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

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Lambeth 1902

Report on the epidemic of smallpox 1901-2 in the Borough of Lambeth

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The total number quarantined during the epidemic in Lam-
beth is, therefore, 5054 persons—4046 adults and 1008 childrenand
to realise the numbers of visits paid, it must be remembered
that each "contact" was under observation for the usual quaran-
tine period of 16 days. Allowing for persons being out when
their homes were visited, and remembering that a quarantined
house generally contained several persons under observation, we
may fairly allow, as an average, 8 visits per person, making a total
(rough) of over 40,000 visits paid during the 12 months during
which the epidemic has lasted.
To show the value of this quarantining, out of the 5054 persons
watched, 141 (i.e., 2.8 per cent.) afterwards developed Smallpox,
and were at once removed to Hospital, and the usual disinfection
immediately carried out. In this way, these 141 fresh centres
were at once dealt with. Had they been allowed to spread, a
large increase to the number of Lambeth cases would have, of
necessity, followed, whereas, by dealing promptly with them, no
single further case resulted from such sources. In this
way, the amount of work involved has been more than
justified. Of the 141 cases, 134 arose amongst the 4182
direct "contacts" belonging to the Lambeth notified cases,
whilst 6 arose in connection with the 739 outside "contacts"
belonging to cases notified outside Lambeth Borough,
and 1 in connection with the 133 visitors to the Smallpox
Hospitals. Full particulars as to the vaccination states of all
"contacts" will be found under the heading of "Vaccination and
Re-vaccination" —the 4th preventive measure dealt with in this
Report. Suffice it to say, at this point, that the following
statistics tell the old well-known story as to the value of vaccination,
if not as an absolute preventative, at least as a modifier, of
Smallpox: —
Number sick"Contacts"
(full totals). Vaccination ening with
states.ening with
Sallpox.
Direct
4182
Outside
739
Visitors to Small-
pox Hospitals
133*
3236 adults
946 children
677 adults
62 children
(all adults)
vacc. or
re-vacc.
unvacc.
vacc.
unvacc.
vacc. or
re-vacc.
unvacc.
vacc.
unvacc.
re-vacc.
vacc.
unvacc.
3199
37
873
73
677
0
62
0
115
18
0
100
9
13
12
6
0
0
0
0
1
0
N.B. —Unvaccinated persons vaccinated whilst under quarantine observation,
and vaccinated persons re-vaccinated whilst under quarantine
observation, are included under the headings "vaccinated" and
"re-vaccinated" respectively.
Visitors are re-vaccinated before going into the Smallpox Hospitals unless
previously protected, or unless they conscientiously object.