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REPORT BY MEDICAL OFFICER OF HEALTH
ON
OUTBREAK OF SMALL POX AT 35, ROMAN ROAD,
BOROUGH OF BETHNAL GREEN.
On January 2nd, 1902, I received a communication from the
Medical Officer of Health for Poplar, to the effect that a Miss 8.,
aged 22, had been removed to the Small Pox Hospital on December
31st, 1901, from 12, Lacey Street, Bow. The patient had been a
female assistant at E.'s (Drapers), Roman Road. She fell ill on
December 27th, came home to Lacey Street on the 28th, showed
small pox eruption on the 30th, and was removed to hospital on
the 31st.
Miss B. informed Dr. Alexander that she had been in attendance
on a fellow assistant named Sarah Jane M., who had slept in the
same bedroom with her until she was sent to her home in Wales,
with an eruption well out on her face and wrists.
Dr. Alexander could not tell me Miss M.'s destination, but he
was informed that she had been attended by a doctor named Lewis,
whose address he did not know.
On receipt of this letter Inspector Richards was directed to visit
35, Roman Road, in order to obtain further particulars.
I received Mr. Richard's report at Worship Street at 2 p.m., and
as soon as I was able to get away from the Court I drove with
Mr. Richards to 35, Roman Road. We found the shop closed for
the Thursday half holiday, but obtained admission. I saw Mr. E.
and obtained the following particulars :—
"Miss M. was last in business for half-an-hour on Monday, December
16th, she was ill and went upstairs to bed. On Tuesday,
December 17th, Mr. Lewis, who is a friend of Mr. E.'s, came into
the shop. Mrs. E. informed him that one of the female assistants
was not well, and asked him to see her, he examined Miss M.,
prescribed for her, and informed Mrs. E. that the girl was in a very
weak state and that he was afraid she was in a consumption. On
this report Mrs. E. communicated with Miss M.'s friends, Messrs.
T. (Drapers), of Long Lane, Southwark, and asked them to write to