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14
ship arrived at Gravesend on February 16th, when the health of all persons on
board was reported by the Master to be good, and that there had been no sickness
during the voyage. A few hours however, after the men were landed, one
of them—a negro—complained of feeling unwell, and was later in the day
removed to the Small Pox Hospital. When a case has occurred at a Common
Lodging house, the disease has every facility for spreading. In this instance
Perry was ill for two days before the rash appeared, and before he complained
to any one that he was not feeling well. On the first night of his illness, 87
people slept at this Common Lodging House, and 24 in the same room as the
patient. On the following night a similar number slept in the house, but they
were not altogether the same people as on the previous evening. As no names
are taken at the door, it was quite useless attempting to trace the people that
had slept in the same room with Perry, during the previous nights, and before
it was discovered that he was suffering from Small Pox. A large number of
the people that sleep in Common Lodging Houses, frequently change their
lodgings, though I have met some who have occupied the same beds in
Common Lodging Houses for a number of years, and in one instance for a
period of over 20 years.
As a result probably of this case, eight other Common Lodging Houses
became infected, and 30 people contracted the disease. They were as follows:—
9 at 66, Leman Street.
10 at 19, Brick Lane.
4 at 39 and 41, Commercial Street.
2 at 24, Thrawl Street.
2 at 28, Thrawl Street.
1 at 90, Wentworth Street.
1 at 42, West India Dock Road.
1 at Medland Hall.
One was removed from the Receiving Ward of the Whitechapel Infirmary.
He was not admitted into a ward, but was taken at once to the Small Pox
Hospital. He had no permanent address.
As one Common Lodging House after another became infected, it was
evident that as soon as it became known that cases of Small Pox had occurred
at 66, Leman Street, those that had come in contact with the disease, went to
other Common Lodging Houses, and the disease developed while they were
there. Later on, I became suspicious that some person who had the disease in
a modified form, was walking about while in an infectious condition. I was