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vaccinated. During the outbreak he was exposed to a source
of infection, not affecting the other members of the family, and
contracted Small-pox. His attack was very mild, and he
was discharged from hospital at the expiration of ten days.
The four remaining children contracted the disease from this
patient and all were severely ill, the duration of the disease in
the four cases being 50, 56, 78 and 125 days.
The Staff and Vaccination.—In most of the districts
affected by the outbreak, the Sanitary Authority insisted that
all persons in their employ whose duties brought them into
contact with infection should be re-vaccinated. In Battersea
the Sanitary Authority held that it was unjustifiable to make
such an order, and that no compulsion should be exercised as
to the re-vaccination of any of the Council's employes. At
the beginning of the outbreak, however, I urged upon the
staff of the Health Department the necessity of immediate
re-vaccination, and my advice was taken by the members of
the staff, with the exception of some of the disinfectors.
During the outbreak, 27 men were employed by the Council
in the work of disinfection. Two of these were protected
by a previous attack of Small-pox, and 14 had been recently
re-vaccinated. The remaining disinfectors, eleven in number,
had been vaccinated in infancy, but refused re-vaccination.
Five of these men contracted Small-pox, but not one case
occurred amongst the remaining members of the staff. The
total number of persons officially brought into contact with
infection in Battersea during the outbreak was 42. The
re-vaccinated class included the Medical Officer, 9 inspectors,
14 disinfectors employed by the Council, and 5 men employed
by the disinfection contractor in removing infected bedding, &c.
The number of re-vaccinated persons was therefore 29, and not
one contracted Small-pox; 11 persons refused re-vaccination,
and 5 were attacked.
After the second week in April it was found possible to
employ as disinfectors only those who were protected by
re-vaccination, or by a previous attack of Small-pox, and no
further cases occurred.