SCARLET FEVER 227 



fever patients to special " contagious-disease hos- 

 pitals " have been amply demonstrated. Dr. Hope, 

 Medical Officer of Health for the city of Liverpool, 

 refers to this in his report for the year 1901, as 

 follows : 



" Want of hospital accommodation goes far to explain the in- 

 crease in the number of cases of scarlet fever. The reduction 

 in the number of cases of this disease, which had been noted in 

 1900, ceased immediately the removal of patients to hospitals was 

 stopped, although the total removed was but 6 % lower than in the 

 previous year. This happened during the annual cleaning of 

 some of the wards. 



" When to this is added the economy to householders if saved 

 from a complete disinfection and renovation of houses, after 

 two or three months' presence of scarlet fever, and the yet 

 greater value to wage-earners of being able to go from their 

 houses to continue their work, instead of loss of time through a 

 forced quarantine, it will be apparent that nowhere, whether in a 

 large city or in the country, can there be any question as to the 

 advisability of having first cases of scarlet fever, like smallpox, 

 removed to hospitals or a temporary building or tent, with, if 

 necessary, the mother to act as nurse." 



In the city of London, in 1891, 18,381 cases of 

 scarlet fever were reported ; of these 14,539 (78 %) 

 were treated in hospitals, with a mortality of 542 



(3-73 50- 



