View report page

38
continued its destructive progress until the Spring of 1802. Then
he says that for the next 27 years, epidemics of Scarlet Fever
though frequent, were always of a benign type.
In 1831 however, there was a notable alteration in the
character of the disease when occasional cases unexpectedly proved
fatal. According to Farr, Scarlet Fever was an exceedingly fatal
disease in England and Wales during the years 1848-1855.
There is no doubt that in the past, Scarlet Fever has varied
greatly in severity, having been at times a benign disease and at
others a very fatal one. Scarlet Fever has evidently remained a
mild disease for periods amounting to about a quarter of a century
and then assumed a grave form. It would seem then, that the
behaviour of this disease during recent years is not unlike what
has happened in the past, and consequently it would be wise to
regard it with suspicion and to be on our guard.
From personal observation it appears that the type of
Scarlet Fever prevalent in 1932 was less benign than in the
immediately preceding years.
There were 6 deaths from the disease during the year, corresponding
to a death rate of .096 per 1,000 of the population. This
is the highest death rate in the Borough since 1911. 1 of the deaths
occurred outside the Borough, but the other 5 occurred at the
Borough Isolation Hospital.
One of these patients, a man of 29 years, was undoubtedly
a true case of toxic Scarlet Fever. He was admitted to hospital in
an almost moribund condition and died in three hours, and within
48 hours of the onset of illness. There was an intense dusky rash
with only moderate faucial symptoms.
Another patient, a child of 18 months, was admitted on the
2nd day of illness, with a heavy rash and severe faucial symptoms.
In spite of anti-scarlatinal and anti-streptococcal sera the child died
on 15th day of the illness.
The third patient, a woman of 33 years, was admitted on
the 3rd day of illness with a sharp attack of Scarlet Fever. She
was treated with anti-scarlatinal serum but the symptoms did not
abate with the disappearance of the eruption and the temperature
remained up and assumed a remittent type. The possibility of a
coincident typhoid infection was considered and excluded, and the
patient drifted downhill until her death on 14th day from the commencement
of the illness.