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15
SCARLET FEVER.
On the 13th instant, Rose Attersley, aged 7 years, was notified to be suffering
from scarlet fever. She was living on board the house-boat" Rosa John," in
Leigh Creek. The tide was unsuitable for the removal of this case by launch until
the night ; your Medical Officer deemed it advisable on all grounds that the case
should be dealt with by the Medical Officer of Health for Southend-on-Sea.
T.S. " Warspite."—An outbreak of scarlet fever occurred on the Training Ship
" Warspite," lying off Greenhithe. Fifteen cases were admitted to Denton Hospital.
It was not anticipated on the admission of the first or second cases that the
number would be so large. Under the circumstances it seemed proper that a charge
should be made for nursing and maintenance. A charge of £4 4s. 0d. per week
for medical and nursing attendance was made and an additional charge of 15s.
per week, per head, for maintenance, laundry, etc.
It is not customary to make charges on ships for the admission of infectious
disease to Denton Hospital. The underlying motive in free treatment being the
prevention of any bar to the declaration of all the infections on ship-board.
The "Warspite" epidemic was quite mild in type and was brought to an end
by the Christmas vacation. There is great difficulty in controlling so mild an
epidemic because the mildest case hardly declares itself, even on close examination,
yet keeps up the infection.