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result of this information by the Sanitary Inspectors, for the purpose of enforcing
isolation and disinfection, the mothers of the children in question often denied the
statement made to the teachers. The parents frequently stated that the children
had suffered from a cold only, and at the time of the visits, they appeared to be
quite well. In the early part of the year this information was rendered of less value
from the fact that children had been absent from school for a considerable time
before the information reached us. There was a great improvement in this direction
after the beginning of March. During the school holidays, and while the infants'
schools were closed, or the children excluded on account of the prevalence of Measles,
we were without even this information.
From January 1st to March 21st we received information with regard to Measles
in 617 premises. The child was said to be absent actually suffering from Measles in
435 cases, and the child excluded on account of the existence of the infection in the
house in the remaining 182. Of the former, the information was found to be correct
in 310 instances, or 71 per cent. A medical man was in attendance in 218 cases, or
about 50 per cent. In a number of instances an incorrect address had been given or
the people had left. In 8 cases, the children in question had returned to school before
we had received any information of their absence. Of the premises where the children
were absent due to infection in the house, the information was acknowledged to be
correct in 172 out of the 182 premises reported. A medical man was in attendance
in 104 instances. In this period 111 deaths occurred from Measles ; 67 of these were
in children under two years of age, 37 between 2 and 5 years of age, and 7 over
5 years of age.
It will be thus seen that we received information of only a small percentage of
the children suffering from Measles.
From March 22nd to May 12th, we received 920 school notices referring to the
absence of children from school. Of these, 694 referred to Measles, 477 referred to
the absence of a school child suffering from the disease, and 217 referred to infection
in the house ; in the latter case, a child living in the house, probably not of school
age, was stated to be suffering from Measles.
In this period detailed inquiries were made in all cases where we received
information of the existence of Measles. Of the 477 instances where it was
reported to us that children were suffering from Measles, in 83 instances information
was also received from the Metropolitan Asylums Board Managers that
they had removed patients to fever hospitals on the information of Poor Law Medical
Officers. Of these, 44 were under 3 years of age. Of the remaining 394 premises
visited, on information received from officers of the Education Department, in
86, the parentsi denied the existence of the disease. Doctors were in attendance in
212 homes.
In 323 instances out of the 391 genuine cases, the patients were the first children