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The disinfection of rooms which have been occupied by cases of this disease is undertaken
in a number of districts, and efforts are made to impress upon parents the necessity of
recognising the risks of infection of measles. The medical officers of health of Holborn and Bethnal
Green state that of 144 cases in the former district and 713 in the latter, 35 and 261 children
respectively were found to be without medical attendance. In his report for 1907, Dr. Davies, of Woolwich,
recurs to the need of skilled nursing of cases of measles. In some degree this want may be met
by the employment of health visitors, whose advice should prove of material value, even although
they may not be able to take part in the actual nursing. In this connection the qualifications of
health visitors will need to be considered. In numerous districts, the closure of classes or of departments
of elementary schools has been resorted to with a view to limiting the spread of infection by school
attendance. In respect to early school-closure, which had been experimentally practised in Woolwich,
Dr. Davies writes that, "it must be allowed to have failed as a means of preventing the spread of measles,
and, except in special cases, has been discontinued."
Scarlet Fever.
The cases of scarlet fever notified in the Administrative County of London during 1907 (52 weeks
numbered 25,925, compared with 20,329 in 1906. The number of deaths registered from this cause was
644 in the year 1907 (52 weeks), compared with 533 in 1906.
The death-rate and case-rate in 1907 have been the highest, and the fatality the lowest,
recorded in the present decennium. The lowest case-rate recorded in this decennium was in the year
1903, and the case-rate has increased year by year since that date and generally with decreasing
fatality.
The scarlet fever case-rates, death-rates and case-mortality for 1907 and preceding periods are
shown in the following table:—

The death-rate in each year since 1858 in relation to the mean death-rate of the period 1859—
1907 will be seen on reference to diagram VIII.
The monthly case-rate and case-mortality in each of the years 1891-1907 in relation to the
mean of the whole period is shown in diagram X.
It will be seen from the following table that in the decennium 1897-1906 the London scarlet
fever death-rate was lower than that of any of the under-mentioned English towns, except Bristol,
West Ham and Hull, and in 1907 was exceeded by the death-rates of Liverpool, Manchester,. Birmingham,
Sheffield, West Ham, Salford and Leicester:—

The following tables shows that in the decennium 1897-1906 the London scarlet fever deathrate
was exceeded by the death-rates of Stockholm, St. Petersburg, Berlin, Vienna and New York,
and in 1907 was higher than that of any, except St.. Petersburg and New York:—
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1 The Infectious Disease (Notification) Act came into force in 1889. 2 See footnote (1) page 8.