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39
Report of the Medical Officer of Health.
(33)—E. W., residing at Spanish Road, Wandsworth. Netified
on the 27th December. No history of infection.
(34)—E. B., residing at Brewery Street, Clapham. Notified
on the 31st December. This man was employed by a firm who
disinfect for several of the Metropolitan Boroughs, and he stated
that he had been in the room where infected bedding was stored.
The efficiency of prompt diagnosis and immediate re-vaccination
was clearly seen in several of the above cases.
In no case where re-vaccination was successfully performed
was the person infected, although in some cases there were
numerous contacts, while seven cases occurred in persons who
definitely refused re-vaccination after exposure to infection.
Of the 29 actual cases of Small Pox, three (two in Wandsworth
and one in Tooting), or 17.2 per cent. died. One of the
cases was unvaccinated, and the other two, ages respectively 60
and 72, had only been vaccinated in infancy.
In every case, besides advising re-vaccination of all contacts,
which is necessarily the first and most important line of defence,
disinfection of all infected articles and fumigation and cleansing
of all infected rooms were carried out by the sanitary staff under
my directions.
It is satisfactory to note that not one case occurred through
inefficient disinfection or cleansing, and up to the date of writing
this report this statement holds good.
Table 21 is taken from the official returns of the Vaccination
Officers to the Guardians for the year 1900. It shows the number
of births, the number of children successfully vaccinated for the
whole Borough, as well as for the different sub-districts Streatham,
Balham, and Tooting being included under the heading of
Streatham.