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7
On September 4th and 5th the family returned from the seaside and
the child from the Hospital. Two days afterwards the mother and
three other children contracted the disease. The Medical Officer of
Health of the seaside town from which the family had just returned
kindly inspected the house at which they had resided, and investigated
the case for me. He reported, "No case of scarlet fever here;
can find no cause for the outbreak." The child returned from the
Hospital had a slight ear discharge, which certainly seemed, in this
case, the only cause of contagion. Then, again, on November 25th,
two cases occurred in Northcote Road. On July 4th a child from
this house was sent to the Hospital, and returned in September.
In October the child complained of deafness. The ears were
syringed, but no discharge discovered. On November 24th his two
brothers contracted the disease, and his mother informed me he had
had periodical discharge from his nose, No other cause could be
discovered. We have, therefore, six cases due to contagion from
returned cases. I do not think this was due to want of care by the
Hospital authorities, but rather to the length of time these discharges
may prove contagious. It points out the necessity of
every Isolation Hospital having a Convalescent Ward isolated from
the main building, that these cases may not be sent to their homes
while still being in a contagious condition.
Hospital treatment is becoming so costly that the question must
be settled in the near future, whether this method, or the old one of
home isolation, proves the less expensive.
DIPHTHERIA.
Coombe 0
Old Maiden 0
New Maiden 2
Two cases were reported in New Maiden, one in January and
one in November, the latter certainly due to old and worn out
drainage, which has since been renewed. This is a convenient
occasion, once more, to call the attention of all owners of property,
whose drainage was laid down ten years or more ago. It was then
not the custom to lay the pipes on concrete, the joints were not
properly cemented, and pipes of too large a diameter were used,
which, of necessity, only allowed half the capacity of the pipe to
be flushed, the other portion becoming foul after long usage.
MEASLES.
Twenty-nine cases were notified:
Coombe 0
Old Maiden 13
New Maiden 16
of very mild type, occurring in the first three months of the year.
ERYSIPELAS.
Old Maiden 1
New Maiden 6