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Scarlet Fever.
The number of notifications received during the year was 183 as compared
with 226 for the previous year. Infection appears to have been mainly
due to case-to-case contact. Most of the cases were of a very mild character.
In some cases the rash was of fleeting duration; in other cases there
were very few signs in the throat.
Two deaths from scarlet fever occurred in January, 1934, one in hospital
and one at home. The disease in the former was complicated by pericarditis
and the cause of the other death was recorded as post-scarlatinal
debility.
Diphtheria.
There were 87 cases of diphtheria as compared with 23 for 1933. Of
these, 86 were removed to the Isolation Hospital. The other case, which
occurred in the Hanwell Mental Hospital, was nursed there.
There was one death from diphtheria in January 1934. This occurred
in hospital and was a late admission.
Up to the end of the year no action had been taken with regard to artificial
immunisation against the disease.
In September 1934, soon after the return of children to school, an outbreak
of diphtheria occurred at North Road School. This, together with
the cases directly infected from patients from the school, accounted for twentynine
cases in all. Of these cases, five occurred in the week ending 15th September,
eight in the week ending 22nd September, thirteen in the week ending
29th September, and three in the week ending 6th October. Of
the school cases one was from the Infants' Department, Group 3, one from
Group 4, and three from Group 6. In the Junior Department, two cases were
from Class 2, four were from Class 3a, four from 3b, three from 4b, one from
4c, one from 5b, and one from 5d. This spread of the disease over many forms
made its control more difficult.
The type of diphtheria in this outbreak was as follows:—
Nasal 9 cases.
Faucial 15 cases.
Laryngeal 1 case.
Mixed 4 cases.
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