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Among the factors which tend to spread Measles may be
reckoned the carelessness and ignorance of parents who make no
attempt to prevent their children who are suffering from the
disease from associating with others, it being no uncommon thing
for children to be found attending school who are obviously suffering
from the disease. With a view of preventing this and of
endeavouring to bring home to parents the fact that Measles is a
dangerous infectious disease, the late Vestry, in 1897, requested
the Local Government Board to sanction the application to
Measles, in addition to the other diseases specified in the Act, of
the provisions of Section 68 of the Public Health (London) Act,
1891, which render a person liable to a penalty who, "while
suffering from any dangerous infectious disease, wilfully exposes
himself without proper precautions against spreading the disease,
or being in charge of any person so suffering, so exposes such
sufferer."
To this request the Local Government Board replied " that
the question of extending certain of the provisions of the Public
Health (London) Act, 1891, to diseases other than those specified
in Section 55 of the Act is one which would be more satisfactorily
considered with regard to the metropolis as a whole than with
regard to individual sanitary districts. Under Sections 56 (b)
and 58 this could be done by the London County Council with the
Board's approval, and the Board would suggest that, in the first
instance, if the Vestry are desirable that the provisions of Section
68 should be made applicable to Measles, they should bring the
matter under the attention of the County Council." The Vestry
accordingly communicated with the London County Council, who
have recently been again in communication with the Metropolitan
Borough Councils, to ascertain their views on the matter.
With regard to the question of the notification of Measles,
I would reiterate my opinion that a modified system of notification
of Measles should be tried, by which the first attack in every house
invaded shall be notified, but no subsequent case occurring in the
same house within thirty days; and, as in so many cases no
doctor is called in, it would also be essential to enforce dual notification
by the parent or guardian as well as by the doctor, and