London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

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Battersea 1900

Report upon the public health & sanitary condition of Battersea during the year1900

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Small Pox (contd.)
55
and there being no doctor in attendance the child was examined
by the Medical Officer of Health, and the case found to be one
of chicken pox only.
Many notices have been received during the year from
Port Sanitary Authorities to the effect that troopers and other
passengers had proceeded to this district after having been
exposed to infection during the voyage from South Africa and
elsewhere. In all such cases the persons were kept under close
observation during the period of quarantine.
As a further precautionary measure, all cases of chickenpox
brought to notice by school teachers and others were
visited, and if it were found that no doctor was in attendance
such cases were examined by the Medical Officer of Health, it
being found that outbreaks of small pox are frequently preceded
by chicken pox, and in view of the possibility of a case
of the former disease, in the absence of medical advice, being
mistaken as the less dangerous disease.

TABLE XXII.

1896.1897.1898.1899.1900.1901.Total
Sunday64344526
Monday43321316
Tuesday44211113
Wednesday15441116
Thursday11224313
Friday41412214
Saturday332210
Total2021181715l7108

The last fatal case was that of an unvaccinated person
occurring in October, 1895.