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On April 23rd Ernest Clark, of 97, Shandy Street, aged 21, was removed
to the Small Pox Hospital. He was employed as a cooper with a firm in
Bromley, where the father of the above three children was also employed.
On May 9th I received a notification that Henry Drablow, aged 22, of
13, Durham Row, was suffering from Chicken Pox. I visited the premises and
examined the patient. I was of opinion that he was suffering from Small Pox,
and he was removed. The patient, as well as his relations, denied that he had
been anywhere in contact with, or even in the same house as, anyone suffering
from Small Pox. Later on, however, I found that he had been in the habit Of
visiting 97, Shandy Street, where I have no doubt be contracted the disease.
On May 11th I received an anonymous communication that a case of
Small Pox was concealed at 1, Knott Street. On visiting the premises I found
James Kelsey, aged 14 years, a cripple, suffering from the disease. From the
appearance of the rash, which was about three days old, I came to the conclusion
that the patient had been ill about six days. All the people in the
house denied that they had been in contact with anyone suffering from Small
Pox. The features of one of the women seemed to be familiar, and I afterwards
remembered that on April 23rd when I was examining Ernest Clark at
97, Shandy Street, she came into the bedroom for a few minutes. She was
the grandmother of Kelsey. On that occasion she gave me her name, which I
afterwards found to be false. She had also given her address as 21, Durham
Row, but left that house a day or two afterwards. When asked why a medical
man had not been called in to see the patient, the relatives could not give a
satisfactory reason. Proceedings were taken against Mrs. Brown—the grandmother
of the boy—and she was fined 40s. and 23s. costs, for concealing the
case, and not notifying it or calling in a medical man to do so.
In addition to Mrs. Brown, there were left in the house three daughters
and two grandchildren. I advised them to be vaccinated, with the
exception of Mrs. Brown, who had been successfully re-vaccinated five years
previously, but they refused. On May 21st, the two grandchildren were taken
ill, and one died before he could be removed. Both were 5 years of age, and
neither had ever been vaccinated. On May 22nd and May 23rd, two of
the daughters were removed to the Small Pox Hospital.
On May 23rd, Agnes Harrison, aged 10, of 22a, Durham Row, was removed
to the Small Pox Hospital. The Patient herself had not been in contact
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