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115
As will be seen, there is an extra column in the inoculation
table. This is inserted because this substance, A.P.T., is used
in 2 doses only. It is given to younger children.
Scarlet Fever.
During 1936 there were 98 cases of Scarlet Fever in School
children. This is an advance on 1935 when there were only 48
cases. The schools affected were:—
Acton Wells 60 Priory 7
Beaumont Park 6 Rothschild 3
Berrymede 1 Southfield 5
Derwentwater 13 Roman Catholic 2
John Perryn 1
98
It will be seen that the bulk of the cases occurred at Acton
Wells School. The cases occurred during the year as follows:—
March 1st, April 2nd, May 4th, June 2nd, July 4th, August 3rd,
September 3rd, October 15th, November 18th, December 6th.
More than half the cases came in the Autumn when the incidence
of Scarlet Fever normally rises.
90 Scarlet Fever patients and 195 contacts were examined
at the Office before their return to school.
Measles.
1936 was a Measles epidemic year and as is usual in such
circumstances all the schools of the district suffered. In the report
of the Medical Officer of Health, it is explained how Measles for
many years has made its appearance in Acton regularly every other
year. The epidemic usually occurs in the form of an explosion,
2 large number of the susceptible children suffer from Measles in
the course of few months, and the district is then entirely free of
the Hsease until the appearance of the next epidemic. In this respect
it differs from Scarlet Fever. Even in non-epidemic vears
odd cases of Scarlet Fever are reported and in our large towns,
Scarlet Fever is said to be endemic.
The previous epidemic of Measles occurred early in 1934,
and the district was free of the disease in the fourth quarter of 1934
and the early part of 1935. The first case from a school here was
reported on November 26th 1935, and the child attended Derwentwater
Infants' School. On enquiry at the home, it was found that
a younger child of pre-school age had had Measles two or three
weeks previously. As far as could be ascertained these were the
first cases in the district.