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3
ZYMOTIC DISEASES.
SMALL POX.
19 persons died of Small Pox during 1879, among 65
persons suffering from this disease who became known to the
Sanitary Department.
Of the 19 who died, 14 had before their death been removed
to hospitals, leaving five who died in houses in the Parish.
But for the immediate removal of persons suffering from this
disease to hospital, and for the steps taken to secure the
vaccination of others who had resided in the same house as
the sufferer, Small Pox would have undoubtedly spread to a
larger number of persons than has been the case.
Very few cases occurred in the early part of the year. In
January the existence of one case in Wakefield Mews was
reported to me, and an investigation of this case led to two
others coming to my knowledge, while one death from this
disease was registered during that month.
A little later an occasional case or two were reported,
and in the month of May this number increased; but in
the following months again diminished until the end of the
year. A few of the cases are of special interest.
A young man who had never been vaccinated was taken ill
in May with Small Pox, while living in the South of London,
and was brought to bis family in this Parish to be nursed, at
a time when his disease was not sufficiently developed for it
to be recognised. The other members of his family consisted
of a father, mother, and his six brothers and sisters, none of
whom, with the exception of the father, had been vaccinated,
and they were all therefore exposed to the risk of
contracting Small Pox. As soon as it was known that the
invalid was suffering from Small Pox, he was removed to the
hospital at Highgate. At the same time his brothers and
sisters were vaccinated, and his father re-vaccinated; but
the mother absolutely refused to permit herself to be
vaccinated, although I pointed out to her, in the strongest
manner, the risk to which she was exposed. Her son, having
never been vaccinated, suffered from a confluent form of Small
Pox and died, and his death was followed by that of his
mother shortly afterwards from the same disease, while the rest
of the family escaped. Thus, in this family of nine persons, the
two unvaccinated died, while the seven vaccinated escaped
even from contracting Small Pox.