View report page

32
In our enquiry into the causes of deaths from this
disease our first endeavour was to ascertain to what
extent the means provided by the Council, the Metro
politan Asylums Board and the Guardians had been
utilised in these cases, and with what result.
The following facts emerge :—
(1) None of these deaths occurred in cases removed to the
hospitals of the Metropolitan Asylums Board.
(2) Five deaths occurred amongst cases removed to the Poor
Law Infirmary, but in the majority of these the cases
were only removed as a last resort, and when the child
was severely ill with pneumonia.
(3) No deaths occurred amongst cases nursed by the District
Nurses.
(4) Three cases who died were not notified to the Health
Department previously, and were therefore not visited
by the Health Visitors.
(5) In five cases the notification was only received on the
day before or on the day of the child's death, and therefore
the Public Health Department was unable to take
any steps to improve the conditions.
(6) In six cases the parents did not choose to avail themselves
of either hospital or District Nurse.
(7) In three cases the patient was only slightly ill when
visited by the Health Visitor, but developed lung
complications from seven to ten days later, and no effort
appears to have been made to obtain hospital or nursing
assistance.
Every death from measles was attended by a medical
practitioner at some stage of the illness, but, unfortunately,
in many cases the doctor is either called
in too late, or is only called in to make a diagnosis,
and thereafter the parents endeavour to carry on the
treatment themselves.
At the commencement of this year's epidemic I
issued a letter to the general practitioners working
in the borough, reminding them that measles was a
notifiable disease in this borough, and acquainting
them with the provisions made for dealing with severe
cases. Unfortunately, our work in connection with