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42
Small-Pox.
One case of small-pox occurred in Battersea during 1928.
This is the first case notified in the Borough since September, 1923.
The history as to the source of infection in this case was vague
and inconclusive. It was stated, however, that the patient was employed
at a warehouse in Southwark, and that he worked with
another youth who resided in a house in Lambeth from which a case
of Small-pox had been removed. This contact had been absent from
work for three weeks. The patient lived with his parents and six
other members of his family of adult age. The father and mother
had been vaccinated in infancy and one brother during the War.
The remaining members of the family had never been vaccinated.
The patient was immediately removed to the isolation hospital
and was discharged on the 4th February, 1929, after an absence of
seven weeks.
All members of the family and immediate contacts were
vaccinated or revaccinated within a few hours of the removal of
the case to Hospital. No further cases occurred in this family or
amongst the contacts.
During the year 303 cases of this disease were recorded in
London, 88 of these cases occurring in the neighbouring borough
of Wandsworth ; 46 in Lambeth and 64 in Poplar. The disease was
also prevalent in Greater London, West Ham having a large number
of cases.
296 "contacts" with cases of Small-pox occurring in other
districts were reported to the Medical Officer of Health, and were
visited daily during the incubation period, involving much extra
work for the Inspectorial Staff.
In England and Wales, 12,464 cases of small-pox were notified
during 1928.
Scarlet Fever.
The incidence of Scarlet Fever was higher in 1928, 480 cases
being notified as compared with 376 in the previous year.
The case-rate per 1,000 of the population was 2.93 and 5
deaths were registered from the disease giving a death-rate of 0.03
per 1,000 as compared with 3 deaths and a death-rate of 0.02
in 1927.
Of the cases notified 471 or 98.1 per cent. were removed to
hospital. The infected houses numbered 425.
In 63 of the notified cases (not included in the above total),
the diagnosis of Scarlet Fever was not confirmed at Hospital.