View report page

129
in the work. There was only one person attacked among these,
she had not been re-vaccinated. A third case occurred, in which
a nurse engaged in the hospital was attacked. She was sent into
a ward on 27th February, 1880, after being re-vaccinated. On
3rd March, the operation, being evidently a failure, was repeated.
On 7th March, however, she presented symptoms of Small-Pox.
In the Small-Pox Ship-Hospitals of the Asylums Board during
the 12 years, 1884-95, among the attendants (doctors, nurses and
servants), varying in numbers from below 50 during the year to a
little over 300, cases of Small-Pox have occurred in three years
only, in 1884, in 1892, and in 1893 ; in all the other years there
were no cases at all. In 1884, with 283 attendants employed,
there were four cases; in 1892, two cases among 138 attendants ;
in 1893, six cases among 320 attendants. It is a striking fact that
in all these years there should have been so few attacks of the
disease amongst so many persons who were in a remarkable way
exposed to contagion, for the exposure to contagion in a ShipHospital
is very great. It is to be observed that in one of these
cases the disease appeared within three days of her entering the
Hospital; in another nine days, in four others ten days, and in
four others twelve to fifteen days after they joined the staff.
None of the recorded cases appear to have been re-vaccinated
successfully prior to the period of incubation of the Small-Pox,
though the operation was in all cases attempted shortly after
joining.
Mr. Sweeting gives the following statistics on the same point
with reference to the Western Hospital, formerly the Fulham
Hospital:—The total staff, during the time the Hospital has been
in use, is stated by him to 'have been 362, of whom one half,
roughly speaking, were habitually employed in the wards. Of
the 362, 48 had had Small-Pox before they came into the Hospital.
Of 314 persons who had never had the Small-Pox, seven contracted
the disease. Two of these seven had not been revaccinated
on entering the Hospital, owing to some oversight.
1