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infecting agent in the others, was in reality Mrs. F. C., who, as will
be seen from the dates of onset, had been out of sorts since about the
middle of June. It is impossible, however, to say from what source
she derived her infection. In this connection, it should be mentioned
that living in the same house were a man and his wife and
two children, none of whom contracted the disease, although using
the same water supply and the same W.C. This latter family, however,
provided and cooked their own food separately, whereas Mrs.
F. C. prepared and cooked the food for the rest of the household.
All the cases were isolated, either in the Fulham Infirmary or in the
South Western Fever Hospital. The house was thoroughly disinfected,
the drains were tested, and the house was done up throughout
by the owner. There was no spread of the disease from this
one infected house.
(3) Smallpox.—During the prevalence of smallpox
in London in the autumn of 1922, Fulham was fortunate
in escaping with only two cases, both in the same house.
I give below a copy of the special report which I
presented to the Council on this matter in November,
1922:—
"A woman and her daughter, aged 12, who were living in
domestic service in the Borough of Westminster, visited a relative on
23rd September at Dartford. At the time of the visit it was not
known that this relative was suffering from smallpox. The woman
and her daughter left Dartford on 24th September and returned to
Westminster. On 25th September they were notified that the
relative in Dartford was suffering from smallpox. Unfortunately,
the woman and her daughter delayed their vaccination until
27th September. On 28th September they both left Westminster,
stating that they were returning to Dartford, but as a matter of
fact they came to Fulham, and thus escaped the vigilance of the
Sanitary Authorities, both in Westminster and Dartford.
"On the 5th October, I was asked by a doctor in the Borough to
see this woman, as he thought she was suffering from smallpox. I
was able to confirm the doctor's diagnosis, and as we were both
very suspicious that the daughter was also suffering from a mild
attack of smallpox, we decided to call into consultation Dr. Wanklyn,
the London County Council's smallpox specialist. Dr. Wanklyn
confirmed our suspicions with regard to the daughter, and both
cases were at once removed by river ambulance to the Metropolitan
Asylums Board's Smallpox Hospital at Dartford. The room in
which the patients had lived, and in fact the whole house, was
thoroughly disinfected, and all articles used by the patients were
removed to the disinfecting station.
"I at once took every step to find out all persons who had been
in contact with the patients during the time they had been ill, i.e.,
from 3rd October to 5th October. They were lodgers in a house in
Fulham. This house contained ten other occupants, of whom no