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69
Report of the Medical Officer of Health.
in this outbreak appear to point to a distinct relationship
between these two bacilli, either that they are of the same
species, or that the Hoffman bacillus renders the affected
individual more liable to infection by the true bacillus.
"Enquiries as to the condition of the school premises
elicited the fact that the whole of the basement of the school
had been flooded with sewage on the 24th November, 1904.
This sewage was due to the accidental stopping of the main
sewer in Brandlehow Road. The whole of the basement was
cleared of sewage on the 28th November. It is quite possible
that the presence of this sewage in the basement gave rise to
a condition of the throats of the children in the Infants'
department which would render them liable to infection by
a specific germ, and it seems as if the children in this department
had been infected by the Hoffman bacillus first, and
secondly by the true Diphtheria bacillus. That sore throat
would occur among children attending the Infants' department
is what one would have anticipated, as this department
is situated immediately above the cellar, and the smell from
this cellar would easily permeate into the whole of the Infants'
department.
"The outbreak is now, in my opinion, quite at an end as
far as the school is concerned. The whole of the Infants'
department was thoroughly disinfected and cleansed."
Of the total number of cases of Diphtheria, 182 or 32.5 per
cent. occurred among children under five years of age, 304 or 54.2
per cent. from five to 15 years, and 75 or 13.3 per cent. over 15
years.
Of the 439 cases removed to hospital, 30 were reported to be
not suffering from Diphtheria.
Drainage defects were found in 71 of the houses in which
cases of Diphtheria occurred.
Return Cases of Scarlet Fever and Diphtheria.
24 cases of Scarlet Fever occurred after the return of cases
from the hospitals of the Metropolitan Asylums Board, compared
with 51 in 1905, 17 in 1904, and 50 in 1903.
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