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44
Small Pox.—The outbreak which occurred in 1901 continued
in 1902. In the County of London 7,796 cases were
notified, equal to an attack rate of 1.67 per thousand persons
living. In the Borough of Lewisham only 84 cases occurred,
showing an attack rate of 0.63 per thousand.
Compared with other London Boroughs Lewisham was
most fortunate, only four districts having a lower attack rate,
i.e., Hampstead 0.28 (20 eases), Chelsea 0.52 (39 cases), Wandsworth
0.54 (131 cases), and Kensington 0.55 (99 cases). The
highest attack rates were those of Stepney 4.58 (1,387 cases),
Bethnal Green 3.96 (515 cases), Shoreditch 3'74 (442 cases),
and Poplar 3'72 (630 cases). (See Table 19.)
On sub-dividing the cases of Small Pox over the
Wards of the Borough, Church Ward was most affected, having
an attack rate of 1.37, and Forest Hill Ward the least, 0.05
(See Table 18).
The first case in 1902 occurred on January 1st, the
origin being a previous case in the same house, in Sydenham.
It was not until the 26th of January that the second case
occurred in the Borough. The source of infection (a new one)
was traced to the Small Pox Hospitals at Long Reach, where
the man had been employed up to the onset of his illness. The
danger of workmen residing in our District and working at the
Small Pox Hospitals soon became evident, and greatly increased
our anxiety. A large number of carpenters and bricklayers,
residents of the district, were employed at the Small Pox Hospitals.
Eight of the men so employed contracted the disease at
their work, and there is little doubt that they, on returning to
their houses, conveyed infection which was responsible for many
of our cases. The Hospital authorities were undoubtedly
seriously pressed for accommodation for the large number of
cases occurring in London, as they were not prepared with