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28
MEASLES.
The general run of the rates manifested by the above figures does not conform with the
usual experience, namely, alternate years of high and low mortality rates, the first year (1906)
with a very low rate being followed by three years with equal but comparatively low rates, after
which come two years with high rates. A comparison with the rates for the whole of London
during the same six years shows that the prevalence of the disease in the Borough does not
agree with that in the Metropolis as a whole.
1906. 1907. 1908. 1909. 1910. 1911.
Paddington 0.11 0.25 0.24 0.25 0.52 0.35
London 0.42 0.39 0.33 0.51 0.43 0.57
It appears, therefore, that in Paddington the epidemic of measles which was almost
inevitable after the low mortalities of the years 1906-09, came in 1910, a year before the disease
prevailed in London as a whole to an extent sufficient to excite popular interest. There being
no notification of the disease, the only evidence of its prevalence is to be found in the death
returns, but an equality in the number of deaths should not be taken to imply an equality in the
number of cases either in any comparison of different years or of different districts in the same
year. Subject to such reservation, the rates given in Table '20 may be taken as evidence of the
irregular distribution of the disease in the Metropolis last year. The high rates recorded in the
Eastern Districts represent a very widespread outbreak in those parts, but it would be unsafe
to frame any estimate of the numbers of cases from the experience obtained in this Borough.
Last year's outbreak in the Metropolis was the worst experienced since 1898. The following
statement of the numbers of deaths recorded in weeks when the deaths from measles exceeded
80 is of interest, and shows that last year's epidemic was more severe than that of 1898, but did
not last so long.
1897—87, 120, 108, 122, 134, 112, 166. (7 weeks.)
1898—130, 134, 130, 80, 87, 100, 106, 115, 141, 134, 143, 115, 109, 117, 131, 107, S9, 82.
(18 weeks.)
1904—86, 81, 86, 83. (4 weeks.)
1909—82, 93, 94, 92, 105, 129, 118, 94. (8 weeks.)
1910—85, 94, 113, 83, 90, 83. (6 weeks.)
1911—86, 82, 82, 95, 86, 103, 132, 136, 175, 197, 182, 153, 131, 110. (14 weeks.)