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19
In one house there were five cases;
„ one „ „ four „
„ four houses „ three ,,
,, twenty-one ,, „ two ,,
Only five of the 27 houses in which two or more cases
occurred, appear on the list of insanitary houses.
It cannot be said then that there is any evident connection
between Small-pox and insanitary houses.
17. Social condition of Patients.—The list of cases shows
that the social condition of the patients agrees fairly well with
that of the inhabitants of the Borough. Certain classes of
persons, however, are noteworthy by their absence from the
list of cases, viz.: doctors, of whom there are about 50
practising in the Borough, and who are specially liable to
infection; nurses, also much exposed; sanitary inspectors,
who visited all the infected houses; policemen and postmen.
One soldier only was attacked (who had just joined the Army
and consequently was not protected by re-vaccination) out of a
garrison of 5,000. I know of no reason for the immunity of
these classes except the fact that they are specially well
protected by vaccination. Two doctor's servants were
attacked who had refused re-vaccination. The small gipsy
community suffered severely, 10 of these being attacked;
these were all particularly robust persons, living as they do
practically in the open air, but unprotected by any vaccination,
opposition to which is said to be with the gipsies a religious
duty. Fortunately, for themselves and the general community
they were so impressed with the severity with which Smallpox
attacked their colony that they did not persist in their
opposition, but all submitted to vaccination with the result
that there were no further cases.