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20
The 133 deaths that occurred between April 20th and September
6th, comprised 71 of males and 62 of females. They
occurred in 125 houses in 70 streets. Of these streets, 5 were
south of Kensington Road, 5 between that road and Uxbridge
Road, and 60 north of Uxbridge Road. Three deaths took place
in the Parish Infirmary. Twenty-seven of these 133 deaths occurred
under one year of age. Between 1 and 2 years there were 54
deaths ; between 2 and 3, 28; between 3 and 4, 15 ; between 4
and 5,4; and above 5, 5 deaths. In 21 of the cases, measles alone
was returned as the cause of death : in 112 cases other diseases
were named in the medical certificates, including diseases of the
respiratory organs in 100 cases, and diseases of the nervous
system in 12 cases. In 4 cases not included in the above list,
measles co-existed with whooping-cough, which was returned as
the primary cause of death.
Measles is not one of the diseases required to be notified to
the Medical Officer of Health under the provisions of the Act of
1889, and it may be regarded as doubtful whether any great
advantage would accrue from its addition to the list, as no provision
is made, excepting to a limited extent in the Parochial
Infirmaries, for the isolation of sufferers in hospital. That the
disease is spread widely through the agency of schools I entertain
no doubt, nor that the infection is capable of being conveyed
in the clothing of children exposed to it, though themselves protected
by a previous attack. The duration of an epidemic might
be shortened by the closure of schools which are not seldom
deprived of a large proportion of their pupils by an outbreak. An
epidemic is sometimes, as in 1890, brought to an end by the
occurrence of the long holidays. With a view to prevent the
spread of the disease through the agency of public elementary
schools, I addressed a letter, at the commencement of the
epidemic, to the Superintendent of Visitors of the Chelsea
division, pointing out the desirability of an effort being made to
exclude from the schools all children from houses where
measles existed. The School Board do not allow such children