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27
These cases were all of a very mild type, and the history
of the following 5 cases seem to suggest that there may be
cases so mild as to pass quite unnoticed by those affected.
(1) a young dressmaker working at A in a neighbouring
district. Nine days later (2) a girl whose sister worked at A,
and the same day (3) in another household, but having a
sister working at A, were notified. Eleven days later (4) a
Master at an evening school who had been in close contact
with a boy, the brother of (3), was suddenly attacked with
pain in his throat and had relaxed tonsils for several days.
The boy referred to had no symptoms. Seven days after the
Master's attack, his child (5), who had been away since her
father's sudden attack, was notified with a very mild attack
of Scarlet Fever. At the house where she had been staying
a young woman of 21 developed Scarlet Fever four days
later (6). The child's mother subsequently developed a sore
throat but no other symptons. 1, 2, 3, 5 and 6 desquamated.
The father and mother of 5 had no desquamation.
I was unable to visit A being outside my district, and the
persons who may have formed the links in the chain moved
away from their homes so as to continue at their work, and I
was unable to see them. This shows one of the disadvantages
of a town being divided by an artificial boundary. As was
only natural A resented the suggestion that their workshop
had anything to do with any of the cases except No. 1, and
she, it was proved, had not been in contact with any of the
other persons. Probably some person with a purulent discharge
of some kind may have been the carrier from the
original case (1) to the other rooms of the workshop, and the
schoolboy may have had a very mild attack which he passed
on to the master. On the other hand the cases may have
been curious coincidences.