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which there is no control, until I made a general appeal to those
responsible. One of the latter, however, in the Singlegate area,
declined for two Sundays to accede to the request, and the
continued presence of the disease in that neighbourhood after
August 15th was probably attributable to that cause.
An important and exhaustive report by Dr. Theodore
Thomson has been issued by the Local Government Board "upon
the measures that may be and which have been adopted by
Sanitary Authorities with a view to obtaining control over
measles," in which the sources whence information may be
derived, and the measures which may be taken to limit the
disease within the dwelling and the district respectively, are
discussed. The action taken by various Authorities is described,
amongst others that in this District in 1894, and the circular
issued at that time is reproduced. Dr. Thomson says, however,
that in no district is everything possible done, which is not very
surprising, for such would necessitate the doubling or trebling of
the sanitary staff, who even then would be baffled to a great
extent by the carelessness of householders.
Amongst many other important recommendations, he says
that:—
"It is open to Sanitary Authorities to enter into an
arrangement with School Authorities, whereby the latter are to
acquaint the former with any known or suspected cases of
measles of which they gain information. This arrangement may
be made with those controlling public elementary, Sunday, and
private schools. The information needs to be given systematically,
that is to say, during inter-epidemic periods as well as
when epidemics prevail. Sanitary Authorities should regard
knowledge of cases in this way reported as possible clues to the
detection of other and unknown cases."
The essential points of this plan are that the information
should be regularly given in inter-epidemic periods, and that
private and Sunday schools should be included, which may