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Hackney—Of 14 persons certified to be suffering from smallpox, the malady of one was
subsequently deemed to be chicken-pox; of the 13 remaining, 11 had been vaccinated in
infancy, one had not been vaccinated, and the condition as to vaccination of one was doubtful.
The last was the only person who died from smallpox during the year.
St. Giles—Thirteen persons were certified to be suffering from smallpox. Four of these
were removed from a common lodging-house in Betterton-street, one was a vagrant Italian,
who was found to be ill in the street, another had shortly before resided in a Salvation Army
shelter in Blackfriars. The last was removed from a common lodging-house in Queen-street,
where he infected another man. The medical officer of health communicated with the
keepers of the common lodging-houses in the district, with a view to obtaining early
information of smallpox occurring among the inmates.
St. Martin-in-the-Fields — Three cases of smallpox were notified during the year. One
of these cases was that of a man who had been discharged from Wandsworth Prison, and
was the same day " found to be wandering about the Strand with the smallpox eruption
fully out upon him."
Strand—Five cases of smallpox occurred in this district, the source of infection in each
case being traceable. Two cases, a mother and daughter, were infected by the unvaccinated
son of the former, who returned home on account of his illness. A third case was a tramp
who contracted the disease in Whitechapel. One person who worked, but apparently did
not reside, in the district was infected by a fellow worker, also not residing in the district.
" The person thus affected appears to have been the only one in the offices in which he was
employed who was not protected by vaccination."
Holborn—Thirty-one cases of smallpox were certified during the year; 21 in the first
six months, 10 in the last six months of the year. Dr. Hoyle, who acted as medical officer
of health during the first six months of the year, states that two cases came under his notice
in which infection was apparently conveyed by the atmosphere. One of these cases
occurred in a house situated opposite to an institution in which six or seven cases of smallpox
had occurred. He was unable to explain this case in any other manner. Dr. Bond,
medical officer of health, reports that of the ten cases in the second six months of the year,
two occurred in a Salvation Army shelter.
St. Luke—Of three cases of sickness certified to be smallpox, two only proved to be this
disease. One of these, a "travelling tailor," showed symptoms of smallpox three days after
admission into the City-road workhouse. He had lately been sleeping in the Salvation Army
shelter, Clerkenwell. The other case was that of a shoemaker who had been employed in
Mount-street, Whitechapel.
Shoreditch—Inquiry as to the probable source of infection of each of the cases notified
as occurring in this district showed that two cases which occurred in separate houses
in one street were connected with each other; and further that another group of four
cases occurring in separate houses in other streets were also connected with each other.
One case occurred in the Holborn Union workhouse ; another, a potman, was employed at
premises in Whitechapel which were frequented by the inmates of Salvation Army shelters,
and a third had slept previously at Salvation Army shelters. All the cases were males,
all were stated to have been vaccinated in infancy except the youngest, a boy of 13 years of
age. One (a fatal case) said he had been revaccinated 12 years before, but bore no marks of
the operation.
Bethnal-green—Of the total number of cases notified as smallpox, all but eleven were
removed to hospital, and four were subsequently not regarded as cases of this disease. Four
of the cases died, and all of these were unvaccinated.
Whitechapel—Of the total number of cases of smallpox notified, all but six were removed
to hospital. A serious outbreak occurred in the months of July and August, of which
account is given in a special report dated August 19th. In the period beginning with the
week ending July 13th and extending to August 17th, 75 cases were notified. "50 per cent.
of the cases were reported as coming from Salvation Army shelters, 25 per cent. from private
h.uses, 25 per cent. from registered common lodging-houses, the Whitechapel infirmary, and
from all outside philanthropic shelters." The outbreak was reported to the district board by
the medical officer of health on July the 22nd, and two days later a special meeting of the
sanitary committee was held, which was attended by officers of the Salvation Army. Ic was
arranged that after that night no persons should be received who were not in the possession
of a ticket, and that no person in these shelters apparently suffering from smallpox should be
allowed to go into the public thoroughfare, but that each person should be isolated, and when
seen by a medical man should be treated as he directed. The medical officer (who is also public
vaccinator) stated that he believes he re-vaccinated all the persons who were employed in the
Salvation Army shelter in the Whitechapel-road, and also the men employed at the Victoria
Home, No. 1 in Commercial-street, where eight'of the cases had previously occurred. In the six
weeks following the period referred to 19 cases of smallpox were notified, 11 of which occurred
in private houses. All but two were removed to hospital. The medical officer of health
re-vaccinated persons who were exposed to infection.
St. George-in-the-East—The cases of smallpox notified in this district occurred mostly at
the end of July and beginning of August, and all were in young adults living in the better
class streets. In no instance could the source of infection be traced to any shelter, common