View report page

7
Small Pox.
From the 11th February to the 4th May, 60 cases of small-pox have
been reported to the Inspectors of the District; of this number, 10 were
attended by private practitioners and 4 occurred in the Registered Common
Lodging Houses.
At No. 17, Leman Street, 5 cases of small-pox occurred; of these, 2
died, neither of whom had been vaccinated, the parents saying that they
objected to vaccination. At No. 11, King Street, Spitalfields, 5 children,
all of one family, were attacked with small-pox, 4 of whom died; not one
of the children having been vaccinated, the father objecting to vaccination.
In the same house a child, aged 18 months, unvaccinated, belonging to
another family, died of small-pox. The above cases strongly exemplify the
fatal result of the disease when the patient is not protected by previous
vaccination. At 45, Grey Eagle Street, 3 children in one family had smallpox,
not one of them having been vaccinated; of these 3 children 1 died. At 33,
Grey Eagle Street, an unvaccinated child, 4 years of age, had small-pox,
and on visiting the house it was ascertained that another child of the same
family, aged 3 months, had not been vaccinated; but the parents, at the
instigation of the Inspector, took the child to be vaccinated, and it fortunately
escaped an attack of the disease.
In a house in Crown Court, Quaker Street, there was a family of six
children, and the only one who had not been vaccinated, a child two years
of age, was attacked with small-pox. This and the preceding cases clearly
show the beneficial result of vaccination.
In all cases where the Inspectors ascertained that children had not
been vaccinated, information of the same was given to the Vaccination
Officer; who, in a letter addressed to Mr. VALLANCE, the Clerk to the
Guardians, states that "on inquiry the children referred to had neither
been born nor registered within the District of the Whitechapel Union." He
adds "that such cases are but a few amongst many of a like character
now unfortunately continually occurring, in all of which instances information
is readily afforded me by your relieving officers, and an early intimation
as to vaccination and re-vaccination follows." On drawing the attention of
Mr. COOMBES, the Vaccination Officer, to the above letter, that gentleman
has favoured me with a few remarks to the following effect, viz.:—that
during the half-year ended 31st March, he has been the means of securing,
by visitation in the localities, the primary vaccination of 360 children, whose
births had not been registered in the District. The inhabitants of this
District are generally favourably disposed to vaccination, but the migratory
habits, necessitous circumstances, and foreign nationality of many,
involve a great amount of labour and time in explaining and effecting the
desired end. It also appears that out of 1471 births registered during the