease.
In the middle of the year a serious and alarming
outbreak of Typhoid Fever occurred on Clapham
Common, and on the complaint of Mr. Caine, M.F., a
minute inspection of the infected houses was made. On
a subsequent occasion an interview was held with Dr.
Parsons, Local Government Board Inspector, at which
the Chairman of the Board, the Medical Officers of
Health, and the Surveyors for Battersea and Clapham
were present; the following report was submitted to the
Inspector:—
To the Board of Works for the Wandsworth District.
Typhoid Fever on Clapham Common.
Gentlemen,
In consequence of a copy letter received from Mr. Corsellis
and forwarded to him by the Local Government Board, which they had
received from Mr. W. T. Caine, M.P., No. 1, the Terrace, Clapham
Common, alleging a serious outbreak of Typhoid Fever in that