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126
MEASLES.
As compared with the preceding year, there was a greatly
increased prevalence of Measles.
The Local Government Board has issued an Order, dated
November 27th, making the notification of Measles and German
Measles compulsory in England and Wales from January 1st,
1916. The duty of notification is imposed both upon medical
practitioners and on parents or guardians or other persons in
charge of the patient; but a medical practitioner is not required
to notify if a previous case of the same disease has been notified
in the same household or institution during the preceding two
months. On receipt of the notification the Medical Officer of
Health is required, himself, or by an officer acting under his
instruction, to make enquiries and take steps for investigating the
source of infection, for preventing its spread, and for removing
conditions favourable to it. The Order also enables Local
Authorities to provide medical assistance, including nursing, for
the poor inhabitants in their districts when suffering from these
diseases. (These are valuable additional powers.) The Central
Council for District Nursing in London has a scheme for supplying
nurses to cases of Measles, among other diseases, and the
Local Government Board hopes that in other areas it will be found
possible to arrange for nursing, either by engaging temporarily
whole-time nurses or by contracting with County or other
Nursing Associations; but it is realised that in many districts it
may be difficult to provide such assistance, and that the Local
Authorities may be reluctant to embark on new expenditure. It
is thought, however, that much good may be done if parents can
be brought to realise that Measles is not a trifling ailment, and
are advised as to the care which should be exercised and the
precautions which they can take. To this end it is suggested that
leaflets should be issued and the services of voluntary helpers
enlisted to supplement the work of officials. The Board's Medical
Officer has prepared a Memorandum on Measles. The Memorandum
sets out steps which Local Authorities should ordinarily take under
the Order. It is admitted that the fact that the disease is
infectious before it can be diagnosed makes it difficult to prevent
its spread from the first case to other susceptible members of the
household, but it is believed that through early notification of