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55
MEASLES.
In consequence of the system of notification by the teachers of
cases of Measles occurring among children attending public elementary
schools, which has been in operation since 1903, it has been possible
each year to give the results of investigation into the prevalence of
this disease.
In a Special Report on attendance at schools of children under
five years of age appended to my last Annual Report, I published a
table showing the results of investigation into the age incidence of
measles upon children definitely exposed to attack.
The definition of "definitely exposed to infection" was taken as
meaning "living in the same house though not necessarily in the same
family as an ascertained case of measles." In the case of tenement
houses there is no doubt that for practical purposes this is sufficient,
but I considered that greater reliability would attach to the figures if
the definition were narrowed so as to apply only to members of a
family in which the disease had appeared. This has been done in the
investigations carried out during the year, and the following table
shows the results of the enquiry.
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