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27
A diminution in the fatality of the eases notified as puerperal fever in the Parish
is observable during the past five years.
MEASLES.
This is a disorder of childhood, but adults are liable to infection. Although not
itself a very fatal disease, it is oftentimes attended with complications, especially
bronchitis and pneumonia and is not infrequently followed by tuberculosis. These
combine to make measles a very fatal disease amongst children. Complications may
to a large extent be prevented if proper care and attention are exercised during
convalescence. Measles caused 134 deaths in Shoreditch during 1896, the number for
the whole of London being 3,697.
In the subjoined table are shewn the number of deaths due to measles, together
with the total deaths from all causes in Shoreditch during the past five years:—

During the quinquennium ending 1896, 3.7 per cent. of the total deaths in the
parish were due to measles, complicated in the great majority of cases with diseases of
the respiratory organs. Of the 134 deaths in 1896, 131 were of children under five years
of age. The measles death-rate was 1.10 per thousand inhabitants as compared with
0.81 in 1895, 0.52 in 1894, and l.04 in 1893. The metropolitan death-rate from
measles for 1896 was 0.83.
Measles was prevalent in Shoreditch from the beginning of March to the end of
August. The highest death rate from measles was in Hoxton New Town where the
disease was especially prevalent.
On May 20th my attention being called to the number of children on the roll of
the infants' department of the Catherine Street Board School who were absent
through illness, I visited the School and ascertained that between 40 and 50 per cent.
of the children were absent owing to illness from measles and mumps. The
question arose as to the closure of the infants' department. So far as mumps was
concerned, being a disease involving little or no danger to life, the interests of the
school were principally to be considered, and beyond the exclusion of infected children