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132
MEASLES.
As will be seen from the table on the opposite page,
Measles was very prevalent during the first six months of
the year. It began in Downshall and Christchurch Road,
and then passed on to South Park and Goodmayes at one
end of the district, and Highlands and the National at the
other, later involving Loxford and Uphall. Frequent visits
were made to the schools, consultations held with the
teachers, and children examined and excluded. None of the
schools were closed, as it has been found from experience
how useless that procedure is. The routine followed was to
exclude the patient and any other contact in the same house
who had not had Measles, allowing the children in the upper
schools who had already had Measles to attend school as
usual. Nearly all the cases were in the Junior Mixed or
Infants' Departments. The information supplied by the
teachers and Attendance Officers concerning these minor
infectious diseases is extremely valuable, but it would be of
greater use still if it could be obtained more promptly. This
is very difficult to manage, as there is nearly always delay
before the school authorities obtain the information themselves.
The Chief Attendance Officer visits the Public Health
Office every morning, so as to cause as little delay as possible
in the exchange of information. Of the 1,188 cases occurring
among school children, 2 terminated fatally. But there were
14 deaths among children under 5, the infection having been
brought into the house by older children.