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37
On February 17th I reported, as follows:—"In several cases
the disease has affected mainly the nose, the only obvious
symptom being a muco-purulent running of the nostrils In
other cases the air-passages have been affected and these have
been more serious or fatal Two children died on the day the
doctor was called in before they could be moved to hospital
One of them had been ill for two days and one for four days,
before the doctor was called in Of other four fatal cases, one
had been ill six days, one four days, one three days, and one
one day, before medical aid was recommended There can be
no doubt that several, if not all, of these deaths might have
been averted if medical attendance had been obtained earlier"
If the diphtheria death-rate which prevailed from 1896-1900
had been in operation last year, there would have been 60
deaths from this disease last year instead of 25 the actual
number
52. Bacteriology is now systematically used to prevent
children attending London County Council schools in an
infectious state After a case has been notified in a house, no
children from that house are allowed to return to school until
they have been certified free from infection after a bacteriological
examination 244 home contacts were examined by
the Medical Officer of Health, and 20 carriers, or mild cases of
diphtheria, were found The carriers were excluded from
school until the diphtheria bacillus had disappeared; the cases
shewing any symptoms were notified and isolated
The Medical Officers of the Royal Arsenal examined employees
from infected houses before allowing them to return to
work, and discovered several bacteriological or carrier cases
53 Mistaken Diagnosis 28 cases, or 10 per cent of