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5
Isolation Hospital.
The District is without any separate provision for Isolation
accommodation, and relies on being able to procure beds in
Hospitals of neighbouring Authorities, viz., Enfield, Southgate,
and Hendon.
I am glad to be able to report that definite arrangements
have been almost concluded with the Southgate Authority for
the accommodation of Friern Barnet patients.
Scarlet Fever.
This disease, which was so prevalent during the latter part
of 1907, has continued into the present year, and, on reference to
the Table of Infectious Diseases, it will be seen there was a
recrudescence in January which was maintained until the end of
April, when there was an abatement, followed by a reappearance
in September and a decline to two cases only in December.
It was not possible to trace any particular source of infection
in many of the cases, but in the instance of the small outbreak
in the Avenue early in September, it would appear that the first
case was a boy, who was sent home from school on account of his
dirty condition, and was later found to be in the peeling stage of
Scarlet Fever. This boy infected a series of 11 cases. The whole
being removed to Hospital promptly, the disease in this area
subsided.
Of the 89 cases that occurred, 3 were in the North, 59 in
the South, and 27 in the Central Wards. Of the total number,
64 were removed to Hospital. There were two deaths.
Diphtheria.
There have been 19 cases during the year, being two more
than in 1907.
In the first six months of the year there were six cases, 1 in
January, 2 in February, 3 in May. The months of June, July,
August, and September were entirely free from the disease.
During October there were 3 cases, in November 4, and in
December 6, all before the 21st.
It will be noticed (see Table III.) that 13 of the cases were
aged 5 to 15, the school age. In connection with this, of the 6
cases in December 3 attended one school and 1 attended another
school of adjoining Districts; of the other 2 cases, 1 was too
young and the other too old to attend school. I was unable to
discover any common cause of the outbreak.