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13
could not be altered by persuasion on the part of their doctor or
myself. I am glad to be able to say that the means taken to
prevent the spread of the disease were most successful, not a single
case of personal infection from infected members of a family having
occurred, except in a few instances where re-vaccination was
absolutely refused. With regard to the source of the disease, I
endeavoured to trace it in each case, with the result shown in the
above summary. Some were infected in London, some in the
neighbourhood of Purfleet or locality within the zone of air-borne
infections from the hospital ship on the river, and some from
infectious zone of the West Ham hospital at Dagenham. I am
afraid also that some cases were caused by actual infection carried
from the hospital bv visitors and others having occasion to go there.
Especially was this so, I think, at one period when extensive
additions were being made to the hospital owing to the large
number of patients received there, many of the work people there
employed going to and from their work at the hospital, and
presumably carrying infection in their clothes. The last case notified
was on July 12th, since which date no case has occurred in the
district. I wish to take this opportunity of thanking the Council
for their efforts to stamp out the disease, every suggestion made by
me having been most willingly adopted. The advice to the public
to be re-vaccinated (in widely diffused hand bills and posters) on
the part of the Council and of the Guardians) was very extensively
followed, and I have every reason to believe that this had a considerable
influence in stamping out the disease. It is possible that
in the present session of Parliament, when the Vaccination Act
has to be renewed or re-enacted in some other form it will be
proposed to make compulsory the re-vaccination of every child before
the expiration of its school age. It is the practically universal
opinion cf all experts in sanitary science, that if this could be
ensured, Small-pox would become as uncommon a disease in this
country as it is in Germany where re-vaccination is enforced, and
where Small-pox practically never appears unless it is brought into
the country from countries less protected. May I suggest, that if
such a provision is made on any subsequent Vaccination Act, this
Council should present a petition to Parliament in its favour.