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39. It appears from the figures given in Dr. Kerr's Annual
Report for the year ending 25th March, 1904, that in a group
of six schools in the western or non-closure division of the
Borough the cases of Measles were 10-2 per cent, of the
scholars in the infant department, and in the closure division
only 6.6 per cent.
40. Altogether it may be said that closing of classes for the
prevention of Measles immediately on becoming aware of the
first case in a class has proved successful in diminishing the
number of cases, though not to the extent that might have
been hoped for. Drs. Kerr and Thomas (Principal and
Assistant School Medical Officers of the County Council) have
shown that school closure to be successful, must take place
before the first crop of cases has time to occur. If the children
infected by the first case in a class are allowed to attend in an
infectious state, they will infect the major part of the remaining
susceptible children, and closure then is too late to be of
appreciable advantage.
41. Out of 23 classes closed in the first five months of the
year, the results of closure may be considered successful in
seven, unsuccessful in six, and in ten no more cases occurred
after the case or cases for which the class was closed. In all
the unsuccessful cases the first case appears to have been
missed, and only the notification of cases in the first crop made
known the infection of the class.
42. What is required to make closure more successful is
improved means of gaining early information of the occurrence
of cases of infection. The school teachers have not the time
to do this satisfactorily. Probably it could be best done by
making notification of all infectious diseases compulsory on