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72
For this purpose 1,270 visits were made—861 to children with
Measles and 409 with Whooping Cough.
Whooping Cough was epidemic in January, when 248 cases arose,
followed by 69 and 43 in February and March, disappearing in
August, rising again to 18 in November.
The deaths were mainly in the first months of the year and in
children under 5 years of age. Ten occurred in children under one
year, nine in those under two years and six between two and five
years of age.
The School Nurses have done what was possible in the circumstances
by impressing on the Mothers the importance of safeguarding
their young children from exposure to either disease, but the belief
that Measles and Whooping Cough are trivial ailments dies hard
and many Mothers still act on the erroneous views held—once
either disease is introduced in the house, it is just as well that all
the susceptible children should suffer and get it over. No conduct
can be more stupid, for the incidence and fatality of these diseases
vanish with age and children under five years should never willingly
be exposed to these infections.
The following chart gives the deaths from Measles and Whooping
Cough since my appointment:—