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secure medical advice for any and every febrile illness, however
slight; authoritative statements in the local press, giving exact figures
(usually lower than those appearing in the National Press, and always
very much lower than those distributed by public " rumour");
judicious closing of individual classes in schools for definite reasons ;
addresses to associations of parents and teachers ; and, above all,
the detailed and unremitting attention to every suspected case and
its immediate contacts, together with an exploration of the neighbourhood
for possible " missed " cases. These are the methods by which
anxiety may be allayed, and by which reasonable attempts can be made
to limit the extent of the outbreak.
The co-operation of the medical practitioners in the district was
invaluable, both in helping to limit the spread of infection and in
re-assuring the public.
The almost entire absence of " sniping," and the helpfulness and
steadiness of the residents of Beckenham throughout a very trying
time are things which the Staff of the Public Health Department will
always remember with gratitude.
Thanks are also due to the Local Press for theit co-operation in
giving full publicity to all authoritative statements and to authoritative
statements only.
In all, thirty-three cases were notified.
The dates of onset of the cases were as follows:—
Week ending—
Mav 10th (1) June 7th (2) July 5th (1) Aug. 2nd (3) Sept. 6th (2)
„ 17th — „ 14th (2) 12th (1) „ 9th (3) „ 13th (5)
„ 24th — „ 21st — „ 19th (1) „ 16th (4) „ 20th (1)
„ 31st — „ 28th (1) „ 26th — „ 23rd (1) „ 27th (1)
30th (3)
and the last case in the third week in November.

In the main, the infection spread gradually from the North of
the Borough to the South. No cases were notified in the southern
part of West Wickham (Coney Hall).
Incidence in Schools, etc.
Cases occurred in seven departments in the Local Authority's
Schools.
In two departments there were three cases.
In one department there were two cases.
In each of four departments there was a single case.
One case occurred in the Beckenham Road Day Nursery.