View report page

46
which it will be seen that during that period 94.6 per cent, of the total
deaths have occurred under 5 years of age.
In Table B it is seen also that in London, of the deaths from measles,
about 95 per cent, occur under 5 years of age, about 80 per cent, under 3
years, and about 40 per cent, in the second year of life, so that in order to
obtain sufficient control over measles to stem its prevalence, the knowledge
of school cases only, followed by disinfection, would be insufficient.
In Table C, quoted from the Annual Report for 1898 of the Medical Officer
of Health of the London County Council, will be seen the apparent influence
of the cessation of school attendance during the summer holidays in reducing
the mortality from measles.
If a Sanitary Authority decide to provide an additional steam disinfecting
chamber, vans, and other appliances, to increase the number of disinfectors
when required, and also the expenditure upon stripping and cleansing, but not
to adopt compulsory notification, then the following course would be
pursued :—
1. Head teachers forthwith notifiy to the Medical Officer of Health the
exclusion from school of any scholar suffering from measles, or
living in a house where another person is so suffering.
2. Upon the receipt of the notification, the Sanitary Inspector reports as
to the patient and the room, and makes enquiry as to the addresses
of all the schools attended by all the children in the house.
3. A copy of the precautionary handbill is sent to the head of each
of the families in the house.
4. A copy of the notification is sent to the head teacher of each of the
schools attended by the children in the infected house.
5. A notice as to cleansing and disinfection is served upon the person in
charge of the infected patient.
6. The person in charge failing to do the requisite cleansing and
disinfection, the Sanitary Authority undertakes it.
7. The Sanitary Inspector inspects the room or rooms as to satisfactory
disinfection, so that in epidemic periods the Inspectors' time
would become largely occupied with measles. It is important that this
should be borne in mind, and also that whether made notifiable or
not, the disinfection after measles would incur the same expense of
staff, &c.
The Sections of the Public Health (London) Act, 1891, that do not
involve expenditure of the Borough Council upon compulsory notification,
hospital provision, or responsibility for disinfection, it may be expedient to
apply to measles.
The Sections relating to, or involving responsibility by the Borough Council
for the cleansing and disinfection of interiors and their contents after
measles, can be applied to measles so soon as the necessary expenditure is
approved.