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37
Scarlet Fever.
were found to have desquamation of the chest, one in
another class not already examined to have desquamation
of the hands, one in a class already examined to
have desquamation of the chest who was passed over
before because his hands only were examined.
"All these children were sent home and visited later,
when it was discovered from the mothers in each case
that the children bad had a rash some two or three
weeks before, indicating definitely that all the children
had had Scarlet Fever.
"Among the absentees, all of whom were visited at
their homes, two other cases of missed Scarlet Fever
were found, the children having had a rash previously
and the hands desquamating when they were seen.
In the meantime two other cases of Scarlet Fever
were notified on the 24th June, one being a pupil at
North Ealing School and the other the sister of a school
child was found by me to be desquamating from Scarlet
Fever the day before.
"As the result of this examination of the children
there were thus found no fewer than eight cases of
Scarlet Fever which had been missed, one of these
being a case which was previously notified as German
Measles. All these cases were isolated, one at home
and the other seven in Hospital.
"When one considers the potentialities of each of
these cases one greatly wonders that a sharp epidt mic
did not occur. One can only surmise that the mildness
of the weather did not predispose to nasal catarrh, the
discharge from which is an active source of infection
in Scarlet Fever, and so prevented a great increase in
the number of children infected.
"After the thorough examination of all children
and absentees a constant daily supervision was kept