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18
Other Precautions taken.
In every case where I could trace a source of infection to another
district I immediately communicated with the Medical Officer of Health
of that district.
In case of a contact leaving my district, and his destination being
known, I at once informed the Medical Officer of Health of that district.
Procrastination would be fatal in Small Pox epidemics. The Medical
Officer of Health and his Staff must be always alert and on duty, for by
visiting cases at once the spread of the infection by contacts is arrested.
I will only quote one case out of many to verify the above remarks.
One evening, at 10.30 p.m., I was informed of a case in a crowded
neighbourhood. I went at once, and found a man who had been sitting
by the patient for some hours in a close stuffy little room, on the point
of leaving for the Common Lodging House. I got the man to consent
to remain in the house until the patient had been removed and the
premises and clothing, &c., thoroughly disinfected. As a consequence,
no other case occurred.
In the Autumn of 1901, at my suggestion, you made Chicken
Pox notifiable, and this measure has on more than one occasion been
of the greatest value. Every case of Chicken Pox notified during the
last eighteen months has been personally visited by myself.
Early in the outbreak the whole of the members of the staff were
re-vaccinated, with one exception. This was one of the men
employed in removing infected bedding; he refused to undergo the
operation and promptly caught the disease.
During the epidemic house-to-house inspection was made where
circumstances seemed to point to the desirability of such a step.
Lessons to be Learnt from the Epidemic.
(1.) That it is possible to modify or even entirely prevent an
attack of Small Pox by vaccination performed some days after
infection. This is especially the case with re-vaccination, the
incubation of which is often shorter than in primary vaccination. The
period of incubation in Small Pox is, twelve days.
Cases to illustrate the above remarks.—One man had been ill for
eight days when I saw him, and had not sought medical advice.
He was well advanced in the vesicular stage. There were fifteen inmates