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38
Klebs-Loeffler bacillus) whereas I have obtained from the same
throat within 48 hours afterwards the Diphtheria bacillus in large
quantities.
Scarlet Fever.—Compared with the preceding year
there was a most marked reduction in the number of cases
of sickness from Scarlet Fever, and there was no mortality
whatever from the complaint (vide Tables A5 B1).
Finchley Scarlet Fever Hospital.—The number of
cases admitted during the year was only 18, and after an
average stay in hospital of 38 days all were discharged quite
free from the complaint. Subsequent to the discharge of two
children upon September 1st, the hospital remained empty
until the end of the year—for the all-sufficient and satisfactory
reason that, with the exception of three mild cases notified to
me on the 24th December, no case of Scarlet Fever cropped
up in the District subsequent to September 4th. Although
there were only 18 cases admitted during the year it must
not be thought that the measure of good which the District
reaped from the Hospital was not quite sufficient to warrant
the expense of administration.
In 17 of these cases (1 was admitted as a paying patient
and more as a matter of convenience) I satisfied myself that
efficient isolation was not procurable in the houses where the
disease cropped up, and I have little hesitation in stating that
had we not the means of promptly isolating these patients in
the Hospital they would certainly have lead to the infection
of others in the same household, and that these 17 cases
would probably have multiplied into nearly 50.
The small number of admissions to the Hospital may
be attributed to the following causes:—
(a.) The amount of Scarlet Fever in Finchley during
the year was markedly below that of previous years.
(b.) The fact that during the previous 2 years Scarlet
Fever was very prevalent, has had the effect of protecting,
by a previous attack, large numbers of children and young
adults.