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61
all probability be scattered to different centres throughout the country and the
custom of the hotel would suffer.
The Medical Officer of Health visited all the larger hotels in the Borough and
saw either the proprietor or the manager. Prompt action was taken at the
hotels catering for the well-to-do. At some of the less expensive hotels the
management were dubious, thinking that the difficulty of retaining the domestic
staff would be increased. The Medical Officer of Health also got into personal
touch with the two largest firms in the Borough—both Assurance Companies.
To the remainder of the hotels and larger firms in the Borough a printed letter
signed by the Mayor (Alderman Albert J. Clark, J.P.), the Chairman of the
Public Health Committee (Lt.-Col. J. H. Boraston, C.B.), and the Medical Officer
of Health was sent advising vaccination or revaccination of their staffs, giving
full information as to the means of securing this, either in the area in which the
workers lived, or in Holborn if preferred. Some months later a change was
made in the method of vaccination and the opportunity was taken to send a similar
letter signed by the present Mayor (Councillor Percy Hill, J.P.), the Chairman
of the Public Health Committee (The Rev. Wilfred H. Davies, M.A.), and the
Medical Officer of Health, drawing attention to the recent instructions issued to
the public vaccinators for limiting the incisions exposed to the action of vaccine
lymph; these suggested that at most four scratches ¼ inch in length should be
made. It was pointed out that in all probability the amount of constitutional
disturbance and any interference of work caused by vaccination by this method
would be extremely small.
Various other measures put into force to promote vaccination include: —
(i) The arranging of visits of the Public Vaccinator to certain schools,
especially those in the vicinity of cases of smallpox;
(ii) Much useful propaganda at the Maternity and Child Welfare Centres;
(iii) Distribution throughout the Borough of an illustrated leaflet advising
vaccination by means of the school organisation, by Sanitary Inspectors and
Health Visitors, also by District Nurses (with the kind permission of Miss
Wilmshurst, acting on behalf of the Metropolitan Nursing Association); and
(iv) The general exhibition of posters supplied by the Guardians of the Poor
giving information respecting vaccination and the names and addresses of the
Public Vaccinators; these have unfortunately now been up for a long time and
will have to be up for a longer time still.
In 1929 the number of persons vaccinated by Dr. A. E. C. Hallen (western
part of the Borough) was 864, by Dr. P. J. Connolly (eastern part of the Borough),
1,694, making a total of 2,558.
Procedure.
As regards the procedure carried out, it is necessary to consider five classes
in which different action is called for: —
1. Cases of smallpox residing in the Borough.
2. Cases of smallpox working in the Borough, but residing elsewhere.
3. Residents in the Borough who have been in contact with smallpox either
at their place of employment or elsewhere outside the Borough.
4. Contacts residing elsewhere, but employed in the Borough.
5. Cases of chicken pox or any suspicious illness brought to our notice.