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33
For the reasons explained in the report for the year 1929, the appointment of
special nurses to visit schools, obtain lists of absentees likely to be suffering from
measles, and to visit the homes of these children, was not a great success and was
not repeated.
The existing arrangements regarding measles cannot, however, be regarded as
satisfactory.
During the last five years 157 Shoreditch children have died from measles, of
whom 151 have been under five years of age and G between the ages of five and ten
years. During the same period the deaths from whooping cough numbered 72, from
diphtheria 67 and from scarlet fever 18. Measles is thus seen to be one of the chief
killing diseases of early childhood. It is highly infectious and prompt diagnosis
and good nursing are all important in preventing pneumonia which is the most
common fatal complication.
Unfortunately, the seriousness of measles is not appreciated as it should be by
parents, and medical assistance is often not sought until the child is obviously very ill.
Unfortunately, also the housing conditions in the Borough are such that proper
nursing and isolation are impossible in many homes.
There does not appear to be any logical reason for the present administrative
difference made between scarlet fever and measles. If the latter were made
notifiable and all cases were removed as is the case with the former, the following
very definite benefits might be expected to result:—
The seriousness of the disease would be impressed upon the public and parents
would be under an obligation to obtain medical advice. The development of
complications would be prevented to a considerable extent by prompt removal to
hospital. It is reasonable to expect that isolation would tend to prevent the spread
of infection.
A measles serum prepared from blood given voluntarily by patients recovering
from measles is now available, and in one or two of the Metropolitan Boroughs this
is used in the Public Health Departments to protect susceptible children in homes
in which cases of measles have occurred. If it proves practicable to confer artificial
immunity in this way a valuable new weapon with which to fight the disease will
be in the hands of the Public Health Service.
Whooping Cough.
There were 3 deaths from whooping cough during the year.
One of the deaths occurred under one year of age, one between one and two,
and one between two and five.
The death rate from this disease was 0.04 per 1,000 inhabitants. The deaths
in London as a whole numbered 131, the death rate being 0.03.