Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Wandsworth District, The Board of Works (Clapham, Putney, Streatham, Tooting & Wandsworth)]
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ascribed to this disease and its complications and sequelae
which, it will be observed, is a much smaller number
than in previous years, and very small in so large a
population.
Erom the specific Eevers; in which are included
14 cases of Enteric or Typhoid-fever, 2 cases of Typhus,
and 1 case of Relapsing-fever; 17 deaths were registered.
Again, the mortality is but small considering the population,
but some cases were removed to the Eever
Hospital, and may have there died. In the District
Medical Officer's register 22 cases are recorded amongst
the poor, most of which were removed.
From Small-pox, of which an epidemic of great
severity occurred during 1881, 17 deaths occurred in the
Eastern division of Battersea. In the case of this
disease numerous fatal cases undoubtedly were sent to
the various Small-pox hospitals of the Metropolitan
Asylums Board. There has been, up to the present
time, no available means of ascertaining accurately how
many persons so sent from this sub-district died elsewhere,
but steps are being taken, by communication with
the Board of Guardians, to obtain this most necessary
and desirable information.
That the epidemic of Small-pox was of severity
there can be no doubt, 107 cases having occurred in
public practice, many of which were removed to the
special hospitals, while others from the overcrowded
state of those institutions were compelled to remain at
home to form centres of infection to their families and
neighbours. Some patients refused by themselves or
their parents to be removed, and it is frequently found
that when people suffer from a disease themselves or in
their families they become perfectly indifferent as to the
welfare of others.
Some facts connected with the history of the recent
outbreak of Small-pox in the sub-district are worthy of
record. The first case occurred at Nine Elms in an
unvaccinated child, whose parents constantly moved
about to evade the vaccination officer, and who were