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In two instances when the Hospital was full, arrangements
were made by the parents at their own expense for
their children to be admitted into other Fever Hospitals.
As has previously occurred in other years, the disease
was frequently not recognised until the desquamating stage
was leached, the earlier symptoms being so exceedingly
slight that they had been overlooked by the parents or
persons in charge.
This year fifteen patients were found to be peeling at
the time a doctor was called in and notification made.
Undoubtedly, missed ca^es are somewhat frequent and are
among the most effective promoting causes of an epidemic
as by reason of their very mildness, through mixing with
others at home, at day and Sunday schools, places of
entertainment, in the street, etc., they are the means of
transmitting the disease.
On the other hand these earlier symptoms had in a few
cases been overlooked either by neglect or carelessness—the
children appearing to be ailing having been sent home from
school by the authorities, and the parents advised to call in
a medical practitioner.
A particular instance of this occurs to me where a child
was excluded from school and a notification sent from the
Head Mistress to the Sanitary Department The child was
immediately visited and examined, when she was found to
be desquamating freely, although the parents were quite
surprised when the state of the child's health was brought
to their notice.
At the time, other children of the family were running
in and out of the house. Needless to say, the child was
removed to the hospital with all possible despatch, but it is
significant that the case ended fatally.
It is extremely difficult to successfully piosecute in
matters of this kind, as it is almost impossible to prove
knowledge of the disease and wilful exposure. A severe
caution and warning was, however, administered to the
parents.
Two hundred and sixteen patients, or about 76 8 per
cent, of the total cases notified were removed to the Isolation
Hospital, four of whom died, a fifth death occurring at home.
In this connection, it is interesting to note that the
average percentage of removals to hospital for the seven
years previous to the year 1901, when the hospital charges
for maintenance were abolished, as compared with the
seven subsequent years is appreciably smaller, being 68'3 per
cent, and 78 0 per cent, respectively.
As may be expected, the majority of the cases notified
were of children of school age ranging from five to fifteen
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