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averagely fatal." The deaths from measles in 1887 were 2,894,
and in 1888, 2,401, being exactly double the fatality from scarlet
fever—1,447 in 1887, and 1,209 in 1888.
Hospital Accommodation for Measles.—The excessive
mortality in London from measles towards the close of the year
naturally suggested to many minds the question. Whether this
disease, equally with diphtheria, should not be treated at the
Managers' Hospitals? in which there were, and for a considerable
time had been, many empty beds. Communications on the
subject were addressed to the Board : one by a Coroner for
Surrey, and another by the Battersea Vestry—the latter
requesting that, as measles is ''a dangerous infectious disease of
a febrile character, the Managers will take such steps as they
may consider advisable with a view to arrangements being made
for the reception of sufferers therefrom into their hospitals."
The several communications were referred to the Committee for
General Purposes, who, in a report dated January 22, 1889,
recommended that, " as it appears doubtful whether the
Managers at present have legal powers, except under Section 15
of the Poor Law Act, 1879, to admit into their hospitals
patients suffering from measles," the said letters " be forwarded
to the Local Government Board with a request that the Board
will inform the Managers whether they are legally empowered
to receive, through the Guardians, cases of Measles, into their
hospitals, and, if not, whether the Local Government Board will
take steps to obtaiu the necessary legislative authority, if, in
their opinion, it is expedient from a medical point of view to do
so?" The report was considered by the Board at their meeting
on the 26th January, when a resolution was carried to the effect
that the Managers had no legal power to treat cases of measles,
and the authorities above referred to were so informed.
The Managers, doubtless, only intended to deny their
authority to treat cases of measles "received through the