Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Hackney]
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intensity, escape when it is very much diluted with fresh air.
It is also probable that the large proportionate number of deaths
to attacks, and the frequent occurrence of the hemorrhagic
form, which is very fatal, is due to the greater intensity of
the virus at epidemic periods. These remarks apply not only to
Small Pox, but to Measles, Scarlet Fever, and Whooping Cough.
Table I.
M ortality in L ondon from S mall P ox 1840-77.
Years. | Deaths. | Years. | Deaths. | Years. | Deaths. | Years. | Deaths. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1840 | 1235 | 1852 | 1166 | 1863 | 2012 | 1875 | 75 |
1841 | 1053 | 1853 | 217 | 1864 | 537 | 1876 | 736 |
1842 | 360 | 1854 | 676 | 1865 | 646 | 1877 | |
1843 | 430 | 1866 | 1388 | ||||
1844 | 1804 | 1855 | 1024 | 1867 | 1332 | ||
1845 | 909 | 1856 | 522 | 1868 | 606 | ||
1846 | 257 | 1857 | 154 | 1869 | 273 | ||
1847 | 955 | 1858 | 247 | 1870 | 958 | ||
1848 | 1617 | 1859 | 1156 | 1871 | 7876 | ||
1849 | 518 | 1860 | 877 | 1872 | 1781 | ||
1850 | 498 | 1861 | 215 | 1873 | 115 | ||
1851 | 1066 | 1862 | 345 | 1874 | 66 |
There is probably another reason why the epidemic assumed
an extensive character in this district, viz.: the large proportion
of children who were imperfectly vaccinated, and the large
number who were returned as " unaccounted for" in the
Vaccination Returns for 1872, 1873 and 1874. In my last
report I dwelt at some length on the protection afforded against
these epidemics by a second vaccination of every person above
15 years of age, and would strongly impress upon all the
necessity for this trifling operation being repeated at that age,
or if it should have been omitted, at whatever age the person
may be up to 55 or 60 years of age. There is also another point
which should receive attention, viz.: the re-vaccination of
servants, as a large proportion of the adult cases removed to the
Hospital from this district were servants. If heads of families
would see that their servants are re-vaccinated as soon as they