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such synonyms as 'gastro-enterits,' 'muco-enterits,' 'gastric-catarrh,' and the like
should be discarded. A memorandum on the subject of the certification of diarrhœa
deaths drawn up by the Society of Medical Officers of Health has been circulated
amongst the medical practitioners of Shoreditch.
MEASLES.
The above disease during 1900 resulted in 76 deaths, all of children under the
age of 15 years, of whom 10 belonged to Shoreditch Sou h, 26 to Hoxton New Town
14 to Hoxton Old Town, and 26 to Haggerston. The death rate from measles was
0.63 per 1,000 population, as compared with 0.69 in 1899, 0.83 in 1898, 0.91 in 1897,
1.10 in 1896, 0.84 in 1895, 0.52 in 1894, 1.04 in 1893, and 0.82 in 1892. The deaths
from measles in London during the year 1900 numbered 1,936, the death-rate being 0.42
per 1,000 inhabitants. Deaths were more numerous in Shoreditch from measles
during the months of February, June, November and December.

From the above figures it can be seen that the mortality from measles has been
quite as great during recent years as it was thirty or forty years ago. Measles is not
one of the diseases required by law to be notified to the medical officer of health, so
that nothing like an exact estimate as to extent the disorder prevails from year to
year can be formed. The numbers of deaths cannot be relied upon for indicating
variations in the prevalence of the disease, for, as in the case of other infectious
diseases, some epidemics are more fatal in proportion to the number of cases than
others. Measles is not usually regarded by the public as a dangerous disorder, and
precautions for the prevention of the spread of infection are not taken to anything like
the same extent as in the case of scarlet fever or diphtheria. Nevertheless, measles,
as is evident from the foregoing table, is accountable for a large number of deaths
annually. In some outbreaks the mortality from measles may be very high,
especially so is this the case amongst debilitated children. The following instance of a