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19
MEASLES.
The deaths from Measles numbered 82 and with only three exceptions occurred in children
under 5 years of age.
All cases of measles in children attending the elementary schools are notified by the head
teachers and visited by the lady sanitary inspectors. During the year 824 cases were notified;
174 additional cases were found in the homes visited, the total number of cases coming to the
notice of the Public Health Department being 998. Out of this number only 115 had received
medical advice before they were visited by the inspectors. A leaflet is left with the mother of
each family attacked calling attention to the serious nature of the disease and insisting on
precautions being taken to prevent the spread of infection. The largest number of cases occurred
in the Barlby Road School, where 75 children were attacked ; St. Mary Abbotts School contributed
the next largest number, notifying 58 cases of measles during the year.
On 85 occasions classes in the elementary schools where measles had occurred were closed by
order of the School Medical Officer for periods varying from 5 to 21 days. The schools in which
one or more classes were closed numbered 24.
The cases admitted to the hospitals of the Metropolitan Asylums Board numbered 264.
WHOOPING COUGH.
The deaths from whooping cough numbered 29; the number of cases brought to the notice
of the Public Health Department by the schools being 303. In the homes visited 52 additional
cases were discovered; the total number of cases dealt with by the Sanitary Inspectors being 35
An advisory leaflet was left with the mother of each family visited. The largest number of cases
occurred in the Wornington Road School, where 41 children were attacked; St. Johns Norlands
School contributed the next largest number, notifying 28 cases of whooping cough during the year.
Of the cases visited only 14 had received medical treatment. The limitation of fatal whooping
cough to young children was shown by the fact that 28 out of 29 deaths registered during the
year, occurred in children under the age of 5 years.
During the year 78 cases of whooping cough were admitted to the hospitals of the Metropolitan
Asylums Board.
EPIDEMIC DIARRHCEA.
During the year diarrhoea and enteritis caused 108 deaths as compared with 70 deaths from
the same group of diseases in 1912. The diseases in this group, which are commonly known as
epidemic diarrhoea or zymotic enteritis, were made voluntarily notifiable by medical practitioners
during the four months from July 12th to November 25th, and the notification fee was fixed at
one shilling. The following Table shows the weekly incidence of the notified and fatal cases:—
Period—
Week ending.
No. of
Notifications.
No. of
Deaths
June 14 — 0
„21 — 0
„ 28 — 2
July 5 — 1
„ 12 — 7
„ 19 11 1
„ 26 12 2
August 2 27 3
„ 9 24 4
„ 16 19 0
„ 23 42 2
„ 30 52 5
September 6 62 8
„ 13 50 7
„ 20 54 7
„ 27 50 7
October 4 44 4
„ 11 43 4
„ 18 33 2
„ 25 27 3
November 1 10 5
„ 8 2 2
„ 15 1 3
„ 22 4 1
„ 29 2 0
Totals 569 80