London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

View report page

Woolwich 1904

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Woolwich]

This page requires JavaScript

30
parents, and throwing on them the onus of becoming aware
that the disease was infectious. This would no doubt involve
the provision of medical attendance free of charge for diagnostic
purposes. But a useful if less complete means of gaining the
necessary information would be the provision of trained nurses
to visit immediately any children absent from school, and to
report any suspicious cases, which could then be visited by the
School or Borough Medical Officer. Such a staff would be
beneficial in many ways as health visitors.
43. In an appendix is given a list of the classes in which
Measles occurred up to May, 1904, with the proportion in each
class who had previously bad Measles, the date3 of commencement
of each case, and the dates of closure of classes closed.
The appendix gives an opportunity of studying the spread of
Measles in a class. It is curious to find that in some classes
and schools in spite of frequent introduction of Measles, and
of the presence of many susceptible children, the disease only
spreads to a very slight extent.
44. Second Attacks.—Out of 438 cases enquired into, 69 or
16 per cent, were stated to have had Measles previously.
Duration of Outbreaks.—In eight classes in three schools
where no closure was enforced, the duration of the outbreak or
period between the first and last notified cases varied from one
to five weeks.
Incubation.—The average incubation or interval between the
commencement of illness in primary and secondary cases
occurring in 35 families was 1½ days.
Ages of Attacked, Medical Attendance, dc.—Of 1748 cases
notified in the past four years, 8 were under six months,