London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
City of London 1915
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Port of London]
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the family of 10 were removed to Denton Hospital for observation, the patient
being isolated in the Small-pox Ward. The four stewards were taken ashore,
and disinfected, and the whole of the Native crew were vaccinated, but the Europeans
on board declined to be done. The second-class quarters and contents were at once
thoroughly disinfected.
Of the seven children, the two eldest had been vaccinated, and each possessed one
good vaccination mark. The other five had never been vaccinated previous to arrival
and these five developed Small-pox, and were under treatment in Denton Hospital.
The whole of the crew remaining on the vessel, were kept under observation daily.
The bar tender, and carpenter, ailed, and were diagnosed as suffering with Small-pox,
and were removed to Denton Hospital on the 13th February, making seven cases of
Small-pox in all under treatment from this ship.
The names and addresses of all persons leaving the ship, as well as those of the
men engaged in discharging the ship, were taken and notified to the various Medical
Officers of Health, and the facts were duly reported to the Local Government Board
and London County Council.
The following Table gives particulars of vaccination, rash, &c.:—
| Age. | Rash. | Vaccination. | Nature of Rash. | Remarks. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mr. L. | 40 | — | 20 years ago | — | Fever, 4 days. |
| Mrs. L. | 36 | — | 17 „ | — | No symptoms. |
| Miss S. | 48 | — | Infancy, and twice since | — | Do. |
| M.L. | .13 | — | 7 years ago, one mark | — | Fever, 3 days. |
| L.L. | 12 | — | Do. | — | No symptoms. |
| C.L. | 10 | Jan. 29th | Nil | Confluent | |
| P.L. | 8 | Feb. 11th | Nil | Do. | |
| M.L. | 6 | „ 13th | Nil | Do. | |
| M.L. | 4 | „ 14th | Nil | Discrete | |
| C.L. | 14/12 | „ 15th | Nil | Confluent | |
| R.H. | 38 | „ 13 th | Infancy | Do. | |
| C.G.C. | 20 | „ 12th | Infancy | Mild discrete |
Mr. L. and N. L. had some fever with backache and vomiting contemporaneously
with the febrile periods of those members of family who subsequently developed a
definite rash. A few spots of doubtful character came out on the back only of Mr. L.,
but no rash of any kind came out on N.L. These two cases were probably Small-pox
without eruption.
All the above persons, with the exception of 11.H., were vaccinated on 7th
February, after the arrival of the vessel : of these, C.G.C., P.L., M.L., M.L., and C.L.,
"took " and developed concurrently with the disease, but they had been infected with
the disease about 31st January, so that it could not be expected that vaccination would
have any protection or even modifying effect on the course of the disease.
The more specially medical aspect of this epidemic is referred to in the Appendix.
The s.s. "Arabia," of Greenock, 105,581, arrived on the loth February from
Bombay. A passenger was landed at Suez on the 31st January suffering with Small-pox.