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2. The prompt recognition of any imported cases of Smallpox
and their early isolation to hospital.
3. The state of vaccination of the community.
Measles*—Including both intra parochial and extra parochial
returns, there were 36 deaths due to Measles, giving a death rate
of °.54 Per 1.000, compared with 0.47 per 1,000 in London as
a whole. The Measles death rate last year in Clerkenwell was
0.93, which was due to several epidemics in the Parish. The
London death rate for 1898 was o.68.
The diminished mortality from this disease is accounted for by
the fact that the usual biennial epidemic which reached its height
in 1898 gradually died out after the end of March. Nevertheless,
it is a serious fact that in London during 1899 there were 2,142 deaths
due to measles, 36 of these belonging to Clerkenwell. Possibly
the time is near to hand for making an effort to educate the public
as to the comparatively grave nature of measles and the urgent
necessity of taking precautions to prevent its spread. Measles
and Whooping Cough—both of which are looked upon generally
as slight ailments—caused more deaths in Clerkenwell during 1899
than Diphtheria, Typhoid Fever and Scarlet Fever all put
together.
Whooping-Cough.—Like measles, this is not a notifiable
disease, and we can only gauge its prevalent severity by its death
rate. Whooping Cough caused 28 deaths during the year, all of
which occurred in the district. The death-rate was therefore 0.42
per 1,000 as compared with 0.51 per 1,000 in 1898. The rate for
London in 1899 was 0.38 per 1,000. The average for London
during the last ten years has been 0.54 per 1,000. Whooping
Cough, like measles, is a disease that is apt to be spread by means
of schools, especially infants' classes.
Scarlet Fever.—There were no deaths caused in the district from
Scarlet Fever, owing largely of course to isolation to hospital.
Eleven deaths occurred amongst those going to hospital; 322 cases
of Scarlet Fever were notified during the year. Our Scarlet
Fever death rate is therefore 0.16per 1,000, as compared with 0.19
in 1898 and as compared with o.o9 per 1,000 for London.