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The figures for the City refer to real cases of the disease. Thus no
cases were notified in the City until July, but as through the agency of
tramps, the disease had been introduced into districts close to London, I
addressed a letter to those in charge of Casual Wards, Common Lodging
Houses, and Shelters in the City, calling their attention to the possibility
of persons suffering therefrom obtaining admission to such places, and
asking that a look-out be kept for any suspicious cases.
Notices were received from Port Sanitary Authorities or from other
Boroughs, of persons proceeding to or living in Westminster, who had
been in contact with cases. They were communicated with and kept
under observation; no cases resulted therefrom.
Information was also sent me by the Medical Officer of Health of
Battersea with respect to a man living in that Borough but employed in
Westminster. It appears that he was taken ill about the 2nd May, with
what was certified to be chicken-pox, and he remained at home until the
6th, when he returned to work among two hundred other men. After
ten days, his wife took ill, and her illness was diagnosed as small-pox ;
the husband was then found to have the remains of the eruption upon
him, and there is no doubt that he had also suffered from it. There had
been a number of cases of small-pox in the vicinity of his home. His
fellow-workmen were kept under observation, and any absent from work
were visited. Some had been re-vaccinated last year and others were
re-vaccinated now. Fortunately no other cases have occurred.
In July last a sharp outbreak occurred, the history of which is as
follows:—
A case of small-pox in Gloucester Street, Pimlico, was notified to me
on the 2nd July, and on investigation an unvaccinated child, aged 4, was
discovered in the same house just recovering from an attack. No medical
man had been in attendance, and the mother thought it was a case of
chicken-pox. Two older children occupied the same room, both had been
vaccinated and so escaped, but they were instrumental in conveying the
infection to their schoolmistress and to two unvaccinated children in their
class. A second case occurred in the house next day, and subsequently
sixteen additional cases occurred. The child who was first taken ill had
been allowed out in the street while still infectious, and doubtless some
of the cases must have been contracted through coming in contact with
her, but in several instances the persons affected had not been near
Gloucester Street. The difficulty was cleared up by the occurrence of
two cases at a pawnshop, and an examination of the books showed that
several of the persons affected had been there on a certain date, and as
the same period intervened before the appearance of symptoms, it is
pretty certain that both they and the pawnbroker's assistants contracted
the disease from some person there at the same time; although the