London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

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Edmonton 1905

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Edmonton]

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4
suffered this year. It made its appearance in April and bv
the end of May the bulk of the epidemic was over. As cases
of Measles do not required to be reported it is impossible to
give the exact number that occurred, but it must have been
between three and four hundred, as 154 were in my own
practice.
The last epidemic of Measles from which we suffered
occurred in 1900, and that accounts for the fact that the bulk
of the cases in this one were in children under 5 years of age.
In my own cases the figures were 109 under 5 years and 45
over that age. Measles is one of the most fatal of infantile
infectious disorders, but the fatality is modified or intensified
according to the conditions under which it appears. If it
occurs in warjn weather chest complications, the chief danger,
are not so apt to arise, and it is much less fatal. Such I am
glad to say, was the case in the present epidemic, and only 5
deaths arose from it, not much more than one per cent.
During the epidemic of Measles the Public Schools were
closed on my recommendation for a period of six weeks.
Scarlatina has been present more or less during the year.
In February we had 2 cases, in April one case, in May one
case, in June one case, in July 6 cases, in August none, in
September 7 cases in October 17 cases, in November 6 cases
in December 4 cases. In all we had 45 cases during the
year. This kind of behaviour is characteristic of Scarlatina.
It shows that Scarlatina is very much slower in its methods,
and that the vitality of the morbid material causing it is very
great. Measles on the other hand is much quicker, intensely
infective, and the vitality of the morbid material causing it
less tenacious. On this account School closing is effective in
Measles, but of little use in Scarlatina.
About the month of June Whooping-cough, which had
been present in a neighbouring district, began to show itself.
This complaint like Measles, is one of the most fatal of infantile
infectious disorders, and like it is modified or intensified
by the conditions under which it appears. In the
summer it is a complaint of little importance, but in the
winter and early spring a most fatal disease. Appearing in