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1920
30
No School.
Under 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 11 14 Total
14 26 50 43 57 9 1 1 1 202
In 1915 the Local Government Board made an Order,
providing under certain conditions for the compulsory notification
of Measles and German Measles.
Prior to that date a few of the large towns had exercised
their powers and placed measles amongst the compulsorily notifiable
diseases. Some of these towns had discontinued notification,
and in none of them could the results obtained be considered a
triumph for notification. Neither did the compulsory notification
of cases of measles throughout the country during the four years
1916-1919 produce the results anticipated by its most enthusiastic
advocates. In 1919, an Order was made which rescinded the
Order of 1915, and from the end of 1919, the compulsory notification
of Measles and German Measles was discontinued. The Ministry
of Health, though, in its Memorandum, state that no difficulties
will be placed in the way of those poLocal Authorities who desire
to adopt compulsory notification and who are willing and able
to take suitable action with respect to those cases brought to their
notice.
The lack of notification was always a reasonable excuse
for inaction, and the attempt to deal with such an elusive disease
may be useful, although the results seemed to prove that the
universal notification of measles is not yet justified.
Apart from the expense, one of the objections to the continuance
of the Order was the fact that notification was seldom
complete. A large number of children suffering from measles
are not attended by a doctor, and though the parent or guardian
is liable to a penalty for non-notification, the duty is seldom
performed by any person other than the doctor in attendance
Where there was no doctor in attendance, very seldom was the
case notified under the Order.
The following Table gives the number of children who
were attended by a doctor, together with the schools:—