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In tlie British Lying-in Hospital two mothers and six children died in 1859, out
out of 112 (or 130, see Note, p. 29) women delivered. Some considerations on the
cause of certain of these deaths are offered in the last pages of this report.
In the Streatham-street Model Houses for Families three children died of scarlatina
in the middle of the year. These, with one death from hydrocephalus,
were all that occurred there. As far as I have been able to ascertain,
these buildings had absolute immunity from smallpox in the months of the
epidemic.
I can only learn of one resident of the model lodging-houses of George-street who
died in 1859. His name is on the books of Middlesex Hospital as dying of
apoplexy.
Chapter VI.— On the prevalence of Smallpox.
I have chosen to consider this subject in a chapter by itself, partly on account of
its importance and the direct dependence of the disease oil the want of known preventive
measures, and partly because it would be bootless to consider the outbreak
of 1859 without also tracing it to its end in the year 1860.
In each of my former annual reports I have had occasion to comment on the
existence of smallpox in St. Giles' district. It was recorded that in 185S the
disease was becoming tnore frequent in various parts of the town, and that our own
district experienced a disproportionate share of the increase over 1857.
In the first three quarters of 1859 the disease manifested itself here and there
without being more fatal than in the preceding twelvemonth; but in the last quarter
it became more frequent, until in December it was the exception for a week to
pass without several deaths being registered from smallpox. The whole number who
died in this quarter was fourteen. In January, 1860, ten deaths occurred from this
disease; in February there were four, and in March none.
In its earlier manifestations the disease did not appear to be much localised, but
towards the end of the year 1859 it had taken firm root in the streets leading eastward
from Drury-lane. If proof had been wanted that the extension of the disease
was due to neglect of vaccination, it was found in the fact that all those who died
of it* were unprotected by this operation.
As soon, therefore, as the disease threatened to assume an epidemic character, in
the middle of December, I drew up a handbill (which is copied in the Appendix)
warning people of the danger, and begging them not only to see to the vaccination
of their children, but to let the operation be repeated on every member of their
family whose safety was not assured beyond all reasonable doubt. At the end of
December, and in the first weeks of January, six thousand of these handbills were
tirculated by direction of the Board. Our rectors and clergy, ministers of religion
of every denomination throughout the district, district-visitors and scripture-readers,
aided in their distribution with a zeal for which I most heartily thank them ; and
they thus enabled me to put my warning into the hands of the poor, backed by all
the authority which they had acquired in long years of charitable ministrations.
Many of the principal employers of labour, also, gave me the opportunity of addressing
the handbill to their men.
At the same time I myself examined the children of the schools. Besides nine
public schools I visited several private ones, always examining every child's arms,
and noting the quality of the vaccine cicatrices. The following aggregate result
was obtained :—
Total Children examined, 905.
Without any vaccine mark 127
Doubtful if any mark 11 Unprotected . 138
With one faint mark 41
„ one good mark ll5 Imperfectly pro-
„ two faint marks 53 teCted 209
* With one exception tnore apparent than real; a woman suffered from smallpox after vaccination,
and was convalescing satisfactorily when she died suddenly without appareut cause.