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27
PREVALENCE AND DISTRIBUTION OF
INFECTIOUS DISEASE.
Small-pox.
No cases of this disease were notified
during the year.
Diphtheria.
During the year there were 41 cases of this
disease notified as compared with 22 for the
previous year. Two deaths occurred. Nineteen
cases were removed to Mogden Hospital, being 45 per cent, of
the notified cases.
Threatened outbreak of Diphtheria in a Private School.
In June a communication was received from the Medical
Officer of Health for Barnes stating, that a lad residing in
Mortlake was suffering from a sore throat, and that a bacteroscopic
investigation of a "swab" from the throat revealed the
presence of diphtheria bacilli. This information was sent as
the lad had been attending a private school in Richmond.
About the same time a similar case was notified of a boy
residing in this Borough who had been attending the same
school. In consequence of this the Medical Officer of Health
visited the school and inspected the premises, but found no
insanitary conditions.
Ten boys who occupied the class-room where the absentees
had been, were examined, but beyond slightly swollen and congested
tonsils and congested throats there was no clinical
evidence of any affection, and the boys were apparently in
good health. "Swab" preparations were made of nine of these
boys and forwarded to the Lister Institute of Preventive
Medicine. The following day a telephonic message was
received to the effect that diphtheria bacilli had been discovered
in three of the specimens forwarded.