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compared with 78, 85, 86, 94, and 90 per cent. in the five
preceding years. 22 cases, or 4.2-per cent. were reported,
after observation at hospital, not to be Scarlet Fever.
The percentage of cases removed to hospital was lower
last year than for four years A large proportion, say
one-third of notified cases, are removed to hospital, not
because they cannot be sufficiently isolated at home, but
because the parents cannot afford the cost of medical attendance
and nursing.
Much might be saved to the rates if there was power to
provide this at the public cost. The lower proportion of
removals last year is no doubt due to less poverty in the
Borough.
40. Return Cases. There were 29 cases in which infection
was attributed to 20 patients recently returned from
hospital, compared with 30, 38, 58, and 27, in the four
preceding years. The interval between the return of the
infecting case and commencement of illness varied from 3
to 27 days. Of the infecting cases 4 had some form of
rhinitis on or after their return, 1 otorrhcea, and one was
desquamating. One boy was apparently responsible for
infecting four others, viz., mother, brother, sister, and a
school fellow. After three return cases had been notified he
was sent back to hospital; but, returning in a few weeks
and resuming school, the boy sitting next to him at school
was infected. He suffered from dry rhinitis.
As a rule, the children returning from hospital are quite
well at the moment of leaving, but in many cases develop
some nasal discharge on arriving home, or within a few
days. Illustrative cases of this were given in the 1908
Report.