London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Stepney 1911
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Stepney]
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attacked, in 47 there had been one previous case in each, in 17 instances two previous
cases had occurred in each house, and in 4 instances there had been three previous
cases in each house.
The addresses were incorrect or the families had removed in 14 instances, and
one child had already returned to school.
The Inspectors visited 217 premises during the same period in addition to the
above, where it was stated that there was infection in the house, but the child
suffering from Measles was not attending school. In 168 cases the information was
found to be correct, and doctors were in attendance in 105.
Ages of persons dying from Measles from March 22nd to May 12th, together with the number of notifications, &c., received from the schools and other sources:—
| Number of cases notified by the Schools, together with the number of deaths among children so notified. | Deaths from Measles during the same period of which we had received no information previous to their deaths. | |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1 year | 12, of whom 2 died | 24 |
| Between 1 and 2 years | 18 „ 5 „ | 34 |
| ,, 2 „ 3 „ | 18 „ 2 „ | 7 |
| ,, 3 „ 4 „ | 31 „ 3 „ | 5 |
| ,, 4 „ 5 „ | 84 „ 1 „ | 3 |
| ,, 5 „ 6 ,, | 88 „ — „ | 1 |
| ,, 6 „ 7 „ | 57 ,, 1 ,, | — |
| ,, 7 „ 8 „ | 33 „ 1 „ | — |
| Over 8 years | 50 „ 1 „ | — |
| Total | 391 16 | 74 |
Although a great improvement probably took place in March, it will be seen
from the table given that we had information of only a small percentage of the
children suffering from Measles. Assuming that the fatality was similar in this
period to what it was after the adoption of compulsory notification, there were between
2,000 and 2,500 children suffering from Measles concerning whom we had no
information.
This fact nullified, to a great extent, any results which would accrue from
the action taken by the London County Council in 1903.
In 1903 the London County Council made an order that all the sections of the
Public Health Act, 1891, relating to notifiable diseases should apply to Measles,
with the exception of that section which would make it obligatory on the nearest
relative, or the doctor in attendance, to notify the patient so suffering to the Public
Health Authorities. The Order was approved by the Local Government Board,
and came into force on April 1st of that year.