Evening star., 1896-03-03
MI MEASLES ABOUT
The Malady Prevalent in tie Dis
trict,
MANY MORE CASES THAN USUAL
How the Record Compares With
Former Years.
FEB BRUARY MORTALITY

According to reports made by physicians
to the health officer of the District there
would seem TO be an epidemic of measles
in Washington just now. During the last
two months there have been an unusual
number of deaths from this disease, ten in
the month Of February. The malady. is
not generally regarded as particularly Sc
rious. Such number Of deaths would in
dicate an alarming prevalence of the dis
ease.
In some cities the health regulations in
siSt that whenever case of measles breaks
cut In house a placard must be placed
on view in front, as is done here in the
case OF smallpox, scarlet fever or d:ph-
iberia. No such provision is in force here
and the result is that there is no way of
getting at the exact number of cases all
over the city, especially as the attending
physicians are not compelled to make re-
ports of such cases to the health officer.
An inspection of the records of the
health office shows that during the past
ten or twelve years the number of fatal
tiles from the disease has varied greatly
from year to year. each year of an epidemic
being followed by several years when the
city enjoyed almost complete immuni-
ty. Thus the death rate from measles
seems to have been excessive in 1854, in
1888 aud again in 1891. The explanation of
this, according to Health Officer Woodward,
is the fact that infants and young chill
dren are particularly susceptible to the dis
ease one year a very large number are
anected and the result is that it takes two
uf ~, three years Tor another generation of
htlie ones to be ready for the contagion.
To every 10000 of the population the
oeath rates in the years when measles We're
epidemic were as follows: 1Ss4-Colored
10'. 1S91-Colored, 4.2O; total $50 In ca CHI
year 1t will be noted that the mortality
among the colored was considerably greater
than among the white. thus reducing the
general average materially In 1850 the
death rate fell as low as an average OF G5
to each 1O,HW
The total number of deaths from measles
in each of the years mentioned is as fol-
lows: 1881, l'9: lSSS 159; 1891, 40.
To Break the Record.
AT the rate things are going just now the
chances are that the fiscal year ending the
last of next June will be. well up in the
front rank SO far as mortality from
measles is concerned. Last June there was
one fatal case. in December two, in Janu-
ary nine, and in February there were ten.
Practically all of these deaths were among
small children, and, as is usual with con-
higher among colored children than among
the white. In the case of infants measles
are likely to be accompanied by capillary
bronchitis, affecting the throat and lungs
especially if the climatic conditions are fa-
Vorable to throat and lung troubles Dur
ing the month of January two of the dca tbs
were of children seven years of age, two at
six years and the others still younger.
While the adult is likely to be more seri-
ousiy sick than the average child, the
chances of his Succumbing to the disease
are infinitely less. So far this year there
have been TWICE as many cases among the
colored population as among the white,
which would make it seem as though the
disease was about four times as prevalent
among the colored people. who are but half
as numerous as the whites.
The disease is by no means confined to
the District, but has extended eastward into
Prince Georges county. 1t is thought that
1t had its origin this time in Georgetown
and has Travelled almost due east across
the city.
What DIR. Woodward Says.
Discussing the subject with a Star re-
porter this morning, DIR. Woodward, the
health officer, said:
Measles is an eruptive fever classed as
one of the minor contagious. In the be-
ginning 1t is usually taken for a cold. and
it requires from a week to ten days after
exposure for the positive symptoms to
develop. They are similar to those of a
severe cold, running Of the eyes and nose
with a cough. 1t Is not until the third or
fourth day thereafter that the eruptions
appear. These come first On the face. As
they disappear the skin peels off in scales.
and as long as there is any scaling the
disease is contagious. 1t is much more
contagious even than scarlet fever, and
there are very few people who are sus-
certible and are exposed to the disease that
do not contract it. The contagion may be
carried through the medium of clot hing
or bedding, but this darger is minimized ii
not altogether removed by thoroughly air
ing the infected articles in the sunlight
l have had number of inquiries lately
from supervising principals of the public
schools as to whether they should permit
children to come t, school when any men,
bers of their families are down with
measles. I have advised strongly against
it in every case. for it is ore of the surest
ways of spreading the disease