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66
Small-Pox.
The district in common with the whole Metropolis
continues to be free from anything like an epidemic of smallpox,
notwithstanding its prevalence during the past three
months in various large centres. An imported case did
occur, however, under the following circumstances :—
A young American developed, at one of the hotels in
the neighbourhood of ChariDg Cross, a feverish attack, and
a few pimples made their appearance ; the medical man in
attendance considered the case one of chicken pox, caught
apparently in Paris. The patient was removed to a house
in the borough, to be nursed by an experienced nurse.
This nurse, a woman of 30 years of age, had premonitory
symptoms of a serious illness on June loth, and died of a
malignant form of small-pox on the 20th. The inference
naturally is that, with regard to the American, a mistake of
diagnosis was made. The writer, as far as possible, investigated
the matter, and found that the first case, if small-pox,
must have been of an extremely mild type, and one of those
cases not perhaps easy to distinguish from the milder
disease, " chicken pox."
The young American left this country for New York
on the 17th June having perfectly recovered.
With regard to the nurse who so tragically in the
exercise of her duties succumbed. The body, alter having
been treated by the undertaker with a powerful disinfectant,
was removed to the mortuary, and all necessary disinfection
was done by the sanitary staff. The Public Vaccinator
attended at once the case was notified and re-vaccinated all
the persons who had been in contact with the deceased.
The latent or incubation period of small-pox is about fourteen
days. Seventeen days having now elapsed it is
improbable that there will be any spread.
Devonshire Place, Lisson Grove.
The report of the Housing Committee having been
adopted by the Council to the effect that a representation
should be made to the London County Council under Part I.
of the Housing of the Working Classes Acts, such representation
has been made.