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The monthly incidence of the disease was as
follows:
13 cases occurred in July, 36 cases occurred in October
12 „ „ „ August, 51 „ „ „ November
38 „ „ „ September, 22 „ „ „ December
The past year has been marked by the prevalence of
Scarlet Fever nearly everywhere, and especially so in the
Metropolitan parishes. Situated as this district is, on
the confines of these places, it is not surprising that
infection has been several times conveyed from them into
the district, and I find that the disease was imported 10
times, from London, or from Wimbledon, or Croydon.
The main agency which has kept up the prevalence of
the disease in the district has been undoubtedly Schools,
and altogether 83 cases were due, directly or indirectly,
to infection from school. The type of the disease
was very mild, and it was found repeatedly that
children had attended school until the appearance of the
rash, while in some cases, owing to the indistinctness
or partial character of the rash, the children had been
allowed to return to school or play with their fellows,
when, on examination, they were found to be peeling.
Such cases were discovered in Mitcham and Wallington,
and there were doubtless other cases which were not discovered
at all. One school in Mitcham was closed about
a week before the usual time, in July, owing to an outbreak
affecting one particular class of scholars, namely, females