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1910] 150
Measles. — These cases numbered 2,194, as contrasted with 1,667 in 1909,
and an average of 1,477 during the ten years 1900-1909. With the exception
of the year 1901, in which 2,772 notifications were received from the teachers,
the number is the largest hitherto recorded. The cases of the disease known
in the borough up to the end of May were considerably below the average for
that period of the year, but in the first week of June 60 cases occurred
and by the end of the third week of that month they had risen to 66. The
disease then commenced to show a decrease, so that in the fourth week only
48 cases were notified, while a fortnight later they had fallen to 28; in the
succeeding week they numbered 26, and in the third week they numbered
only 17. The schools were then closed for the summer vacation, and of course
no further notifications were received until the first week after their opening,
when 7 cases were reported to the Medical Officer of Health. In the following
week, which was the first week of September, 8 cases were notified, and then
followed in the several succeeding weeks 16, 30, 43, 50 and 50. After this period
the disease became seriously epidemic, because in the first week of October, 107
cases were notified. This was followed by 93, 106 and 103 cases in the remaining
weeks in that month. Then there was a sudden rise to 165 in the
first week of November, which was followed in the ensuing week by 168
notifications. There was a drop then to 121 cases, only, however, to be
succeeded by a rise to 166 cases, to be again followed by 181. This was the
highest point of the curve, for the cases fell in the two following weeks to
155 and 141. This brings the history of the disease down to the end of the
third week in December, when the schools were closed for the Christmas vacation.
The epidemic was, therefore, in full swing when the year 1911 opened,
and without entering into minute details, it may be said that a heavy toll was
exacted by it until the end of March, at which period it showed signs of
abating, but it was not until the middle of June of the current year that
anything like the low returns experienced in the first three months of 1910
were reached.
A chart of the disease during last year and up to the middle of June,
1911, is attached.