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16
In East Ham during the past year 1,080 cases of Scarlet Fever
were notified. Of this number, curiously enough, 540 were
removed to hospital, and 540 were treated at home. In the
houses of those who were not removed to hospital 61 other cases
occurred, while in the houses of those removed to hospital 31 other
cases occurred within a period of 14 days. But of these latter
cases no less than 16 were taken ill within two days of the removal
of the first case, and therefore were already infected before the first
patient was taken away. These, therefore, cannot be counted in
the argument against hospital isolation. Therefore only 15
legitimate cases occurred in one instance, compared with 61 cases
in the other. This evidence, I am aware, is incomplete, as it does
not give the number of susceptible persons in each case not
protected by a previous attack of the disease. It is, however,
unlikely that the proportion varied much in the two cases, and
therefore, as far as the figures go, they give considerable support
in favour of the utility of hospital isolation.
In some of the cases nursed at home, very gross carelessness
was occasionally shown as regards isolation, and in some instances
it was possible to trace other cases of infection due to this want of
care. It was therefore decided to take proceedings in two rather
flagrant instances, as a warning to others. In one case, while
two patients were suffering from Scarlet Fever, rooms in the
house, used by the patients, were let to teams of football players
for use as dressing rooms.
In the second case, despite warnings, a child while suffering
from the disease, was repeatedly allowed to play in the street with
other children, and a case of infection was traced from this.
Fines, with costs, were inflicted in both instances.
The majority of the cases of this disease occurred in the Manor
Park and Central West Wards, the rest of the Borough showing
no abnormal increase. The Death-rate from the disease was
somewhat higher, being 0.16 per 1,000 of population, compared
with a rate of 0.13 in 1906. The Death-rate from this disease
in England and Wales was 0.09, and in the 76 Great Towns 0.12
per 1,000 of population.