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physicians' cases, but the latter had never left her bed for
five months in Drummond, a surgical ward, owing to a
bad leg, yet she had modified small-pox. Upon the
appearance of these cases I sent an inspector to the
parochial schools, urging the necessity of a careful
examination of the pupils' arms, and hand-bills were
circulated, strongly recommending parents to have
their children vaccinated. Then five cases were reported
in December, one at No. 8, Berwick-street, Pimlico,
another at No. 118, Buckingham Palace-road, a third
at Chesterfield House, South Audley-street, a fourth
at No. 1, Mount-row, Davies-street, and the fifth at No.
10, Pollen-street. So far a history has been given of the
outbreak of small-pox and the course which it
took. Whenever a patient was sent to the Hospital
the room was disinfected with sulphur and cleansed, the
bedding burnt or disinfected, the walls stripped and
limewhited. The epidemic having assumed greater
dimensions in January, 1871, the Committee of Works
resolved unanimously that I should be empowered to
use any means that might be considered necessary without
my coming for its sanction previously. Early information
of all the cases of small-pox was then obtained,
which were removed when practicable to special hospitals.
The houses and things were disinfected with as little delay
as possible, overcrowding was abated, dead bodies removed
and compensation paid for bedding and other things which
had been destroyed. A disinfecting apparatus was placed
in a room constructed for the purpose on the Parish
wharf, Ebury Bridge, and a covered spring truck provided
for conveying infected bedding. I appointed two assistants,
one for the in-wards, the other for the out-wards, to
make a house to house visitation in infected streets' or
courts, to promote vaccination or re-vaccination, and to