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46. Hospital Removal.—Of the 389 cases, 337, or 86 per
cent., were removed to the Fever Hospitals of the Asylums
Board, compared with 85 and 86 per cent. in the two preceding
years. 11 cases or 3 2 per cent. of admissions were reported
not to be Scarlet Fever after observation at the hospital.
The average stay in the hospital was eight weeks and four
days.
47. Return Cases.—In 10 cases the source of infection was
traced to a patient recently returned from the Fever Hospital,
the 10 cases having been infected by four such patients; one
of them infected two at his home, three schoolfellows, and two
relations (not included among the 12) in an adjoining parish,
where he was sent after his mother was told to isolate him.
Each of the three returned cases had either on his return
home or within two or three days a nasal discharge. One of
the infecting cases was 12 weeks in hospital, one 10, one 9,
and one 7. The interval between return home and infection
of the secondary case varied from 3 to 15 days. One case
began with Scarlet Fever on the day of his return after
Diphtheria.
48. Home isolation.—Six cases were certified to be properly
isolated at home under the arrangement with the Principal
Medical Officer of the Royal Arsenal commenced in 1900.
49. The value of Hospital isolation.—The question of the
success of Hospital isolation in Scarlet Fever has been raised
in recent years by more than one Medical Officer of Health.
From the point of view of treatment and benefit to the
individual there is no doubt that removal of a sick patient from
a poor home where cubic space, cleanliness, suitable diet, and