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

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Bermondsey 1904

Report on the sanitary condition of the Borough of Bermondsey for the year 1904

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" From these appearances I diagnosed that the case was one of small - pox and after
consultation with the medical attendant, agreed to send the mother and child to
hospital, where they have been detained. The father and mother have been vaccinated,
but the baby has not.
Since writing above I have examined the husband, C. W., and from the appearance
and distribution of the scars am of opinion he has recently recovered from small-pox.
(4) March 27th.—G. W., 17 years, male, Southwark Chambers, Tooley Street. Unvaecinated
Fell ill March 21st, rash appeared March 26th. His length of
residence on the day of notification was four days. Source of infection probably a
lodging house in East Smithfield, where several cases had occurred previously.
(5) April 9th— P. D., 33, male, Southwark Chambers. Fell ill April 7th, rash April 9th.
Vaccinated in infancy. Source of infection previous case.
(6) April 18th.—C. O'L., 21, male, Southwark Chambers. Fell ill April 7th, rash April
10th. Vaccinated in infancy. Source of infection case (4).
(7) April 12th.—W. J., 19, male, Eugenia Road, Rotherhithe. Vaccinated in infancy.
Fell ill April 7th, rash April 10th. Source of infection unknown.
(8) April 25th.—S. J., 46, female, mother of (7). Vaccinated in infancy. Fell ill April
22nd, rash April 23rd. Source of infection case (7).
(9) April 26th.—J. M., male, Southwark Chambers. Vaccinated 6or 7 years previously.
Returned not smallpox.
(10) April 29th — E. D., 9 years, female, Raymouth Road. Vaccinated in infancy (stated
unsuccessfully) Fell ill April 23rd, rash April 25th. Source of infection
unknown.
(11) May 9th —W. J. W., 46, male, Southwark Chambers. Vaccinated in infancy. Fell
ill May Ist, rash May 6th, Source of infection unknown. Had been i months
resident here.
(12) May 21st. —H. E., 28, male, Abbey Street. Vaccinated in infancy. Fell ill May
18th, rash May 19th. Sonrce of infection unknown.
(13) May 22nd. — E. R., 39, male, Southwark Chambers. Vaccinated in infancy. Fell ill
May 20th, rash May 23rd. Source of infection case (11).
(14) May 24th.- J. G., 34, male, Alscot Road. Vaccinated in infancy. Fell ill May 19th,
rash May 21st. Source of infection doubtful, was acquaintance of (12.).
(15) May 24th. —J. M., 31, male, Southwark Chambers. Vaccinated in infancy. Fell ill
May 23rd, rash May 24th. Source of infection (11).
(16) June 6th.- G. G., 16 years, male, Lockyer Street. _ Vaccinated in infancy. Fell ill
June 4th, rash june 6th. Source of infection: This patient's sister was in
contact with a girl who was removed to hospital with small-pox from an address
in Southwark.
(17) June 17th.- R. G., 26, female, Abbey Street. Vaccinated in infancy. Fell ill
June 6th, rash June 8th. Source infection unknown.
(18) June 17th.- E. G., 27, male, Abbey Street. Vaccinated in infancy. Source of
infection (17).
(19) June 17th.- R. H. G., 1½ years, female, Abbey Street. Unvaccinated. Fell
June 16th, rash not developed when sent to hospital on 17th, but did so the
following day. Source of infection (17)."
All the above cases were removed to hospital on the date of notification, i.e., the first date
mentioned.
Disinfection was carried out immediately on removal and vaccination recommended.
Exclusive of the cases which occurred in Southwark Chambers, which is a common
lodging house, there were 31 contacts kept under close observation till the incubation period was
passed, 4 of these were stated to be unvaccinated, 15 were vaccinated, 1 had had small-pox, and
about 11 there was no information. Of these 3 developed small-pox, viz., cases (8), (18) and (19).
Two belonged to Camberwell but did not develop the disease.
The London County Council kept a very close watch on the Southwark Chambers, which
are capable of accommodating upwards of 500 lodgers. The average number of lodgers on the
night previous to the notification of the various cases was 395. 349 contacts were vaccinated
and none of these showed any symptoms of smallpox. The premises were visited every morning
by the special inspector of the L.C.C., and during the day by our inspector and all suspicious
cases were immediately sent to bed and isolated till one of the London County Council small-pox
experts pronounced an opinion on them.
Judging from the small number of contacts who developed attacks the poison does not
appear to have been as virulent as that in 1901 and 1902, but this is what one may expect from
the history of previous epidemics of small-pox and other infectious diseases which goes to show
that towards the end of an epidemic the cases are usually of a much milder type since the
poison appears to " wear itself " out.
Typhus Fever.
There were no notifications of this disease during 1904.
Diphtheria.
There were 191 cases of diphtheria notified in 1904, of which 123 occurred in Bermondsey,
60 in Rotherhithe and 8 in St. Olave's. This shows a slight increase on 1903 when the figures
were 172 for the Borough, and 115, 38 and 19 for Bermondsey, Rotherhithe and St. Olave s
respectively. The increase is so small that one may practically state that the decrease for 1903
is still maintained when the figures were 329 for the Borough.