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50
WHOOPING COUGH AND MEASLES.
During 1898, 159 and 133 deaths were registered from
Whooping Cough and Measles respectively, as compared
with 144 and 139 during 1897, and annual averages of
155.3 and 154.4 for the last ten years (1888-97).
In London, during 1898, there were registered 2,160 and
3,075 total deaths from Whooping Cough and Measles,
giving corresponding death-rates (uncorrected) of 4.8 and
6 8 per 10,000 of the population living, respectively.
Waterloo Road First suffered most and Norwood least
from Whooping Cough, and Kennington First the most
and Kennington Second the least from Measles.
Measles was epidemic in Lambeth at the beginning of
the year, and the epidemic gradually lessened through the
second and third quarters, with the result that only two
deaths were registered during the fourth quarter.
Whooping Cough was epidemic during the first three
quarters of the year, and the epidemic lessened during the
fourth quarter.
In connection with the Measles epidemic, 129 infected
houses were disinfected by the Vestry's officials, who,
however, were not asked in one single instance to
disinfect after Whooping Cough.
A Special Report on the subject of Measles and its
Prevention (vide Appendix, p. 18), was presented to the
Vestry on June 23, 1898. In the Report the Medical Officer
pointed out the highly infectious nature of the disease,
which is chiefly met with in children under 5 years of age
(amongst whom it is extremely fatal)—the disease in
Lambeth during the last 10 years having claimed more
than half as many victims as the whole of the Notifiable
Infectious Diseases together. The need for preventative