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tributing of leaflets and posters, and the educating of parents
to regard Measles as a serious and dangerous infectious
disease, and not as a trivial complaint of childhood.
Measles is not compulsorily notifiable, but 1,595 cases
(during 1912) were reported voluntarily (chiefly through
schools) to the Borough Council. Measles being chiefly a
"School Disease," this voluntary system of notification is
valuable.
Of the 1,595 notified cases, 278 (i.e., 17.4 per cent.) were
removed to hospital from the Borough, non-pauper as well
as pauper cases being now received for treatment and
isolation, under the new Metropolitan By-laws (Measles)
Order 1912 (August 9th).*
Measles is spread chiefly through Schools, especially Infants'
Departments, and during 1912 precautions were taken
in respect thereto in the way of exclusion of all known cases
of measles, and all "Unprotected" Children, i.e., those who
have not previously had an attack of the disease, thereby
securing the minimum interference with school attendance.
102 schools (Infants' Departments) were dealt with, representing
134 different class-rooms or grades, and a total
of 1,731 children, excluded for periods varying from a few
days to a few weeks on account of outbreaks of measles
in connection therewith (a total of 467 cases of measles).
8 schools were disinfected in connection with outbreaks
of measles.
Whooping Cough.
Whooping Cough is also a serious disease, especially to
young children. Of the 55 deaths registered in the Borough
during 1912 from this disease, 52 (i.e., 94.5 per cent.)
occurred in children under 5 years of age, and 24 of
the deaths (i.e., 43.6 per cent.) occurred amongst infants
*Of the 278 cases of Measles removed to Hospital, 1 proved at
Hospital not to be suffering from that disease.