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9
Small
Pox.
Fortunately the District was quite free from this disease. I was
asked by a medical man to see a doubtful and suspicious case which
proved not to be Small Pox.
Measles.
Measles accounted for 23 deaths, as compared with 4 last year,
ten of whom were children under 1 year of age, twelve between
1 and 5 years and 1 over 5, all occurring in South Wimbledon.
In Table C will be found this death-rate for the past 10 years.
The actual number of patients is not known, but notifications
were received from the principals of the public elementary schools in
respect to 439 scholars who were absent and found to be suffering
from Measles.
Three distinct and local outbreaks occurred.
The first of these, and which commenced in February and extended
over March and April, was confined almost solely to the
South Park and Trinity Wards, the scholars of the Infants' Departments
of the Effra Road, Queen's Road and Holy Trinity Schools
being chiefly affected. With a view to preventing the spread of the
disease the first mentioned was closed for 3 weeks and the others for
two weeks each with beneficial results. The form of the illness was
very marked, and no less than 19 deaths occurred during this epidemic.
The second happened in June and July, and was restricted to
the scholars attending the Haydon's Road Schools and that part of
the District. Five deaths were registered at this period, and the
Infants' Department of the School was closed for 3 weeks.
The last occurred in Cottenham Park, was very widespread
and further complicated with epidemics of mumps, whooping cough
and ring worm, but fortunately was of a mild character, no case
ending fatally. It commenced among the children of the Central
Infants' School, and spread later to those attending Cottenham Park
School, at the same time many of the latter scholars reside in the
Raynes Park portion of the District, which is in the Croydon Rural
District Council's area where an extensive epidemic also took place.
The Infants' Department of the Central Schools was closed for two
weeks, and the Cottenham Park School for a month. The first
intimation of Measles at this school I had on November 16th, when
I received a list containing the names of 37 children suspected to be