View report page

27
The following notes of cases illustrate how disease
may be spread. The first case is an example of the
difficulty in which any medical man may find himself
placed when a case of infectious disease is brought to
his house for a first visit. The other cases are more
serious, but the difficulty in securing conviction rendered
it useless to take proceedings.
The parents of I. M., resident in Paddington, took her to
a Physican resident in Pimlico, using a four-wheel cab.
The case was diagnosed as Small-pox, and the Physician
refused to allow the child to be taken home in a cab, and
instructed the parents to walk home, keeping away from
other passengers. No trace of the cab could be found.
An elderly lady who had (what was thought to be) a slight
attack of modified Small-pox, was cautioned to keep her
room. Next day she went shopping at a large West End
house, travelling to and from the place in omnibuses. The
diagnosis was confirmed, and she was removed to Hospital
on the following day.
A working man, also suffering from a slight attack of
modified Small-pox, was seen one evening, and cautioned
to remain in his house for a consultation to be held
next day. When the Physicians arrived he was out, and
it was afterwards discovered that he had gone to the Outpatient
Department of St. Mary's Hospital, whence he
was removed to the Ships.
•
Diphtheria.—Of this disease there were 372 cases
notified, equal to 3.06 per 1,000 of the total population.
According to the figures contained in Table 10
the rates for this disease during the five years 1890-4,
have been: 1890, 1.9; 1891, 1.5; 1892, 1.3; 1893,
2.3; and 1894, 3.0. Such an increase in the course
of so short a period would be a very alarming matter