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18
The first 3 cases were removed to South Mimms Small-Pox
Hospital; the last case, which was recognised while the patient was
at work in London, was notified to me by the Medical Officer of
Health of Finsbury, and was removed to the Metropolitan Small
Pox Hospital. The cases were of a mild type and all four patients
recovered. In each instance there was a varying number of
contacts, who were immediately placed under close personal observation
until the period of incubation was safely passed. With one
or two exceptions these contacts were either vaccinated or revaccinated
within a few hours of the notification of the case, and to
this fact and to the prompt and thorough way in which my staff
carried out the removal of patients to hospital, and the disinfection
of the infected houses, are, I think, to be ascribed the entire
absence of secondary cases.
The very mildness of the disease created a situation of considerable
gravity in regard to contacts. Two of the cases, 27 and 152,
travelled to and from their work in London by train during the
early stages of their illness. Their condition was fortunately
recognised before the most infectious period was reached, and, so
far as I could discover, they did not cause any secondary cases
amongst their fellow travellers. The point suggests, however, a
possible means of spreading the disease that would have a very far
reaching effect in districts such as ours, where workmen make long
journeys to and from their work daily, in more or less crowded
trains.
In addition to the contacts arising out of the cases of small pox
that occurred in Edmonton, a considerable number of persons were
notified to me, from time to time, by neighbouring Medical Officers,
as having been in contact with cases of the disease in their districts.
These contacts were all visited by me and kept under observation
until the danger of their taking the disease had passed. In the
majority of cases they were re-vaccinated without delay. None of
them developed small pox.