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86
Havelock Road. They were reported on March 16th, 17th, 20th,
24th and 28th. The first case was not reported, but treated at
home without medical advice for a period of about three weeks.
This is a very instructive instance of the evil effects that follow
the non-isolation of the disease. It is most satisfactory, however,
to be able to record that no fresh person contracted the disease
after the first case was reported to your Sanitary Department.
Archer Buildings is a large lodging house, containing upwards of
70 inmates, and although eight persons had contracted the disease
before the first case was reported, not one single person caught
the complaint after the first case was known of by your officers.
At a house at Farm Lane, the patient, although there was not
proper accommodation for effectual isolation of the case, refused
to allow removal. The accommodation was sufficiently bad to
justify an application to the magistrate for an order to enforce
removal. The order was granted by the learned magistrate and
executed. The patient was against his will removed to the
Metropolitan Asylum Small-pox Hospital at Fulham. He has
since recovered from the disease and returned to his home. I
am informed by one of the Sanitary Inspectors, that he, the
patient, now expresses himself in terms of gratitude and satisfaction
for the course that I deemed it my painful duty to adopt.
At a house in Waterford Road, there were three cases. The
first case was not reported but treated at home. The husband
was allowed to sleep in the same room in which the patient his
wife was being treated. The result was that he caught the
disease and died. The first information obtained was in the
death returns in which the second case was registered. Upon
visiting and inspecting the other rooms of the house it was found
that a youth of 17 years of age had also contracted the disease.
The second and third cases might have easily been prevented had
the first been immediately reported and removed to a hospital.
At a house in Estcourt Road there were four cases. In the
first that occurred the symptoms were so slight that the relatives
did not suppose that the patient had small-pox, and they did
not obtain any medical advice. Three other persons contracted
the disease from this case. The three latter cases might easily
have been prevented had the first case been diagnosed, reported,
and removed to a hospital.
At a house in Ashford Road there were two cases. The first
was treated at home, and not reported until a second person had
been attacked by the disease, which was contracted from the
first case.