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39
In. Islington, every member of the staff of the Public Health Department had been
re-vaccinated at the beginning of the epidemic, except one. This was the only one who contracted
smallpox, although 42 persons were exposed to direct and 7 to indirect infection.
In Stoke Newington all the members of the staff whose duty brought them into contact
with, smallpox infection were re-vaccinated, and escaped attack, but a servant in the surveyor's
department who had not been re-vaccinated, on one occasion, against orders, assisted a disinfector,
and contracted smallpox and died.
In Shoreditch the members of the sanitary staff who had not had smallpox, or been
recently re-vaccinated, 18 in number, were re-vaccinated, except one who was not re-vaccinated
until 48 hours after beginning his work; all escaped but this man, who suffered from a slight
attack of smallpox.
In Bethnal-green only some of the staff were re-vaccinated. Nine suffered from smallpox,
only one of whom was re-vaccinated, and his re-vaccination took place only six days before his
removal to hospital, and therefore too late to protect him against attack.
In Stepney, at the beginning of the outbreak, all the sanitary inspectors, clerks, and disinfectors
were re-vaccinated. During the height of the epidemic 21 men were employed in the
removal of infected clothing and in disinfecting rooms. The driver of the disinfecting van was
employed by the contractor, and he was the only man who was not re-vaccinated, and the only
one who contracted smallpox.
In Lambeth the staff (including disinfecting men, inspectors, strippers, sanitary clerks, and
others) who had not been sufficiently protected by re-vaccination or otherwise were re-vaccinated,
and no single official was attacked.
In Battersea 29 members of the staff were re-vaccinated, and not one of these contracted
smallpox; 11 refused re-vaccination and 5 of them were attacked.
In Wandsworth all the staff (23 in number) had been re-vaccinated at the beginning of the
outbreak, and not one of them was attacked.
In Greenwich all the staff likely to come in contact with cases of smallpox were revaccinated,
except one who had had smallpox. None of them were attacked.
To these cases may be added three medical officers and 18 inspectors of common lodginghouses
in the service of the London County Council, who were re-vaccinated and all of whom
escaped smallpox.
Thus the information supplied shows that all those persons stated to have been re-vaccinated
before beginning their work escaped attack by smallpox, while numerous other persons, in whom
this precaution was delayed or neglected, suffered from the disease.
No member of the staff employed in the smallpox hospitals of the Metropolitan Asylums
Board contracted the disease in 1901, among the 578 persons so employed. In the year 1902, however,
out of 989 persons employed in the smallpox hospitals of the Board, two nurses were attacked
by smallpox. One of these nurses, who was attacked in April, had, in the preceding December,
suffered from smallpox, and in consequence was not re-vaccinated on taking up her duties at
the hospital, the other nurse, who was also attacked in April, had not been re-vaccinated on taking
up her duties at the smallpox hospital owing to the fact that she had been re-vaccinated five months
before in one of the fever hospitals. Concerning this case, Dr. Ricketts, the medical superintendent
reports, "With regard to the question whether or not the re-vaccination performed five
"months before was really successful, I have no direct evidence. All my own experience tells
"against the former view. The medical officer who vaccinated her at the other hospital was
"satisfied at the time."

* See footnote (*), page 51.