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under 1 year of ape. It is, therefore, a disease of childhood,
and its prevention is being systematically attempted, chiefly
in the way of disinfection of whooping cough-infected houses,
exclusion from school of children (both infected and from
infected houses), and the educating of parents up to the;
dangerous nature of the disease and the importance of careful
nursing of the patients when suffering from this complaint.
Unfortunately, whooping cough, like measles, is, at
present, regarded as a harmless complaint of childhood, and
the ignorance displayed, and the apathy shown, is well known,
to all who visit amongst the poorer classes.
The disease is not oompulsorily notifiable, but 757 cases
were voluntarily notified during 1912 by school teachers.*
Of the 757 notified cases, 87 were removed to hospitalt
from the Borough, non-pauper as well as pauper cases
being now received for treatment and isolation, under the
new Metropolitan Asylums (Whooping Cough) Order, 1912
(August 9th).
Leaflets (dealing with the dangers and treatment of the
disease) were left at all known whooping-cough infected
houses.
During 1912, 7 schools (9 classrooms) were dealt with
on account of outbreaks of whooping cough—a total of 50
cases with 239 exclusions of "unprotected" scholars (i.e.,
children who had not previously had attacks of the disease)
for periods varying from 2 to 5 weeks. In 2 instances, the
classrooms were closed owing to the fewness of the
scholars left in attendance after exclusions.
Two schools were disinfected during 1912 in connection
with outbreaks of whooping cough.
Details of the incidences of measles and whooping cough
in the different Registration Sub-Districts of Lambeth
Borough during 1912 are as follow:—
*The Council decided by Order on Oct. 3rd, 1912, to make Whooping
Cough compulsorily notifiable by medical men and parents or relatives
for a trial period of five years, commencing Jan. 1st, 1913, and the Order
was approved by the Local Government Board on Oct. 31st, 1912.
† Of the 87 cases of Whooping Cough removed to Hospital, 4 proved
at hospital not to be suffering from that disease.