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32
their unhealthy mucous membranes are ideal germ nurseries
and render their hosts vulnerable not only to Scarlet Fever,
but to other serious complaints such as Rheumatic Fever,
Tuberculosis, and so on.
In regard to this question of Scarlet Fever Carriers, I
would suggest that an additional medical inspection of the
cases returned from hospital be made at some future date,
when the patients have settled down in their homes under the
altered conditions of life.
Certainly I think this medical inspection should be made
in those cases where the disease has reappeared in the house,
after the convalescent Fever patient's return from hospital
regardless of the lapse of time in sequence thereto, even if
many months have elapsed.
But there are other puzzling features of the complaint.
Thus it is not always infectious. A child was found to be
desquamating and he was sent into the Scarlet Fever Ward
from which he returned in due course. On enquiry it would
appear that he attended School with the disease upon him, he
associated with the unprotected, and no case followed. Another
child was notified to be peeling and it was removed to
hospital. There were six other unprotected children in the
house, for only one of them had had Scarlct Fever, but no
other case was reported from these premises.
In another instance five children were found to be freely
peeling. These children had attended school where there
were many unprotected children, but no person apparently
contracted the disease from them. A baby of twelve months;
old who had not had the complaint also escaped. I do not
wish to multiply instances of the above peculiarities of the
disorder, those I have related will suffice. On the other hand
it is recognized that cases similar to those I have drawn attention,
will subsequently sometimes develop infective
qualities.
And this brings me to another feature, that of Desquamation.
There is a strong feeling among the Medical Profession
that the disease is not contracted by contact with the particles;