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school naturally suggests a school infection. These cases proved
to be the prelude to a larger series of cases in the Easter Term of
this year.
Apart from the case of the private school that closed voluntarily,
no schools were closed on account of scarlet fever, and no schools
or school rooms fumigated.
Period of Residence of Patients in District.
Of 333 patients who were notified as suffering from scarlet
fever, six had lived in the district less than one month; eight had
been here over one but under three months; 21 over three but
under six; and 23 over six but under 12 months. 48 had been
here over 12 but under 18 months, and 26 over 18 months but
under two years. 50 were in their third year of residence, 26 in
their fourth; 24 in their fifth; and 111 had lived here over five
years.
ENTERIC FEVER.
Five cases of enteric fever were notified during the year, all
being cases of para-typhoid B infection. None of the cases appeared
to be associated with one another. In January a woman of 35
was notified; in February a girl of 16, and in March a male of 22,
the three patients living in different parts of the district. In
September a man of 70 attended one of the London hospitals
suffering from a retropharyngeal abscess due to erosion of cervical
vertebrae. The para-typhoid B organism was found in the pus
and his blood agglutinated para-typhoid B in a dilution of 1 /80.
On enquiry he gave a history of a long febrile illness in June, 1934.
The remaining case was a boy of 10 who was notified in November.
One patient was treated in a nursing home, one in an isolation
hospital, and the other three in general hospitals.
DYSENTERY.
Three cases were notified as suffering from dysentery. The
first was a child of two who was notified in September, the diagnosis
being made on clinical grounds, no bacteriological examination
having been made and the patient very shortly made a rapid
recovery. The other two cases were patients who apparently
contracted the infection in London hospitals. A boy of 11 who
was admitted to hospital on the 12th October and operated for
appendicitis was diagnosed later as suffering from dysentery, the
onset of this illness being the 7th November, the infection being
with the Sonne organism. The same type of organism was
responsible for the illness of a child admitted on 18th October on
account of rickets and who succumbed on 18th November to
dysentery.