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15
INFECTIOUS DISEASE.
General Remarks.
The incidence of Scarlet Fever and Diphtheria remained comparatively
low.
SMALL-POX.
On October 7th a telephone message was received from the
County Medical Officer of Health of Surrey, that a case of Small-pox
had been discovered in the Casual Ward of the Epsom Poor Law
Infirmary, in the person of a tramp who had walked from Isleworth
after taking his discbarge from the Brentford Union Institution
there.
Investigation produced the following history:—
On September 14th he entered the Casual Ward at Hitchin.
On September 15th lie walked to Luton and slept at the "Welcome
Stranger." On September 16th he walked to Harpenden and spent
the night under a hedge. On September 17th he went to Hatfield
and slept in the Casual Ward ; on the 18th he went to Coli's
barn and slept there that night and the night of 19th September.
On 20th September he walked to Luton and being refused admission
to the "Welcome Stranger" which was under quarantine, he
stopped at a lodging house in a street off the St. Alban's Road.
On September 22nd ho walked back to Hatfield and slept in the
baru where he remained till September 24th, when he walked to
Watford and slept in the Casual Ward. On the night of 2oth
September he injured his arm and slept under a hedge On
September 26th he suffered from a headaehe and walked from
Watford, through Willesden to Isleworih, where he was admitted to
the Infirmary within a short time after admission to the Casual
Ward.
On September 27th his temperature was 103°, on 28th September
it was still 103°, and on 29th September it was 99°.
His condition was diagnosed as Influenza and on his temperature
approximating to normal, he was allowed to get up. He would
have been transferred to the Male Infirm Ward in the Workhouse
but as his head was unclean; he was not sent across until October