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31
In July, 1912, L. W., a sister of W. W. and A. W., was
notified of Scarlet Fever. She was admitted to the Hospital and
discharged on August 30th, 1912. She had enlarged Tonsils and
Adenoids.
Both these families lived next door to each other in East
Acton, and it is probable that L. W. remained intermittently
infectious until September, 1913. Between September, 1912, and
September, 1913, 5 cases of Scarlet Fever occurred in houses in
close proximity to L. W.'s home. On the latter date L. W. was
taken to Hospital to be operated on for the removal of Tonsils
and Adenoids, and subsequent to the operation no further cases
occurred in the immediate neighbourhood.
It is now held by many authorities that under certain conditions
Scarlet Fever may remain intermittently infectious for
prolonged periods, ' and one of the conditions under which the
period of infectivity seems to be prolonged is the presence of
enlarged Tonsils and Adenoids. In this instance, the disappearance
of Scarlet Fever from the immediate neighbourhood was
coincident with the removal of the Tonsils and Adenoids in a
possibly infecting case.
The fourth case was that of H. S., who was notified of
Scarlet Fever on January 20th, 1913.
A younger brother, W. S., was admitted to Hospital on
November 22nd, 1912, and discharged on January nth, 1913.
H. S. worked in Hammersmith, and within a month 3 cases of
Scarlet Fever had occurred amongst the employees of the firm. In
the room he worked was employed another person who was discharged
from a Fever Hospital in December. He had been in
the Hospital for 3 months on account of Nephritis following
Scarlet Fever.
ENTERIC FEVER.
4 cases of Enteric Fever were notified, and there was no
death from the disease.
In one case the patient received all his meals outside the
district, and he had eaten some oysters about 3 weeks before the
onset of his illness.