View report page

13
Measles. The prevalence and fatality of Measles calls
for special remark. This is one of those zymotic diseases
which is thought lightly of by people generally,
and the treatment of which is therefore carried out in a
casual and summary fashion. The statistics which we
present, however show very distinctly that this idea is
erroneous and fraught with danger. In our district 53
deaths from measles occurred during the year. While
during 1887, 68 deaths resulted from this disease. In the
whole of London during 1888, there were 2,401 deaths
from Measles and 1,209 from Scarlet Fever. In the year
1887, there were 2,904 deaths from Measles and 1,443
from Scarlet Fever. This shows very remarkably the
serious nature of this disease, and the havoc caused by
it on the population compared with Scarlet Fever. In
taking these two years for consideration, we must remember
they were remarkable for a special outbreak of
Scarlet Fever. Since the year 1870, the number of
deaths from measles has gradually risen, while those
from scarlatina have shown as great a tendency to gradually
decrease. The explanation of this remarkable fact
seems to be, that since that date, greater care and isolation
have been insisted on in the case of Scarlatina than
in the case of measles. The figures, however, given
above, impress us with the necessity of following the same
line in the case of one as with the other.