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I therefore reported thereon as follows: —
October 17th, 1902.
" Gentlemen,
As regards placing measles in the schedule of notifiable
diseases during another period of five years, I cannot
express myself in favour of this proposition.
I say this for two reasons, namely:—It has not during
the last five years been the success I anticipated it would be
in preventing the spread of the disease during epidemics,
nor decreasing to any appreciable extent the mortality of
the disease and its complications during those epidemics ;
again, I have not very confident hopes of its doing so in
the future on account of my inability to prevent its being
spread in private day schools and Sunday schools, as the
local authority are unable to close them when I consider
such a proceeding necessary.
The great point in favour of notification and inspection
by the Sanitary Staff is that the parents become impressed
with the idea that measles is not a trivial disease,
and also that it has dangerous complications. Further, I
would point out that as a rule the danger lies not in measles
which is properly looked after, but in those cases which are
neglected on account of their triviality, and where dangerous
complications arise in the course of the illness.
On the other hand, notification and visiting by the
Sanitary Staff are nearly helpless to prevent the spread of
the disease in epidemics, unless combined with a perfect
system of isolation, which, in the present state of our accommodation
is impossible.
Another fact which I should point out to you is that,
were we able, by notification, etc., to check the spread for
a few years, we should have on our hands a large number of
liable children to whom an epidemic would spread very
rapidly when it eventually did occur, as would surely be
the case.
Again, the cost to the rates is somewhat high, but it
is for you to judge as to whether this money has been well
laid out or not.
E. POCKLINGTON."