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61
[1908
SMALL POX.
No death from this disease was registered in the Borough.
MEASLES.
Measles was the registered cause of 78 deaths, as compared with 130 in
the preceding year and with 180 on the corrected average for the 20 years
1888-1907. There has thus been a very large decrease in the mortality.
The deaths varied very considerably in the different sub-registration districts
; for while there was none registered in Upper Holloway, and only 4 each
in Tufnell and Tollington, there were 7 in Highbury, 13 in South-east
Islington, 14 in Lower Holloway, and 36 in Barnsbury.
In the first quarter 19 deaths were registered, or 35 below the corrected
average for 10 years for that period of the year. In the second quarter they
fell to 12, or 47 below the corrected average for that quarter, and in the
third there was a still further decline to 7 deaths, or 19 below the corrected
average. In the fourth quarter, however, the deaths numbered 40, or 10
above the corrected average of the corresponding periods of the previous years.
From these statements it is seen that while the disease had gradually
declined from the beginning of the year, yet it showed a decided increase
towards its close, which increase was maintained during the earlier quarters
of the current year (1909).
It will be noticed that although there were more deaths among the cases
reported in the fourth quarter, yet the known cases in the third quarter
exceeded those of the fourth by 11.
It may be noted here that there came to the knowledge of the Medical
Officer of Health 1,095 cases of measles in the public elementary schools, of
which 137 occurred in the first quarter, 253 in the second, 358 in the third,
and 347 in the fourth, all of which were made known by the teachers of
the schools.