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11
INFECTIOUS AND OTHER DISEASES
The total number of notifications of infectious disease
was 314, the lowest number recorded in the Borough for 20 years.
This was due mainly to the small number of cases of measles.
The number of cases of measles was comparatively low in
1959 and it was anticipated that there might be some increase in
1960 but this was, not so. (At the time of writing this report,
February, 1961, the weekly totals of measles cases are exceeding
the total for 1960.)
The value of notification of measles appears to be in some
doubt. Although measles can be prevented or modified by the use
of gamma globulins it is only practicable to do so in those cases,
fortunately rare, where an infant is suffering from some other
serious disease and becomes exposed to infection by measles.
Death from measles is nearly always due to some
complication of the disease such as broncho-pneumonia which
can usually be prevented or controlled by the use of sulphonomide
preparations or antibiotics and there is in fact no practicable
method of controlling measles on a large scale.
Notifications are consequently used almost solely for
the compilation of statistics. In Hampstead, by arrangement
with the Divisional Medical Officer of the London County Council,
visits are made to notified cases of measles by the health visitors
and not by the staff of the Public Health Department. The main
purpose of such a visit is presumably to obtain the name of the
school or schools which the children of the family attend so that
the head teacher can be notified in accordance with Section 192(2)
of the Public Health (London) Act, 1936. It is assumed that the
head teacher probably knows all about the case anyway and there
being little or no action which can be taken, the report is probably
filed.
It would seem therefore that if measles continues to be
notifiable one either breaks the law by not finding out the name
of the school attended so that the head teacher can be informed
or one wastes the time of doctors, health visitors, clerks, etc.
in collecting a great deal of information which is put to no
practical use.