Leeds Mercury – Thursday 22 September 1938

Diagnosis of Boy’s Illness

Mexborough Request for Investigation

A request is to be sent from Mexborough Urban District Council to the County Medical Officer of Health for an investigation to be made into the circumstances of the death of a local boy, Alan Booth, of Addison Road.

Mr. G. S. Morley reported at the Council meeting to-night that last April the boy was sent to the Doncaster and Mexborough Joint Isolation Hospital at Conisborough as suffering from scarlet fever; but the medical superintendent there subsequently diagnosed the case as one of skin disease.

Five weeks later the parent of the child arranged, through the medical superintendent and the local practitioner, for a specialist to be called in, and he confirmed the diagnosis as skin disease.

The child died on June 16.

Mr. Morley added that he had inquired at the hospital why the child was kept in the institution for that length of time after the change of diagnosis, and was informed the child was too ill to be moved.

The specialist had confirmed the nature of the treatment which had been given to him during his stay in hospital.