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Management Act, 1855 ; an outbreak long foreseen, and again and again
predicted by me, yet which at length came upon people very much unprotected
by vaccination, and too little shielded by any organization adequate
to meet the disease.
At the beginning of the year under notice, Small Pox, though it had not
as yet assumed formidable dimensions, was rapidly increasing, and on
January 16th I called a Special Meeting of the Sanitary Committee,
reported the sad increase of the disease, and pointed out the necessity for
taking prompt, energetic, and efficient means for staying the epidemic.
Yet the most important of these measures, the provision of a temporary
hospital, was not then adopted. From that time the disease spread rapidly;
the number of fresh cases reported increasing week by week, till from 15
reported cases during the first week in January the number had swelled to
186 cases during the week ending 27th May. This was the maximum ; but
it wa6 not till nearly the end of June that any large decrease occurred.
From this time Small Pox rapidly declined till a minimum of three cases
was reported during the week ending October 21st. An increase then
occurred, and during the closing week of the year 23 new cases were
reported. This last figure has been about maintained since the close of the
year 1871.
Shortly before the time when the disease had fairly begun to decline, all
difficulties as to the erection of an hospital had been overcome, and it was
opened on June 5th. And a very useful institution it proved, though never
filled. In it 67 cases received the skilful treatment of Thos. Harley, Esq.
Of these cases 8 died, and 59 recovered. Had this building been erected
earlier, no doubt it would have been filled to overflowing, and would have
exerted a decided influence in arresting the epidemic; but as the patients
numbered only 2.4 per cent. of all the cases reported to this department,
the good achieved was less perceptible. The building was kept open till it
seemed to be no longer required.
2799 cases of Small Pox were reported to me; but doubtless this number
falls very far short of the number that actually occurred. The disease was
of very unequal prevalence in various parts of the parish, now attacking
one part, now another, of the parish. No. 1 Ward suffered first and very
severely; whilst No. 6, or Somers Town Ward, though escaping longest,
received the final brunt of the attack, and suffered most. Having kept
records of all known cases till the end of July (when the epidemic had
already considerably declined), I find that there had occurred up to that
time in—
No. 1 Ward 294 cases.
,, 2 ,, 108 „
,, 8 ,, 142 ,,
,, 4 ,, 59 ,,
,, 5 ,, 253 ,,
„ 6 „ 678 ,,
,, 7,, 188 ,,
,, 8„428,,
The ratios of these numbers would not be materially altered were the
tabulation continued till the end of the year, except that No. 1 Ward would
exhibit a larger proportion of cases.