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29
NOTIFICATION TO THE LONDON INSURANCE COMMITTEE OF
DEATHS OF INSURED PERSONS SUFFERING FROM
TUBERCULOSIS.
In connection with the establishment of the new measures taken to prevent the
spread of Tuberculosis, the Corporation of London have been requested to furnish the
London Insurance Committee with a periodical return of the deaths from Tuberculosis
of insured persons within the City area. In return for this information the Committee
have undertaken to notify me of cases of insured persons notified as suffering from
Tuberculosis, but who, on examination by their experts, were found not to be so
suffering.
This interchange of information is in my opinion one of mutual advantage, and
1 was authorised by the Corporation to make the necessary arrangements for carrying
the suggestion into effect.
SMALL-POX.
Until the year under review no case of Small-pox has occurred in the City of
London since 1904, and the subjoined particulars may prove of interest.
On the afternoon of Thursday the 19th February, at the request of the Medical
man in attendance, I examined a man at one of the City Hotels, diagnosed Small-pox,
and arranged for his removal to the Hospital.
The room occupied by the patient, his personal property, the bedding and all
articles in the room, together with the carpets on the entire ground floor, and the
bedding of the two small rooms which opened out of the same lobby as the patient's
room, were disinfected.
The Hotel smoking room, dining room, &c., were thoroughly cleansed and a
considerable amount of redecoration carried out throughout the building.
The laundry used by the Hotel, which was situate in the Metropolitan Borough of
Lambeth was notified, as was also the Medical Officer of Health for that District, and
every precaution taken to prevent spread of infection by that channel.
Names and addresses of all persons who might have been in contact with the
patient were communicated to the Medical Officer of Health interested and the Local
Government Board notified of the case.
With one exception the employees at the Hotel were revaccinated, and all were
kept under observation during the period of incubation.
From the onset of his illness until he was removed to hospital in the Metropolitan
Asylums Board ambulance, the patient had not left the Hotel.
The patient, an Engineer, was a passenger on board the R.M.S.P "Avon" from
Buenos Ayres. He joined the boat at Pernambuco which was the last Port of call on
the Brazilian Coast.
One of the passengers developed Small-pox and was landed at Vigo on the 5th
February. As many of the passengers as consented were revaccinated and on the
arrival of the vessel at Southampton all were again examined..
No further case was reported.