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Other Diseases.
41
There was a large outbreak of measles in the early part of the
year, all the schools being affected, the disease finding its greater
number of victims in the infant departments. Numerous returns
were received from each school giving large numbers of absentees
from this cause. Disinfection of schoolrooms and the distribution
of leaflets setting forth the early signs and urging parents to secure
medical advice is the only action that can be taken. Measles is
essentially a disease of young children, the greater fatality is among
the younger children, so that even if the age at which a child catches
measles is postponed the smaller is the risk of a fatal termination.
It is important that the havoc wrought by measles should be fully
appreciated, in many cases this disease is treated too lightly. It
should be always borne in mind that, apart from the immediate
complications, it is a cause of much ill health in later years, such
chronic complaints as running ears, certain eye diseases, and bronchitis
often dating from an attack of measles.
The following table shows cases of non-notifiable diseases,
based on information received from the Head Teachers of the
Schools.