SCARLET FEVER.

Evening Star, Issue 4021, 15 January 1876, Page 2

SCARLET FEVER.

The following is Dr Gillies's report to the Sanitary Committee of the City Council:— I.—Treated in li«>api'al Tents. Families. Children. A, from Stafford street 3") B, do Maclaggan str.et ... 2 (To be all allowed C, do Albany street 3 f homo this week. D, do do 2) Note.—One member of family died at home before the rest were removed. .11.—Treated in Quaraniite. Families. Children. A, one family in Maitland st. 5 Now released. B, do At h olp , aC C\ do do ... n D, do Stafford st... 1 I,' ao "tT? {Convalescent. Q, do Frederick st. 1 H, do Giange 5t.... 3, lll.—Cases of Recent Occurrence which I did not, without fun.her instruction, deem it my «uty to put in quarantine. Families. Children. A, Canongate ... 1"> B, Cumberland street 1 C, London street 1 -Convalescent. D, Great King street 1 E, Maclaggan street V, In all thirty-three cades of scarlet fever have come under my notice. Two deaths occurred in that number. The infection seems to have been introduced into five different families through the medium of milk, or by the milkman. Although this daiiyman lives beyond the bounds of the City, the medical man in attendance was kind enough to report the case to me. I immediately proceeded with the doctor to the dairy, and enforced what ho had previously advised—viz , the absolute separation of the riok and those attending them from those who previously had scarlet fever, and were then attending the dairy. In order to have these instructions fully carried out, a watchman, under police order and paid by the daiiyman, was placed on the premises. The alternative, in ca e of refusal, was to advertise th« inilk as likely to convey infection. Some of the places not in quarantine are kept almost so by the good seuse of the people and the carefulness of their doctors. It is rumored'that there are cases of fever not reported to the lecal Board. I have proved several of these to be false. There is, however, a considerable amount of laxity on the part of i ome families and their doctors in reporting. Thus, a case (occurs in Cumberland street, of which the neighbors knew on Friday, and it was not reported until late on Monday night, about four hours after I was in possession of reliable information from persons not immediately concerned. One medical man—Dr rJakewell—not believing in th« propriety of separation, has had the goodneßs to tell me that heiwould not report his cases of scarlet fever. He, however, was kind enough, on a previous occasion, to report a case occurring in the practice of another gen - tleman, It need hardiy be remarked that disobedience to the provisions of the Health Act on the part of one man might nullify all the precautions taken by tlie local Board. In view of the opening of the scheolß I cannot but express my apprehension ot the extensive sp-ead of the epidemic if proper precautions be not adopted. J. Gillies, »£D., Medical Urhoer of Health.