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38
Epidemic Cerebro-spinal Meningitis.
During 1909, four cases of epidemic cerebro-spinal meningitis
were notified, as compared with two cases in 1908.
There were three deaths registered from the disease.
In the County of London, 111 cases of cpidemic cerebro-spinal
meningitis were notified during the year 1909.
Measles.
During 1909, 86 deaths were registered within the Borough
of Battersea from measles, a number which was about equal
to the average for the ten years 1899-1908. In 1908, 47 deaths,
and in 1907, 72 deaths were registered in Battersea from the
disease.
The death-rate was .46 per 1,000 population, as compared
with .48, the mean death-rate fc. the preceding ten years. The
death-rate in East Battersea was .64, North-West Battersea, .62;
South-West Battersea, .08.
The London death-rate for measles was .48 per 1,000, there
being 2,324 deaths registered from this cause. It is probable
that these figures do not fully represent the total loss of life due
to this disease, many deaths being registered as due to bronchitis
and other respiratory diseases which are common complications
and sequelæ of measles. Measles and whooping cough, between
them, caused many more deaths in Battersea during 1909 than all
other notifiable diseases put together, the figures being: measles
and whooping cough, 146; all other notifiable diseases, 49.

The influence of environment is strikingly exhibited in the
above-mentioned figures, the two first-named districts containing
in the main a less prosperous class of inhabitant than the latter.
Fourteen deaths were of infants under one year, and 66 of
children aged one to five years. Only six of the deaths occurred
amongst children over five years of age.