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of illness coming under their notice. It is hoped that by this
means early information of the majority of cases of Measles will
reach the Medical Officer of Health.
"The information thus obtained will necessarily require to
be followed up. Probably many cases will be reported which
are not Measles, and arrangements should be made for obtaining
a proper diagnosis for securing that the cases are properly
isolated, and for urging on the parents the need of obtaining
medical aid where such aid is required. .
"No doubt the Council's Official who visits the home will be
able to do much in the way of giving advice as to the care and
nursing of the patients.
"Removal to Hospital.—The Board have been in correspondence
with the Metropolitan Asylums Board, and it is understood
that the Board will agree to receive cases of Measles on
the recommendation of the Medical Officer of Health. The
accommodation of the Metropolitan Asylums Board for this
purpose is necessarily limited, and arrangements will be made
by which preference will be given to those cases most needing
hospital treatment. The Board may also remind the Borough
Council that they have power to provide temporary hospitals,
and if at a subsequent date the amount of accommodation for
Measles which is available in the Hospitals of the Metropolitan
Asylums Board should come to be exhausted, this power might
have to be utilised.
"Staff required for dealing with outbreak.—For dealing with
this outbreak and properly following up the information, which
will be obtained, it is essential that each Medical Officer of Health
should be provided with an adequate staff, and the Board trust
that the Council will at once appoint any additional temporary
assistants (medical and other) that may be required."
With this letter a copy of a Memorandum which the Board's
Medical Officer had prepared on the subject of Measles was
enclosed.
This Memorandum was followed by the Metropolitan
Asylums (Measles) Order of the 30th May, 1911, which provided
that non-pauper cases of Measles might be received into the
Hospitals of the Metropolitan Asylums Board, on the recommendation
of the Medical Officer of Health. Admission, however,
is confined to children of the poorest classes and to urgent
ca'ses recommended by the Medical Officers of Health. 3,144
patients suffering from Measles were admitted during the year,
and there were 438 deaths, giving a fatality-rate of 13.9 per cent.
The high death-rate is accounted for by the fact that the cases
admitted to the Board's Hospitals are specially selected.