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a case of smallpox. He travelled overland to London, staying in Paris
a short time and stayed at an hotel in Westminster. He was absent one
night on a visit to a relative in Essex and returned to the hotel feeling very
ill and was seen by a doctor who found him with a high temperature
which was thought to be the result of a chill. He felt better on the second
day and was allowed to proceed to Southampton to embark for America.
He died of smallpox two days later at sea. Until intimation of his death
was received, it was not known that he had suffered from smallpox, consequently
no steps had been taken to disinfect his room at the hotel which,
during the week after his leaving, had been occupied by three other persons
from abroad. These had returned home before the death was announced
and as their home addresses were unknown communications coidd not be
made to the authorities in their respective countries. It was, however,
reported in the Press shortly afterwards that cases of smallpox had
occurred in the country of the man who had occupied the room the night
after the American had left. The staff of the hotel had been vaccinated
in 1923 and no other cases occurred.
A third case was that of a lady who went from Yorkshire to Italy
on holiday and apparently was taken ill a week or so after in Florence.
She was seen by three doctors who agreed that a rash on her forehead
was due to mosquito bites. She returned to an hotel in London and was
seen by a doctor who was satisfied that it was chicken pox and she was
allowed to go home next day in a private motor car. On arrival at her
home in Yorkshire the complaint was definitely diagnosed to be small,
pox. The staff of the hotel were promptly re-vaccinated. No other
cases occurred.
A fourth case had been resident in a seaside convalescent home.
Several cases having occurred in the Home, it was closed, and he left
for his home in Sheffield, but stayed a few days with friends in Westminster
on the way. He developed smallpox about a week after his
arrival home, so that he was not likely to have been in a condition to infect
anyone during his stay in London, although he himself had the infection
in his body at the time.
Besides these, information was received of persons who might have
been in contact with cases abroad and elsewhere and these were kept
under observation.
Vaccination..The Public Vaccinators and the Vaccination Officer
inform me that the following number of persons were vaccinated by them
during the year :.
Primary 654
Secondary 92