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The mortality from Measles was only 16, this being lower than it
has been for some years, while the number of cases notified decreased by
over 800.
All cases are visited by a Health Visitor who gives advice and
instruction, and if necessary, visits them subsequently, but no definite
nursing of Measles is undertaken by the Borough Council. The much
better plan is for the children themselves to have proper hospital
accommodation and skilled attention.
The number of cases notified during the year was 1,598. Of these,
728 were under five years of age, and 234 cases were removed to hospital.
The number of deaths from Measles during the last five years were
as follows:—
Deaths.
1925 28
1926 51
1927 27
1928 72
1929 16
THE CONTROL OF MEASLES.
Southwark is one of the Boroughs in which Measles is a compulsory
notifiable disease, hence early knowledge of cases occurring is available
and it is thus possible to have these cases visited by our Health Visitors
on the earliest opportunity, and advice given to prevent serious complications.
These cases are visited oftener if necessary.
In times of emergency the Borough Council has also employed
temporary Health Visitors as Nurses; this was done in 1921-1922, when
a serious epidemic was in progress. During the Measles epidemic
1927-1928, the Ministry of Health decided to admit serious cases of
Measles to hospital in preference to Scarlet Fever, and this action is of
more far reaching importance than home nursing, as continuous observation
iu hospital is better than spasmodic efforts in the patients' homes,
because the hospitals possess every facility for successful treatment.
We now, on receiving information that a case is showing dangerous
symptoms, arrange for its transference to hospital at once.