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0.44 in 1908, 0.99 in 1907, 0.64 in 1906, 0.52 in 1905, 0.69 in 1904, 0.85 in 1903,
0.72 in 1902 and 0.64 in 1901. The rate was highest in Whitmore and lowest in
Haggerston, being 1.80 in the former and 0.35 in the latter ward.
On September 13th, the Douglas Nursery, a creche in Shepherdess Walk, came
under notice on account of the exclusion of about a dozen children who were suspected
of having measles. It appeared that about August 28th there were 2
children who had been attending the creche absent with what was believed at the
time to have been influenza. No medical man saw the cases, but there were grounds
for suspecting measles. They may have been the source of infection in the cases
excluded in September. The cases were confined to children in one room, and there
were none amongst the babies. A watch was kept, and on the occurrence of 2
further cases it was thought advisable to close the creche on September 16th.
The number of instances in which houses were brought to the notice of the
Health Department as having measles therein was 847, as compared with 602 in
1911 and 736 for 1910. Some of the houses were reported more than once. In the
great majority of the cases the information as to the houses was received through the
school authorities. From the inquiries made in 86 instances the illness did not appear
to have been measles. The number of children brought to our notice by the school
authorities as suffering from measles was 754. Intimations were received from the
Metropolitan Asylums Board as to the removal of 286 cases of measles to the
hospitals of the Board, from Shoreditch during the year. The majority of these
would be cases treated by the Poor Law Medical Officers. As already mentioned,
however, persons who are not paupers and who are reasonably believed to be
suffering from measles may be admitted to the hospitals of the Metropolitan Asylums
Board, and a considerable number were so admitted. The conditions associated
with their admission are laid down in the Metropolitan Asylums (Measles) Order,
1911.
Disinfection in the majority of cases coming under notice was carried out by
the officers of the Borough Council; 583 rooms were sprayed, and the usual steps
were taken as to bedding and textile articles. Altogether some 546 beds, 609
mattresses, 962 pillows, 339 bolsters, and 8,197 other articles were removed for
disinfection at the disinfecting station. In 26 instances disinfection was carried
out by the occupiers of the dwellings where the cases had occurred. This was done
to the satisfaction of the medical practitioners in attendance. Since the inclusion
of measles amongst the dangerous infectious diseases, it has been the rule in this
Borough to deal with it as far as practicable on the same lines as with the other
dangerous infectious diseases.
The deaths from measles in London numbered 1,799, as compared with 2,570
in 1911, 1,980 in 1910 and 2,324 in 1909, the death-rate being 0.39, as compared
with 0.57 in 1911, 0.40 in 1910 and 0.48 in 1909.