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116
MEASLES.
The past year has seen a much greater prevalence—
811 cases instead of 329 as in 1908. The year opened with
a heavy incidence at Downshall, and from there, in March,
it burst out in the not far distant South Park and Goodmayes.
Though these three schools are not geographically close to
each other, yet there is a good deal of intercommunication
between the children out of school hours, since children from
practically the same neighbourhood attend two of these
schools. Simultaneously an epidemic was affecting Loxford
at the other extremity of the district, and as it died down
there, it seemed to be transferred to the Highlands. The
more one looks into the subject of Measles, the more obscure
it seems. More or less, Measles is always occurring in a
school, and yet it goes on without increasing, then all of
a sudden it spreads with a rush. Dr. Thomas, of the
London County Council, has written a very interesting
report about his work on Measles, and he shows how as
soon as the number of unprotected children reaches 30 or
40 per cent. in a class, the disease spreads, and no doubt
that is the case. But the great influx of new children into
a junior school occurs about Midsummer, and therefore if
Measles is introduced into a school, one would suppose that
the most inflammable material is the time after this
occurrence, and therefore an outbreak would be likely to
arise then. It seems rather to work up to a climax.
Referring to last year's report, at South Park there was no
case until September, when there was one. Two more
occurrcd in December, 4 in January of 1909, 9 in
February, and 94 in March. Again referring to Downshall,
in 1908, there was 1 case in February, 1 in June, 1 in October,
2 in November, 3 in December, 42 in January, 1909,
and 51 in February. Now, if it is only a question of per-