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I could not discover how the disease was contracted in the first instance.
None of these had done any work for some time, but had daily marched through
the streets with the unemployed for about three weeks. They may have come in
contact with persons suffering from the disease in this way.
On January 29th Samuel Laidlow, aged 61, was admitted to the St. George's
Workhouse. On January 31st he was taken ill, and removed to the Small Pox
Hospital on February 2nd, where he died on February 5th. He had been vaccinated
in infancy only.
During the fortnight previous to his being admitted to the Workhouse he had
for the greater part of the time slept in the streets, but had slept one night only
at each of two different common lodging houses in Leman Street, one night at the
Seamans' Mission, Well Street, and one night at 106, St. George Street—another
common lodging house.
On February 3rd Esther Brettell, aged 34, Seamans'Mission Hall, Well Street,
was removed to the hospital. She had been ill for nearly a week. The patient
was vaccinated in infancy only.
On February 16th Elizabeth Fleming, aged 36, of 43, Bromhead Street, was
taken ill and removed to the hospital on February 18th. She had been vaccinated
in infancy only. Mrs. Fleming was employed in the St. George's Workhouse
Laundry. She had washed Laidlow's clothing before it was known that he was
actually suffering from Small Pox. Two other persons resided at the above address,
Robert Foster, aged 25, and Hannah Foster, aged 23. The latter had been recently
vaccinated, but the former had been vaccinated in infancy only. On March 3rd,
Robert Foster was taken ill and was removed to the hospital on March 5th. I
was informed by the Medical Superintendent of the St. George's Infirmary that
when the first case occurred all the officers, both permanent and temporary, at the
workhouse had been vaccinated, but that Mrs. Fleming was by an oversight overlooked.
She was the only officer that contracted Small Pox.
On February 19th Charles Wilson, aged 66, was removed from the St. George's
Workhouse to the Small Pox Hospital, where he died on February 24th. He had
been vaccinated in infancy only. Wilson had been an inmate since November 21st
1902.
On March 4th a person unknown was turned out of an eating-house, 70, Wentworth
Street. He was, however, known by sight as a frequenter of common lodging
houses. When the patient was turned out of the eating-house, it was observed that
he was very ill, and the attention of two police officers was called to him. These