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district north of Uxbridge Road, and 221 south of that main line of
thoroughfare, in what may he considered the southern half of the parish.
Fifteen of the cases in the north were removed to hospital, and 34
were concealed, i.e., the occurrence of them was not made known
until after recovery.
Eighty-eight cases in the south were removed, and 75 concealed.
It is not a little remarkable that, like small-pox, scarlet fever should
have been so much more prevalent in the south than in the north.
Until within the last year or two it was all the other way. Zymotic
diseases were far more common north of Uxbridge Road.
Scarlet fever was epidemic in the Metropolis; and several outbreaks
in this parish, at the latter end of August, gave rise to anxiety. The
first of any importance occurred in the vicinity of Kensington Square—
at James Street, and South End. The disease had attained some hold
on the locality before we. heard of its existence, the cases being under
the care of one medical man, who withheld information. The registration
of a death directed attention to the locality, and, thenceforth,
thanks to the active co-operation of the Poor-law officials, we were
enabled to remove numerous cases with little loss of time, and the
outbreak was soon at an end. At about the same time other groups
of cases occurred at Blithfield Street, at Kensington Buildings, and
at Bolton Mews, &c.; hut, although few cases were removed (the
same secreting of the sick children having at first been practised),
diligent attention having been paid to secure isolation, the disease did
not extend far. Several cases came under notice for which no medical
aid had been sought, the cases being mild, and there was reason for
believing that the spread of the disease had been brought about by the
children being allowed to go into the streets, and even to school, while
the skin was desquamating or "peeling." In other localities the
disease was soon eradicated by the removal of the sick, followed by
disinfection. Equally satisfactory issue to our efforts to cope with
infectious diseases might be reasonably expected could we but obtain
early information of their existence. Of this, however, there is little
hope so long as it is not compulsory on parents, householders, and
medical men to give such information. About the desirability of a
registration of sickness, in these diseases, there is but one opinion
amongst sanitarians: and in principle it is universally allowed. Under
"local acts" disclosure has been made compulsory in some important