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53
In addition to the above 189 cases, five further cases were admitted
to the Borough Smallpox Hospital for observation. The final
diagnoses were: Variola sine eruptione, 2; Varicella, 1; Teething
Rash, 1; Acne, 1.
The vaccinal condition of the 189 patients was as follows:—
Unvaccinated 167 Vaccinated in Infancy 22
The ages of the patients vaccinated in infancy were as follows:—
66, 65, 63, 57, 56, 54, 53, 50 (2), 48 (2), 46, 43, 42, 37, 35 (also
re-vaccinated in 1914), 33, 26, 21 (2), 18 and 16.
Thus the minimum protection afforded by vaccination in this series
of cases was 16 years, and in the case of the patient aged 35 (re-vaccinated
in 1914) the disease was so mild that he was only detained
in Hospital for 7 days.
Twenty-two Primary vaccinations and 15 re-vaccinations were
done by your Medical Officer of Health under the Public Health
(Smallpox Prevention) Regulations, 1917, chiefly in observation and
doubtful cases prior to Hospital admission.
In 91 cases the source of infection could not be traced, eight cases
were infected outside the Borough, and the remaining 90 could be
linked up with previous cases.
The cases infected outside the Borough had not been previously
reported as Contacts. A total of 1,175 contacts were reported by
outside Authorities, and referred to persons living in Walthamstow,
but working elsewhere. Only one of these contacts developed Smallpox.
The numbers of contacts notified by the following Authorities
were:—Hackney 174, Leyton 55, Finsbury 44, City 41, Poplar 26,
Bethnal Green 23, Stepney 21, Shoreditch 37, Holborn 13, Tottenham
12, Islington 9, West Ham 9, St. Pancras 8, East Ham 7, Stoke
Newington 6, St. Marylebone 4, Kensington 3, Chingford 3, Camberweil
3, Bermondsey 3, Port of London 3, Lambeth 2, Edmonton 2,
Other Authorities 13.
All the cases were of the Variola "Minor" type and no deaths
were recorded.
The scheme of control followed is that apparently common to most
Authorities in the London area. Arrangements exist whereby actual
or suspected cases are immediately visited by Medical Officers of the
Department.