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61
Report of the Medical Officer of Health.
When information was received of a case, of Measles, the
premises were visited by the Sanitary Inspector and a post-card
left to be filled up either by the medical attendant or by the
parent, to be forwarded to me when the case or cases recovered.
The premises were then disinfected by the sanitary staff, but I
did not consider it necessary to have the bedding removed for
steam disinfection.
The majority of the rooms, bedding, etc., were disinfected
with formalin, but in cases where the premises were dirty or
infected with vermin sulphur was used.
In all, since the order came in force 682 rooms were fumigated,
this necessarily causing a large increase in the work of the
disinfecting staff.
In all the cases visited the usual form containing a summary
of the clauses of the Public Health (London) Act, 1891, in force
with reference to infectious diseases, was left by the Inspectors,
so that eventually the public will come to know that Measles is a
dangerous infectious disease.
The following Table shows the number of cases of Measles
and other non-notifiable diseases notified by the teachers in the
elementary schools in the Borough.
In all 3,083 cases were notified, 1,884 of Measles, 342 of
Chicken-pox, 428 of Whooping Cough, 234 of Mumps, and 159
of Ringworm.
With regard to the cases of Measles, of the total of 1,884,
635 were notified from schools in Wandsworth, 609 in Streatham,
309 in Clapham, 173 in Tooting, and 158 in Putney.
These numbers only refer to cases of Measles in children belonging
to the Borough. In some of the schools on the lists sent
to me children residing in Battersea and Lambeth Boroughs are in
attendance, and these were forwarded to the Medical Officer of
Health for the respective Boroughs.