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

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Bethnal Green 1902

Report on the sanitary condition and vital statistics of the Metropolitan Borough of Bethnal Green during the year 1902

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at Homerton, as it was then too late (n p.m.) to communicate with
the authorities at the Metropolitan Asylums' Board office. I understood
that this was done, and Mrs. E. and the nurse girl were
removed on January 3rd. Immediately the patients were removed,
the living rooms at 35, Roman Road (except one in which the child
suffering from pneumonia lay) were cleared out and disinfected
under the personal supervision of Mr. Richards, as were also the
rooms at 47, Palm Street. The premises were kept under observation,
and on January 4th I found E. W., aged 20, a shop assistant,
and M. D., aged 29, a servant, both with premonitory symptoms of
small pox, and although neither showed eruption, I had no hesitation
under the circumstances in directing the removal of these two
girls to the hospital, and the premises were again disinfected.
On January 5th I received a letter from Dr. Thomas of Ystalyfera,
acknowledging receipt of telegram and letter of January 2nd ; these
he said were too late to be of value to him, as he had on that day
been called to see two brothers and a sister of Miss M. at Langton
House, evidently sickening for small pox; he had also received
information of other cases contracted from the same source. I
wrote Dr. Thomas forwarding further particulars, and heard from
him again on January 7th, to the effect that there were already
eleven cases of small pox in four families residing in his district, all
arising from direct contact with Miss M.
On January 6th I was requested by a medical man in Old Ford
to see a case of suspicious illness with him at 71, Ellesmere Road;
here I found Mary Ann F. suffering from small pox with eruption
well out. I ascertained that her mother did the washing at 35,
Roman Road, and that Mary Ann F. collected and sorted the soiled
linen. This patient was forthwith removed to hospital and the
premises disinfected.
I may mention here that the circumstance of the washing from
35, Roman Road, being done at 71, Ellesmere Road, was not communicated
to me by Mr. E.; he stated that he did not know where
his wife had her washing done.
In the evening of January 7th I received another visit from
Dr. Morgan Davies, who called to report a case of small pox at