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consequence of the refusal of the crew to accept the obvious protection of
vaccination when offered gratuitously.
But the mischief did not end here.
On the 13th June, Dr. Russell, the Medical Officer of Health for Glasgow,
reported the following facts:—
"On the 1st June, I received notification of the illness of an inmate of the
"Sailors' Home from reported small-pox. The case I found to be very well
"marked, and after a muster of all hands I picked out three other cases
"among the residents; and two of the staff who were at home ill, one living
"in a neighbouring street and one on the south side, were all found to have
"small-pox—all in the first stage of the disease.
"These six cases were removed to Belvedere at once.
"The whole staff of attendants were at once re-vaccinated, and as many of
"the boarders as required, as well as the families of the two servants.
"In all, 58 persons were thus re-vaccinated.
"There can be no doubt that it originated in some mild and unobserved
"cases among the seamen boarders. An interesting fact in support of this
"view is the occurence of another case in the person of a gentleman living
"in a suburban burgh, who has a boot and shoe shop in the western part of
"Argyle Street, to which sailor customers occasionally come. He remembers
"assisting some sailors about a fortnight before his illness. It is confirm"atory
of the view that groups his case with the Sailors' Home cases, to
"find that all sickened in three days, viz. : two on 27th, three on 29th,
"and two (a seaman and this gentleman) on the 30th May.
"All these facts point to one source of dissemination, temporarily settled
"in the Sailors' Home and therefore telling chiefly there, but also moving
"about in the community.
"I therefore advised the Superintendent to admit no new boarders or
"casual visitors for 14 days. This was attended to and the outbreak
"arrested.
"On further enquiry it was found that 17 men were sent to Liverpool on
"13th May, among whom were two brothers named Laurence Nicholson
"and Angus Nicholson.
"One of these men, Laurence, was traced to Glasgow, and lived in the
"Sailors' Home from the 16th May to the 12th June, and although he
"himself is not proved to have small-pox, there can be little doubt that such
"was the case, and that he in turn infected the seven other cases.
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