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20
Measles.
During the year 999 cases of Measles were notified
in the District, a large portion of which cases occurred in
Mitcham, from where no less than 538 cases were
notified; 31 deaths occurred, giving a percentage of 3.1,
and here again the greater part was at Mitcham, with
25 deaths, giving a percentage of 4.6.
The type of Measles was very severe, and, where
deaths occurred, in many instances there was a lapse of
only a few hours between the appearance of the rash and
the commencement of serious lung trouble.
Measles is the most fatal of all notifiable diseases.
During the year 1908 in the whole of England and
Wales the mortality from this disease amounted to 2.2
per cent.
In spite of every endeavour to limit epidemics of
Measles it runs its course with great rapidity, the
difficulty lying in the fact of its extreme infectiousness,
which is present before any outward and obvious signs
are noticed in the person attacked, other than some slight
malaise.
Personal intercourse, attendance at school, entertainments
and the like, are the main factors in the spread
of this disease. Statistics tend to show that schools are
the principle centres for the spread of the disease, and
that it is never so prevalent during the holiday time as
during the time when the schools meet.
This points to the fact that the progress of the
disease is best arrested by the prevention of the aggregation
of susceptible persons, which is by closing the schools
so soon as there is a certain percentage of cases in families
from which children attend schools. Of course, it should