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21
the "first crop" fell. If the same conditions had prevailed in
the middle, of the session, one would hesitate to interfere with
the school arrangements to the extent of closing the department"
but as it was so near the Christmas holidays, the interference
would not be great. On the other hand, every means should be
taken to prevent an epidemic of Measles during the winter
months. In industrial neighbourhoods Measles is very fatal in
cold weather, owing to the frequency in which lung complications
occur. Apart from the question of age incidence, it would be of
great benefit if an epidemic could be postponed even if it were
only for six months.
In the circumstances it was decided to close the Infants
Department for the Christmas holidays on December 9th.
A list of the children attending the five classes was obtained,
and they were visited during the holidays. It was ascertained
that 13 cases had occurred between December 12th and January
9th, the date of re-opening the schools.
It has been stated that Measles tends to spread whenever a
class accumulates unprotected members to the extent of
between 30 and 40 per cent., and when spread has begun, it
continues until the proportion is reduced to between 15 and 20
per cent. unprotected.
This simply means that the opportunities for the introduction
of Measles in London and the surrounding suburbs are so
numerous, a class with a large number of unprotected children is
the most vulnerable. But it does not follow that even in such
a class efforts to postpone an outbreak will not be successful.
In Class IV, at the commencement of the outbreak, only
eight children out of 53 had previously suffered from Measles,
and yet until a case occurred in the middle of the week, and
attended school during the infectious period, the disease did not
spread in the class. But more marked even was the experience
of Turnham Green and Beaumont Park Schools. A child
attending Class 3 of the Turnham Green Schools was last at