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2
Measles became prevalent in London during the last three months
and proved extremely fatal, the number of deaths recorded being 526
in excess of the corrected averages number in the corresponding period
of the five preceding years. The disease was also prevalent in
Westminster, but the mortality was not great, which may be ascribed
to the attention given to each case. The method adopted is described
in the Report. More could be done were information as to children
suffering to reach the Council sooner from the schools. There is at
present no means of learning of the existence of measles unless some
member of the family attends school. It has been suggested that
compulsory notification should be instituted, but as only a small
proportion of the children are attended by medical men before the
visit of the Council's Inspectors it would not be of much value. Parents
cannot be relied upon to notify.
The Local Government Board has issued an order enabling the
Metropolitan Asylums Board to utilise spare accommodation in the
hospitals of the Asylums Board for the reception and treatment of
additional classes of poor persons. Under the authority thus conferred
upon them, the Asylums Board will be enabled to receive from any of
the Poor Law Authorities of the Metropolis children suffering from
measles or whooping cough into any of their hospitals where there is
vacant accommodation. It is understood that some 1,000 beds will be
available for these cases.
Special attention has continued to be given to the subject of
tuberculosis, and the schemes mentioned in my last Report has been
brought into active working. The medical staff and the almoners
of the various hospitals has been freely co-operated, a special (paid)
Phthisis Visitor has been appointed by the Health Society, and at the
end of the year 406 persons suffering from pulmonary or other form
of tuberculosis, together with persons who were regarded as doubtful
or suspicious cases, were on the Visitor's list. These do not include
persons having no settled abode, who move from one casual ward
or shelter to another. The beds taken by the City Council at
a sanatorium have proved to be a valuable adjunct. On the whole the
"Westminster Scheme" has shown itself to be a distinct success.
The death rate of children under one year of age in London varied
but little for fifty years (1841 to 1890), except in the decade 1881-90
when meteorological conditions were favourable. The rate in the first
ten years of the half century was 157 per 1,000 births, and in the last
was 159. Since 1900 (which coincides with the period when the Borough
Councils came into existence) the London rate has regularly decreased year
by year, until it now stands at 103. For the first five years of the decade,
beginning with 1901, the rate was 138; for the last five years, 118.