View report page

20
The measures adopted during the year included the speedy removal to hospital of ½ infected
persons, inquiry into the circumstances of all cases of smallpox which had occurred especially with a
view to the discovery of other cases at the time unknown, the keeping of "contacts" under observation
and their vaccination whenever possible. Information was freely communicated by telephone
by one medical officer of health to another whenever there was suggestion that it might be of value
for administrative purposes, and the County Council received from medical officers of health particulars
of cases of smallpox and the addresses of persons who had been in contact with them and communicated
this information at once to all medical officers of health in London. As before, unrecognised smallpox,
especially cases of this disease which were mistaken for cases of chickenpox, played large part in the
dissemination of the disease. Of the care taken to search for unrecognised cases of smallpox in connection
with each case notified the annual reports of the medical officers of health contain abundant
evidence, and there can be no doubt that the thoroughness with which this was done was largely instrumental
in controlling the spread of the disease. No better illustration of this work can be given than
that contained in the annual report of the Medical Officer of Health of Finsbury, who thus reports his
inquiries concerning an attack of smallpox in a man who he found had been employed in several
printing works. Dr. Newman writes " On visiting one of these printing works in Goswell-road we learned
that S.A.P. had worked there about a fortnight before, but that all the employees were well and there
had been no illness. On pursuing the matter further, however, and pressing the point, six men out
of some twenty employed were brought to me. After examination I found that the first was suffering
from toothache and neuralgia, the second and third were suffering from smallpox in the acute stage;
the fourth was recovering from smallpox, the fifth was affected with a minor skin disease on the face,
and the sixth was suffering from what might be the premonitory symptoms of smallpox."
Condition as to vaccination of patients admitted to hospital.

Of the above cases fourteen were stated to have been successfully re-vaccinated and in five of
these cases the appearance of the vaccination cicatrices afforded presumptive evidence of re-vaccination.
In three cases the patient was stated to have previously suffered from smallpox and in one of these cases
scars were present, affording presumptive evidence of previous smallpox.