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previous reports, that while my own personal opinion is that
notification of measles, even on identical lines with that of the
scheduled list of diseases will be useless, I strongly hold that
if an attempt is to be made to deal with it in this way,
compulsory notification by medical men should be included.
It is true that the mortality from measles during the last year
has considerably diminished, but this cannot be taken as
certain evidence of any good effect of the remedial measures,
for in the case of hooping cough there has been a similar
drop, although no precautionary measures have been taken.
In all there were 1,416 rooms disinfected after the
occurrence of infectious disease, in addition to the articles of
clothing which are set out in detail in the table. An innovation
during the past year has been the re-tabbing of mattresses that
have been removed for the purpose of disinfection; this work,
which is carried out by your own staff, has greatly lessened
the number of complaints and is well worth the small extra
amount expended.
The disinfection which is now carried out after measles
has resulted in a large increase in the work, and should the
prevalence of that disease continue, must ultimately lead to an
increase in your disinfecting staff. Only on account of the
small number of notifications of other infectious diseases have
we been able to carry it out as expeditiously as we have.
As in past years the complaints of damage done have
been few, although the articles have been so numerous.
The deaths from diarrhœa, especially in infants, dropped
down last year from 132 to 110. This, perhaps, does not seem
a very large diminution, but it must be remembered that 1902
was abnormally low, so that last year is very much below the
average. The cold summer and the absence of dust, etc.,
were no doubt contributing causes to this decrease.
Epidemic influenza caused 30 deaths, 19 less than in
1902; of these, the greatest number (12) occurred, as in last
year, in Camberwell. A further decline took place in the
mortality from the septic diseases connected with childbirth,
only two deaths having been registered from this cause.
The deaths from tuberculosis of the lungs and elsewhere
caused 70 deaths less than in the previous return, the diminution
being especially shown in phthisis.
The corrected death-rate from this disease for Camberwell