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For the third year in succession there was no death in London from this cause, the corrected
decennial average being 166. One case was notified, compared with 74, 31, and 4 in the
preceding three years.
MEASLES.
Measles was the cause of 32 deaths, compared with 54, 81, and 31 in the three preceding
years successively: 30 and 2 in the Town and Brompton sub-districts respectively; the corrected
decennial average being 69. Thirty-one of the deaths were of children under five years of age,
including 8 in the first year of life.
The lady sanitary inspectors visited all cases reported by school teachers, 474 in number; the
schools in connection with which cases were reported were 26, the aggregate of cases in nine
schools (ranging from 22, upwards to 70) was 330; in seven schools (ranging from 11 to 18) 106;
in the remaining 10 schools there were 38 cases. The largest numbers occurred in connection with
Portobello Road C.C. School, 70; Wornington Road C.C. School, 50; and Buckingham Terrace
and Gloucester Grove C.C. Schools, 44 each. In addition to the cases reported by school teachers,
other 132 were found in the houses visited. Of the total cases (606), 249 were of children under five
years; 384 belonged to three wards—St. Charles 76, Golborne 210, Norland 98—the population of
which is approximately 73,520 ; and 122, to the remaining six wards—population 107,480. An advisory
leaflet was left with each family visited, calling attention to the serious nature of the disease—a fact
which appears to be better recognised than formerly. But even now it is no uncommon thing to find
mothers visiting friends with young children in their arms, at houses where measles exists, with
the not unexpected result of a spread of the disease; the imprudence being justified by them
on the ground that the children must have it at some time—which is by no means necessary.
Moreover, as nearly all deaths from measles occur under five years, it follows that if a child is
attacked after that age, the risk of a fatal result is almost negligible. No effort, therefore, should
be spared to postpone the date of attack. Disinfection was carried out in 77 cases.
The deaths from measles in London, as a whole, were 1,524, and approximately 689 below
the corrected decennial average (2,213).
SCARLET FEVER.
The notified cases of scarlet fever were 439, compared with 332, 463, and 522 in the preceding
three years, 313 in North Kensington and 126 in South Kensington. The deaths were 9 (a casemortality
of 21 per cent.) and 5 below the corrected decennial average (14). All took place at
outlying public institutions, to which 398 cases were removed. The deaths in the preceding three
years had been 21, 11, and 9 respectively.
The deaths in London, as a whole, 548, were approximately 34 in excess of the corrected
decennial average. The cases notified during the year were 22,059, compared with 19,467,
20,343 and 25,936, in the preceding three years respectively. The case-mortality was 2-5 per cent,
on notifications, compared with 2-8, 2-6, and 2-5 in the preceding three years. The admissions
to hospitals were 21,311, compared with 17,230, 18,316, and 23,208, in the preceding three years, and
equal to 96-6 per cent, on cases notified. At the close of the year there were 3,557 cases remaining
in hospital, compared with 3,446, 3,846, and 4,999 at the corresponding period in the preceding
three years. The subjoined table shows the degree of prevalence of the disease in the borough
and in London, as a whole, indicated by the number of notifications, and of deaths, etc., in thirteen
four-weekly periods, as set out in the monthly reports.

Note.—Correction has not been made in the table for errors in diagnosis, either with respect to notifications,
or admissions to hospital. The notifications are collated from the weekly returns of the Asylums Board ; the admissions
to, and numbers in, the hospitals, and the deaths in London, from the weekly returns of the Registrar-General.