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32
go to the hospital. The same thing happened in another case from a doctor's
house in Gloucester Road; and another from a house in Redcliffe Gardens. (17)
A boy was admitted from Philbeach Gardens. His father did not like having
an ambulance at his door, and so he walked the lad down to the hospital. (19)
The following are cases of unintentional exposure in public
places:—
May 26th, a child was admitted, a few days after his father, who caught the
disease from a young man just up from Margate on the first day of eruption.
This young man, not feeling much indisposed, did not mind the journey, but he
must have infected his associates in the train. He was subsequently removed to
the hospital. (12)
A woman was sent from Bolton Gardens to St. George's Hospital. She had
gone to the hospital in a cab, which had driven off before the nature of the case
was known. The cab was not disinfected. (12)
Another woman went from Cromwell Road to Grafton Street, Piccadilly,
whence she was detained in a doctor's house till she could be removed to the
hospital. (12)
The following case, the lact I shall quote, has no connexion qua,
origin with the locality of Fulham Hospital, but it is too striking to
be omitted.
A man servant from BeJsize Road was taken ill June 26th, and went into the
country. Two or three days after his arrival at Sudbury spots appeared on him,
and as he got worse he returned to Town, June 30th, and went to a hospital as
an out-patient. He was found to have small-pox, and directed to go to Hampstead
Hospital. He walked to Farringdon Street Station, went by rail to Swiss Cottage,
and then walked to the hospital. But as the hospital was closed the person in
charge forwarded him on to Fulham in the ambulance. (21)
It would have been easy to swell the list by numerous histories to the
same or similar effect. Those given are but types, selected from an
experience of less than three months. They may suffice, however, to
illustrate modes of spread of infection, which are little regarded by
the opponents of the hospital, and are indeed, it is probable, unknown
to most of them. It is very easy when a number of persons fall
ill in different localities at about the same time (though not very
consistent when their homes surround the hospital at all points of
the compass), to ascribe their illness to infection carried by the wind.
But those who have opportunities of investigating cases,—and such
opportunities are practically limited to medical officers f.t the hospital,—
are often enabled to trace the spread of infection from person to
person, and from street to street in a way perfectly satisfactory, but
wholly unsuspected by outsiders. The tongue is unloosed under the