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24
Measles.
An Order has recently been issued applying certain
sections of the Public Health (London) Act to "Measles."
Hitherto, although it is well known to be a most infectious
malady, a child suffering from measles could be conveyed
in a public conveyance, or could be sent to school, or
exposed in any thoroughfare, and those in charge of the
sufferer would not be liable to any penalty under the
Sanitary Acts. Besides this disinfection would not be
compulsory. From April 1st this is altered, and the law
applicable to notifiable diseases will be applicable to
measles. On the other hand there is no notification as to
measles, nor is there any provision for Hospital accommodation.
Information of the prevalence of the malady is
only indirectly obtainable from the returns of school
attendance and the Registrar's returns of deaths.
The deaths from measles in the whole of London
vary in different years from about 5 per 10,000 of all ages
up to a little more than 8 per 10,000. Since, however,
measles is essentially a disease of children it is better
studied in relation to the child population.
The deaths in 1901 in all London were equal to 37 per
10,000 children (under 5 years of age). St. Marylebone
curiously enough has suffered very little from fatal measles
in comparison with other London districts ; in a useful
table compiled by the Medical Officer of Health for the
County, it is there shown that St. Marylebone, Paddington,
and Hampstead, have had a lower mortality from measles
than 25 other Metropolitan districts.
Measles varies much in virulence, and the relationship
between the number of cases and the number of deaths is
very different in different years. Probably for every 3
deaths at least 100 cases of sickness occur. In 1902 there
were 86 deaths from measles in the Borough, and this
would represent about 2,800 cases.
1902 was not an exceptional year as regards measles,
it may, therefore, be confidently stated that from 2,000 to
6,000 cases occur annually.