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36
seven in small houses not usually sub-let, six in small houses
usually sub-let, and one in the Council's workmen's dwellings.
Throughout the epidemic I paid frequent visits to the
schools, and found that great care and judgment were exercised
by the teachers in the exclusion of children suspected to be
sickening for Measles. Lists containing the names and addresses
of all children excluded from school on account of infectious
disease were sent to me every few days from the Education
Office, and proved of considerable assistance.
Considering the most important point in dealing with an
outbreak of Measles was to induce parents to realise the
danger of lung complications and the need for care throughout
the illness and convalescence, I drafted a short leaflet for
distribution, and arranged for a copy to be left at each house
where the School Attendance Officers learnt there was a case
of Measles. This method of gaining the attention of the
parents was begun in January, and later on when it was
found necessary to close several schools, copies were given
to the children to take home to their parents.
The question of the compulsory notification of Measles
came before the Public Health Committee on September 7th,
1906, and my report on the matter was as follows:—
" In regard to Measles much of the benefit of notification
is negatived by the initial symptoms being often identical
with those of a severe cold in the head, and by the fact that
the disease is communicable for several days before the rash
appears, thu3 allowing ample opportunity for the disease to
spread before it is even suspected.
" Basing my figures on the experience of a few districts
in which Measles is a notifiable disease, and on the average
mortality of the disease, it is probable that in epidemic years
we should have to deal with from 500 to 1,000 cases per
annum. If any attempt were made to see that the best