View report page

73
Measles.
The notification of measles was discontinued at the end of 1919, but during
the last year I recehed information, of 234 cases. Of these 155 were notified by
school teachers; 22 by medical practitioners; 14 by hospitals; and 11 by private
persons; the remainder were found by the Health Visitors.
103 patients were children under 5 years.
126 patients were children of 5-14 years.
5 patients were adults.
99 lived in flats or buildings.
126 ,, large houses occupied by more than one tenant.
9 ,, small houses.
88 patients had no contacts.
43 ,, 1 contact.
41 ,, 2 contacts.
43 ,, 3 ,,
11 „ 4 „
16 „ 5 „
5 „ 6 „
7 ,, 8 „
2 ,, 9 „
3 ,, 10 or more contacts.
14 cases were removed to M.A.B. Hospital.
2 ,, ,, ,, Holborn Poor Law Infirmary.
5 ,, ,. ,, private hospitals.
3 cases were referred to Metropolitan Nursing Association for home
nursing.
When visiting eases of measles, special emphasis is laid on the need for
adequate care; there is a wide-spread tendency to regard measles as a minor
illness which all children must catch, and to think that no harm will result
from the attack.
The admission of patients suffering with this disease to the hospitals of the
Metropolitan Asylums Board is in accordance with the Metropolitan Asylums
(Measles) Order, 1911. This Order prescribes regulations subject to which
Metropolitan Asylums Board Managers may admit to any of their hospitals a
person who is not a pauper and is reasonably believed to be suffering from measles.
The Regulations provide that a person to whom the Order applies shall not be
admitted unless in the opinion of the Managers there is more accommodation
available than is required for the reception of pauper patients suffering from
measles. The admissions are to be on the recommendation of the Medical Officer
of Health of the District in which the person is residing at the time when the
question of removal to hospital arises, provided that the Clerk of the Metropolitan
Asylums Board may authorise that a person to whom the Order applies shall be
admitted otherwise than on the foregoing recommendation if such admission is
desirable on the ground of urgent necessity or for some other or exceptional reason.