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86
among the diseases to be notified to the local sanitary
authority. They, however, fail to see any sufficient reason
for the notification of Measles and have therefore taken no>
action in the matter.
THE EPIDEMIC OF INFLUENZA.
The Vestry received from the Local Government Board,
early in January, a provisional memorandum upon precautions
advisable at times when Epidemic Influenza threatens
or is prevalent, and although the epidemic, which in the
winter spread so rapidly and with such painfully sudden
fatal results, appears to have passed away, the Vestry deem
it prudent to reproduce the purport of the memorandum in
view of a possible re-appearance of the epidemic at a later
period.
After pointing out that knowledge of the natural
history of influenza and especially of the circumstances of
time and place under which it spreads, remains most imperfect,
the Board remark that definite knowledge has been
obtained which seems to show (1) that influenza is spread
by infection from person to person, and that it does not, in
any marked degree, or for any considerable length of time'
confer immunity against another attack ; and (2) that the
liability to contract influenza, and the danger of an attack,
if contracted, are increased by depressing conditions such as
exposure to cold, or to fatigue, whether mental or physical.
The Board remark that, owing to its brief incubation
period and the absence of any definite and easily recognisable
feature, such as a rash, in its earlier stages, it is not
practicable to devise any restrictive measures of universal