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28
profit by the sale of disinfectants to school authorities. Scarlet
Fever may be directly spread in schools in three ways.
1. The disease may be of so mild a type that the children
attend school throughout their illness.
2. The child may be infectious during the initial stages
of the illness, and before the case is notified.
3. A child may return to school before he is free from
infection.
During the earlier part of the year probably the "missed "
case was the most important factor in the spread of the
disease. During the first week in February there was a sudden
increase in the number of notifications received. The school
principally affected was the South Acton Junior, and almost
all the cases were from the same class. An examination of
the children revealed two of them with peeling hands and
body, and on inquiry a history of sore throat about three
weeks previously was obtained.
Later in February a "missed" case occurred in Beaumont
Park School and gave rise to a number of cases.
In the Priory Schools "missed" cases occurred in May,
August and September.
On the re-opening of the schools after the summer holidays
15 cases occurred amongst the children attending the Beaumont
Park Schools. A child attending Rothschild Road was
being kept under observation; on examining the children at
the house, a sister aged 12, attending Beaumont Park School,
was found profusely peeling.
The detection of these "missed" cases usually results in
the cessation of notifications from the schools affected, and the
absence of "missed" cases during the fourth quarter of the
year rendered the control of the disease a matter of comparative
ease.