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41
especially taking into account the fact that, during the same
period, there had been no single death from Measles registered in
the Norwood District outside the Schools, I decided to pay a
visit to the Schools and make enquiries. In this connection, I
have to thank the Medical Superintendent (Dr.Rugg), with whom
I at once communicated previous to my vis'ts, and who
accompanied me on my first visit, and gave me such information
as I asked for. I also interviewed the Master (Mr. Fielder).
Measles is a non-notifiable disease, so that I have no means
(officially) of knowing the numbers of cases that have occurred in
the Norwood District; but I find from the School Register that,
since October, 1902, up to the end of February, 1903. 68 cases
have occured in connection with the Lambeth Schools, and of
these 11 have died, thus giving a high case mortality of 16.2 per
cent. The ages of the-e 68 cases, and of the 11 deaths, are as
follow:—
Cases.
Deaths.
Case Mortality
per 1000.
1-2 years 6 1 16.7
2-5 years 54 10 18.5
5-6 years 4 – 0.0
6-10 years 3 – 0 0
Over 12 years 1 – 0.0
Totals 68 11 16.2
In other words, 60 cases and 11 deaths were amongst children
under 5 years of age, Measles being chiefly.a disease of infant
and child life.
Measles is a disease that, with proper care and attention, should
give a very much lower mortality rate than this. Death generally
results from the after-consequences, due to the patients catching a
chill or cold during convalescence, giving rise to Bronchitis, Pneumonia,
etc, which are the immediate causes of death. The
importance of warmth, therefore, goes without saying. No child
in a fair state of health ought to die from Measles, if properly
nursed and attended to, and if living under satisfactory sanitary
conditions. It is now admitted that insanitary surroundings tend
to increa e the mortality from Measles (and other diseases), whilst
the previous constitutional states of the children are also an
important consideration to be taken into-account in dealing with
mortality rates. Further, the younger the child, the greater the
risk of death from Measles, and other infectious diseases.