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15
The sum of £65 8s. was allowed during the year, to deserving
poor persons, who through no fault of their own, were debarred from
following their employment owing to having Infectious Disease in their
homes.
Probably never before has the want of an Isolation Hospital been
more keenly felt than during the last year; and the distress caused
thereby has been widespread regardless of the generosity of the District
Council.
In some cases I was obliged to use the expedient of removing
children from the source of infection and boarding them out, and it is
satisfactory that not a single individual thus removed developed the
disease.
SICK NURSING.
The nurses in connection with our Cottage Hospital have had
under treatment 293 patients, and paid 5,271 visits, an average of
18 visits to each patient.
Nurse Dawkins has paid 3,090 visits; she has nursed 39 Scarlet
Fever, one Diphtheria, and 19 Enteric Cases.
She has given out 1,179 bottles of disinfectant, and taken 12 patients
to Infectious Disease Hospitals.
SCARLET FEVER.
There were six deaths from Scarlet Fever, which, considering that
243 cases were notified during the year, is not a high rate. In 1893,
there were 10 deaths and 111 notifications.
We were not alone as regards the prevalence of this disease, as it
was universal over the metropolitan area.
There is no doubt that an individual who has suffered from Scarlet
Fever, can convey the disease to others, long after apparent convalescence.
Too much importance has been hitherto attached to the infectivity