London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
City of Westminster 1902
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Westminster, City of]
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51
servant or officers of the Council who may contract smallpox in the
execution of 1 lis duties who shall not have taken the precaution of
protecting himself by re-vaccination." (Council Minutes, 20th March,
1902, p. 284 (23)).
| Males | 203 | Females | 99 |
| Publicans, barmen, potmen, billiard markers | 10 | Publicansper cent. wives, manageresses, barmaids | 12 |
| Waiters | 3 | Servants at restaurants, &c. | G |
| Cooks and kitchen men | 5 | Domestic servants | 5 |
| Coachmen, cabdrivers, carmen | 12 | Dressmakers, tailoresses | 8 |
| Cab attendants, ostlers, stablemen | 6 | Draper | 1 |
| Street hawkers, sandwich men | 53 | Charwomen | l |
| Porters | 11 | Laundry women | 2 |
| Labourers | 19 | Nurses | 2 |
| Attendants at common lodging-houses, casual wards | 5 | Governess | 1 |
| Dancer | 1 | ||
| Shopmen | 15 | Bookfolder | 1 |
| Mechanics | 12 | Machine ruler | 1 |
| Tailors | 6 | Shopwoman | 1 |
| Printers and publishers | 4 | Street hawkers | 7 |
| Window cleaners | 2 | No. occupation, married | 26 |
| Messengers, watchmen | 6 | Children and others | 21 |
| Indoor servants | 2 | ||
| Undertaker | 1 | ||
| Journalist | 1 | ||
| Milkmen | 2 | ||
| Clerk | 1 | ||
| Inmates of infirmaries, occupations unknown | 19 | ||
| Children | 8 |
It is evident from the above list that is was in the class of persons
engaged in casual work that the danger existed, and from them spread
to unprotected persons with whom they were brought in contact. This
is further brought out by examining the list of houses in which cases
occurred. Thus 74 cases occurred in nine common lodging houses, 46
in Poor Law institutions, and 2 were homeless.
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