London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Holborn 1902
Report for the year 1902 of the Medical Officer of Health
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neglected to be re-vaccinated, contracted small-pox, also the daughter of the housekeeper at the
doctor's residence contracted small-pox and died.
On account of evidence that the Council obtained, that the doctor, before the death of his
patient, knew that he was suffering from small-pox, the Council took proceedings against him
for failure to notify the case; but the magistrate gave the doctor the benefit of the doubt, and
acquitted him. Many eminent medical men gave evidence as to the great difficulty of diagnosis
in such cases.
In many other cases the spread of the disease was due either to neglect in calling
in a doctor or on account of the difficulty of diagnosis. In all houses in which a case was
notified on the first day of the rash and all the people in the house were vaccinated or
re-vaccinated who had not been vaccinated within five years, no further case of small-pox arose.
I think, however, I need not give further details to show the very great value of prompt
notification and efficient vaccination and re-vaccination.
| Cases. | No. of Beds. | |
|---|---|---|
| 22-25, Queen Street (men) | 21 | 285 |
| 8-10, Parker Street (women) | 12 | 83 |
| 4, Greville Street (men) | 12 | 55 |
| Salvation Army Shelter, Charles Street (men) | 8 | 333 |
| Fulwood's Rents (men) | 6 | 114 |
| „ „ (women) | 4 | 82 |
| 16, Castle Street (men) | 3 | 33 |
| Kennedy Court (women) | 2 | 113 |
| Parker Street Municipal (men) | 3 | 324 |
| 11, Short's Gardens (men) | 1 | 36 |
| 6, Betterton Street (men) | 1 | 95 |
| 73 | 1,553 |
preventive measures.
The preventive measures which were adopted may be arranged under the following headings:—
1. Vaccination and re-Vaccination.
2. Early diagnosis of the disease.
3. Prompt removal of the patient to Small-pox Hospital.
4. Disinfection.
5. Temporary shelter or house accommodation for persons during the disinfection of their
rooms.
6. Visits to infected houses day by day for a fortnight, so that any person who is ill can
be medically examined, in order to ascertain whether the person has contracted Small-pox.
7. Information to the respective Medical Officers of Health of the districts in which
contacts with the patient reside or work, and to Schools, Libraries, Workplaces, &c.
1.—Vaccination and Re-Vaccination.
The most effective measure for the prevention of Small-pox is Vaccination and Re-Vaccination.
It is most anomalous that the control of Vaccination should be in the hands of Boards of
Guardians, and this Council agreed that this control should be transferred to the Sanitary
Authorities.