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34
The notification of E. drew attention to her brother F., and
particularly to her sister G., who was found from the School Register
to have been absent from the 30th June to the 7th July, the mother
stating that she had had a cold. G., who was in the same class
as A. and C., had a seropurulent discharge from the nose with
scabbing and excoriation which one usually associates with nasal
diphtheria. Swabs which were taken gave typical diphtheria
bacilli. B. and D. played with G. at school and at home, their
homes being in close proximity.
In all probability, therefore, G. was the cause of all the cases.
As regards the last case on the list, H., it was impossible to
get definite information from the parents as to the onset. It
can only be assumed that she developed nasal diphtheria at about
the same time as A. and B. became ill. H. was running about with
other children and had a condition of the nose similar to that of
G., and gave a positive result as regards the diphtheria bacillus.
She had not been away from school previous to the 20th July.
The school re-opened after the vacation of four weeks on the
22nd August but no further cases occurred in the Greenford Ward.

(m.o.h.)
* In same family.
In the year there were three deaths from diphtheria, giving a
death-rate of 0.03 per 1,000 of population and a mortality rate of
5.9 per cent. of cases.