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6
Measles.
The disease of all others of this type, which
was most prevalent, and actually assumed an
epidemic nature, was measles, and especially so
in the western part of the borough. I gave at
length, some months ago, my views to the Council
relative to the notification of this disease
and came to the conclusion that the disadvantages
of such outweighed any probable advantages.
Some hundreds of cases, no doubt, occurred,
necessitating the undesirable step of
temporary closure of one or two elementary
schools. It seems to be a fixed idea in the minds
of many people that every child must suffer an
attack of measles, and that the sooner it is acquired
the better. This is a serious fallacy,
especially in conjunction with the belief that
measles is a trifling complaint. With ordinary
care, and medical supervision in each case
most patients progress favourably, and serious
after-effects, so especially dangerous to young
children, will be avoided. To emphasise these
statements as to the necessity of care, I may add
that measles caused nearly as many deaths in
this borough last year as all the other zymotic
affections together, infantile summer diarrhoea
alone excepted.
Phthisis.
I do not propose to make any remarks on
the subject of general diseases (full particulars
of which will be found tabulated in Form No. 4)
with the one important exception of phthisis,
which was the cause of thirty-seven deaths in
the past year. The causes and treatment of this
disease have loomed very prominently before
the public of late, and it is a satisfaction to
me that as I foreshadowed in my last annual
report, this Council has joined, in an active and
practical way. to help in the movement by the
retention of beds in the Mount Vernor. Hospital
and Sanatorium. By this means certain pool
and eligible persons in the borough suffering
from this disease, are treated under more hopeful
conditions, and I receive more applications
for admission than the accommodation affords.
It appears to me that the time for making
phthisis compulsorily notifiable has hardly arrived,
and would be of comparatively small
benefit unless suitable treatment can be arranged
for. Voluntary notification, however, I
shall be glad to receive, the information relative
to each case being considered confidential. I
would remark here that I have a strong feeling,
more than once expressed in my monthly reports