Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Westminster, City of]
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Reckoned on the number of children living at this period, the death-rates for measles are :—
1901. | 1902. | 1903. | |
---|---|---|---|
City of Westminster | 4.6 | 3.3 | 3.7 |
County of London | 3.7 | 4.6 | 4.0 |
The deaths were distributed as follows :—
Measles, 1903. | Victoria Ward. | St. Margaret's Ward. | St. John Ward. | Regent Ward. | Great Marlborough Ward. | Charing Cross W ard. | Covent Garden Ward. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1st Quarter | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | 1 |
2nd Quarter | 6 | 1 | 2 | — | 1 | 2 | — |
3rd Quarter | 3 | — | 7 | 4 | — | — | — |
4th Quarter | 6 | — | 12 | 1 | — | — | — |
17 | 1 | 21 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
Calculated on the number of children under five years of age Jiving
in the three Union Districts of the City, the rates are 4.4 per 1,000 in
St. George, Hanover Square, 0.24 in Westminster, and 0.15 in the
Strand.
The County Council made an order on January 20th, 1903, whereby
the provisions of sections 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 68, 70, 72, 73 and 74 of
the Public Health Act with respect to infectious diseases were extended
to measles. These relate to cleansing and disinfection of dwellings, &c.,
exposure of persons suffering from the disease, the keeping of the bodies
of persons who have died from measles in a dwelling-room, sleepingroom
or workroom for more than forty-eight hours, and for the prevention
of infection generally. Notification is not required under this
Order.
The Infant Department of St. Gabriel's School was closed by the
School Board for a fortnight on account of measles.
In one of the schools in St. John's Ward, which had a number of
children affected a second time within the year, an attempt was made to
find out those who had suffered from measles and those who had not,
with a view to exclude those only who had not had the complaint.
This plan has been suggested by Dr. Kerr, the Medical Officer of the
School Board, and in this instance it was easily carried out and worked