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47
throat appeared normal as did also those of the others who gave
positive results. An assistant mistress who took the lower forms
who had recently suffered from a sore throat was swabbed with
negative results.
A circular letter was at this time sent to all parents of scholars
at the school informing them of the Dick test and of the possibility
of immunization against scarlet fever, and the suggestion made
that they approach their own medical attendants.
All cases who were at the time suffering from scarlet fever were
swabbed and typed early in February. All except one gave the
type 2 organism in their throats and many in the nose as well.
All cases who had had scarlet fever since the occurrence of the
first case, namely, in May, 1935, were then swabbed. Of the four
cases who had succumbed early in the year, one went down again
early in November. Of the other three, two gave negative results;
the third showed the presence of type 1 streptococcus. Most of
the others were also negative but nos. 7 and 13 gave scanty growths
of type 2 organism.
All fresh cases were swabbed as they occurred and all continued
to show the presence of the type 2 organism.
Swabbing of the teaching staff gave negative results except
for a moderate growth of type 2 in one of the members. This
teacher and those boys (nos. 7, 11 and 13) who gave positive results
were segregated and did not come into contact with any of the
remaining pupils. Any children who had suffered from scarlet
fever were swabbed before being re-admitted to school; the teacher
was later excluded from school following which there was a lull, no
cases being notified, but before he had been re-admitted three
fresh cases (nos. 25, 26 and 27) had occurred.
Following this, every child in the school was clinically examined
and those presenting any abnormality of the nose or throat
or giving any history of a sore throat, were swabbed. Of the 44
swabs, 36 were negative, two contained types of haemolytic streptococcus
other than type 2, but six were positive to type 2. All
these had suffered from scarlet fever (nos. 3, 6, 7, 9, 12 and 14) and
previous swabbing of the throats of three of these (nos. 3, 6 and 12)
had given negative results.
No further cases occurred up to the time (April 3rd) of closing
of the school for Easter holidays. Before the holidays all those who
had, at any time, given positive results, were swabbed, all proving
negative.
The typing of the organisms was kindly undertaken by Dr.
V. D. Allison at the Ministry of Health's Laboratory.
The method of spread of these cases remains unknown. If, as
seemed possible, it was through the agency of a healthy carrier,
there must have been more than one, and they must have been