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15
A return was furnished to the Committee by the Sanitary
Inspector, Mr. Johnson, with a tabulated statement of replies to a
circular which had been sent to local authorities where measles
was or had been a notifiable disease, together with tables showing
the amount paid for notifications, schools closed, and the death
rates for the 5 years during which it had been notifiable, and the
preceding 5 years.
The 60 replies obtained showed that in 41 instances it nad
been revoked, in 9 the opinions were doubtful, 5 considered it
useless, and the remaining 5 stated that it was beneficial in jreventing
excessive mortality.
Measles, unlike scarlet fever, diphtheria, etc., is, as far as
at present known, not conveyed by food, milk, water, neither do
insanitary conditions directly affect it except in its mortality. It
is a highly infectious disease, and easily propogated by the air,
thus rendering its control by ordinary preventive measures which
are sufficient in the other infectious diseases a matter of great
difficulty.
The greatest difficulty in preventing its spread lies in the
fact that the incubation period, i.e., the time which elapses after
a person has become infected and before the disease shows itself,
is long, generally about ten or twelve days, but the rash, the
only sure manner by which the disease is recognised, does not
appear until four days after the patient has sickened. In consequence
of this, and the fact that a child which is onl" in the
incubation stage is infectious to others, it usually occurs that by
the time the rash appears, and before the case is notified, other
persons, including the members of the family, may have been
exposed to infection for about eight days. These same difficulties
do not exist in connection with scarlet fever, enteric fever,
and diphtheria, consequently, on receiving notifications of these
diseases, it may still be possible by prompt isolation to prevent the
further spread of the disease.
Six deaths were registered as having occurred from this
disease, all of which were below 5 years of age, against 24 last
year, 22 in 1900, and 21 in 1899. There were also 1^ deaths from
enteritis, 10 of which were children under 1 year of age, against
8 last year, 12 in 1900, and 28 in 1899.