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56. Sources of Infection.—The following were special sources
of infection besides the return cases referred to. 21 cases
occurred at the Poor Law Children's Homes, Goldie Leigh.
Cases commenced on the 22nd December, 1903, January 9th,
13th, 15th, 16th, 17th, 18th, 19th, 19th, 26th, 27th, 29th, 30th,
February 2nd and 3rd, among the boys ; and on March 7th;
19th, 25th, April 29th, May 5th and 15th, among the girls.
The first case was not detected and isolated till the 8th
January, and no doubt infected several of the subsequent ones,
but others were probably infected in the very early stage of the
disease, before the appearance of the rash led to isolation, and
thus kept up the sequence. The early cases occurred in Goldie
Lodge (containing about 40 boys). Subsequent cases occurred
in six other cottages or blocks. I visited the Homes with
Dr. Boulter, the Medical Superintendent, and found their
general sanitary condition excellent. I also examined many of
the children with Dr. "Boulter to detect unsuspected cases of
infection, but without any result.
57. Three cases occurred in the practice of a midwife, two
parturient women, and one child; one of the women died. A
few days before the first case commeuced a grand-daughter of
the midwife had sickened with Scarlet Fever and been removed
to hospital. The midwife left her house immediately there
was any suspicion of the grand-daughter having any infection,
and did not return till after removal. She discontinued
practising for three weeks, and her clothes, bag and instruments
were disinfected.
58. A large number of cases occurred in barracks, both
among soldiers and families. One special outbreak was
among the Officers of the A.S.C. Mess. Five of these sickened
between the 19th and 21st July.
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