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lapse, however, of 5 days, during which he was isolated, he
was found to be suffering from variola, and he was accordingly
removed to the Isolation Hospital. The mischief, however,
had already been done, for he had been first of all placed in
one of the principal men's wards, and later, when the diagnosis
was not clear, in a small ward where there were several old
women.
Between the 3rd and the 20th of February there
were 16 cases notified from the Infirmary, and in addition
to these, there were four persons attacked, who either had
been engaged there as workers, or who had been recently
discharged. Moreover, while these events were going on at
the Infirmary, the disease was spreading in the house
whence the boy had been removed to the Infirmary, and
not only in the house, but also at No. 138 in the same road,
which was inhabited by relatives of the family in No. 128.
In Downes Street, too, an unvaccinated boy who had been
discharged from the Infirmary on February 5th, was first of all
considered to be suffering from scarlet fever on February 9th,
but it was afterwards found to be a case of small pox. He was
removed on February 9th, but not before he had infected a
brother and sister, both unvaccinated, who were removed later
on in the month.
Two cases were removed from No. 25, Bridson Street.
On making inquiry at this house I discovered that about a
fortnight before a child had died from supposed measles, but
before her death she had, according to her friends' statement,
spots about her. Looking at the subsequent result it is most
likely that this was unrecognised small pox.
The same precautions were taken during the outbreak of
1897 as were carried out when we were visited by small pox in
1896, and the measures appear to have been so far successful
that the disease was limited to the house from which the first
cases were reported, except in one instance, when, as I have
remarked above, a relation was attacked who had attended to
the child who really was the originator of the whole outburst.
While the disease was in possession of the Infirmary we
were able to render considerable assistance in the matter of
disinfection, and I take this opportunity of expressing my
satisfaction at the way your Disinfecting Staff carried out the
ix.