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from Kenley, while in Mitcham a person was attacked 3 days
after arrival from Hastings. A further case occurred in Kenley
in the following month, in an adult who 4 days prior to his
attack arrived from the Continent. In August another case was
reported from Mitcham, and in September 3 cases occurred
in an isolated house on Mitcham Common. In the latter
month another case was reported from the house at Smithambottom
occupied by an Asylum attendant, which looked
suspiciously like a "return" case, two members of the same
family having arrived home after discharge from Hospital 14
days previous to the date of the attack, but the period which
elapsed rather pointed to the possible existence of other causation
of this last case.
In October an outbreak of scarlet fever commenced at the
Female Orphan Asylum, in Beddington, but it did not assume
large proportions, 19 children being attacked in this and the
succeeding months. This epidemic occurred in association with
a more wide-spread prevalence of sore throat, which is referred
to more fully later on. There was also a case at the Holborn
Schools. Two private houses were invaded with scarlet fever in
October, 1 in Beddington and 1 in Merton, where the disease was
contracted at a school in the neighbouring District of Wimbledon.
In November 4 cases occurred at 3 private houses, 1 of
which was in Mitcham, where a patient was discovered by the
medical attendant to be peeling, with a history of commencement
of the attack in London a month previous. Another case
occurred at Kenley, and 2 in a house in Merton, where the
disease was again contracted in Wimbledon. During the last
month of the year 2 cases were reported in a house at Collierswood,
Mitcham, where the disease was possibly contracted at a
school in Tooting, 2 others in two houses in Lower Mitcham,
where an evening entertainment was probably responsible for the
infection, and 2 cases in two houses in Merton, one of which was
in the house infected in November, the patient being the mother
who had been nursing the others.