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11
distance of parts of the Hospital from the footpath, the
houses in the Grove and Brooksby's Walk. The windows
of four wards are 24 feet from the wall, say 25 feet from the
footpath. Laundry, 10 feet 6 inches; the windows direct
the steam downwards. The garden walls of three houses in
Brooksby's Walk are only 11 feet from the mortuary. The
houses in the Grove are only 48 feet from the laundry, and
60 feet from the windows of four wards.
The manner in which the Small Pox epidemic of 1871-72
and 1877-78 broke out in this District, rendered the effect of
the Hospital on the inhabitants of the surrounding streets,
somewhat doubtful. In the early part of 1870, although a
few cases of the disease occurred in other parts of the
District, only one case to my knowledge occurred in Homerton
before November, when one case was reported in
Templar Road, where the disease raged fearfully in 1871.
Towards the end of December, a case occurred at 20
Brooksbys Walk, which proved fatal early in January, 1871.
There was a second case in the same house, which proved
fatal on the 17th January, 1871. There was also a case in
Cottage Street, near the Hospital, in November, 1870, but
no other case occurred in that street, so far as I know, until
after the Hospital was opened. In January, 1871, the
disease appeared in various parts of the District, notably in
Tottenham Road and Square, in Kingsland, and Fox's
Cottages, Morning Lane. A case also happened in Ball's
Buildings, which is just outside the quarter mile radius of
the Hospital. By the 2nd of February, the disease had
acquired a hold all over the District, as 15 cases were
reported to me during the week ending January 19th; 11 in
the week ending January 26th; and 31 in the week ending
February 2nd. Between 19th January and February 2nd,
cases were reported to me from Churchill Road, Marian
Street, Albert Street, Brooksby's Walk, Rosina Street,
Church Terrace, Kings Boad, the Grove, and Princes Road,
Homerton; so that the admission of patients to the Hospital