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Infective Diseases. 39
the nine months of the epidemic from November to July
and only 30 occurred in the other three months.
The number of deaths from the disease during the same
period was 38.
Table XVII shows the number of cases of Measles and the
deaths from the disease for the last eight years. The upper
portion of the Table, which gives the figures for each year
commencing the 1st October, shows clearly the biennial increase
which occurs in the incidence and mortality. The figures for
each calendar year are also given for purposes of comparison.
The table shows that there has been an increase in the
number of cases reported in each of the last four epidemic
years, while the number of deaths has fallen. It is important
to remember, however, that Measles is not a notifiable disease
in this Borough and that the numbers refer mainly to children
reported to have Measles by the elementary school teachers.
Many other cases occur which are never reported. The increase
in the cases in 1927-28 may well be due to the appointment of
temporary Health Visitors who were able to visit many more
homes where Measles was suspected, than had been possible
in previous years. The total number of visits made was 10,739
and this compares with 4,198 and 3,853 in the two previous
epidemics.
There was a marked increase in the number of cases which
were brought under treatment. Shortly before the epidemic
occurred, the Metropolitan Asylums Board were able to allot
more beds in their hospitals to cases of Measles, and during
the epidemic year, 236 cases were removed to hospital, compared
with 113 in the previous epidemic in 1926.
61 cases requiring special home nursing were referred to
the District Nursing Associations in the Borough, compared
with 27 in 1926, and the nurses made 471 visits to these cases
compared with 320 in 1926.
Much of this increase in the number of cases treated was
due to the greater efficiency of the arrangements for dealing
with the epidemic than those of previous years.