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51
A serious outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease
occurred in December in the country, affecting the
County of Kent. The precautionary measures taken by
the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries had the effect
of checking its progress.
XIV.—RAG FLOCK ACTS, 1911-1928.
Two rag flock samples were submitted for examination
and both samples complied with the standard in
accordance with the above-mentioned Acts. Rag flock
is not extensively used by the few upholsterers engaged
in this business in the Borough.
XV—INFECTIOUS DISEASES CONTROL.
Scarlet Fever.
The curve of incidence of this disease in Bromley
took the expected fall in 1932, the cases notified being
123 as against 179 for the previous year. In the year 1931
this curve reached its peak, and should, with other
factors being equal, continue to fall during the next five
years. It is of interest to note that although the number
of cases notified is greater than during the pre-war years,
owing to increase of population, the actual incidence rate
per 1,000 poulation has fallen from 7.4 to 2.2.
In the Report of 1931 by the Chief Medical Officer
of the Ministry of Health there are at least two references
worthy of noting here: "Two striking characteristics
of scarlet fever during the past 20 years—its
uncontrollable nature in regard to prevalence as revealed
by the recurring high wave of incidence, and the downward
trend of the fatality rate irrespective of the incidence
of the disease." " There was no good reason to
prescribe a routine period of detention of more than four
weeks and that, whatever may have been the influence of
hospital treatment on the prevalence of scarlet fever in
former years, the incidence in recent times appears to
show no marked reduction as a result of hospital isolation.
I have previously, in 1926, expressed my'view
that admission of scarlet fever patients to hospital is
primarily for treatment, and that it plays little, if any,