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9
SCARLET FEVER.
During the year no cases of this disease were reported.
Although this is considerably less than the number occurring
in 1897, is much above the average recorded since the
Notification Act came into force, and for the last two years
there can be no doubt that Scarlet Fever has been unusually
prevalent in Bromley, when we compare the weekly returns
sent out by the Local Government Board. That the cases
were of a very mild type is shown by the fact that there was
not a single death from Scarlet Fever out of all this number.
In the milder forms of Scarlet Fever, infection is more likely
to be spread, owing to the true nature of the attacks in many
instances being overlooked. Every year some of these cases
are traced out, but no doubt many escape detection and
continue to spread infection.
We were fortunate in having no " return " cases during
the year.
The largest number occurred in May and December :
there were so many in the latter month that it became
necessary to close the Mason's Hill and Aylesbury Road
Schools for a fortnight. With the exception of the cases
occurring at this time there was no tendency during the year
for the disease to assume an epidemic character.
I may point out that Scarlet Fever, both here and
elsewhere, has assumed such a mild type, that the dread of it
is no longer so well founded as it was 20 years ago, when the
mortality was high, and the complications and sequelae were
serious. Measles, a disease so lightly regarded as a rule by
parents, is much more infectious, and has a higher mortality,