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REPORT FOR 1885.
A comparison between the map attached to the last report
and that issued with this, shows that although Small-pox has
been more rife this year within the quarter and half-mile radii
of the Homerton Hospital than in other parts of the District,
yet the number of cases reported within these lines are
proportionately smaller than in 1883-4. During the year
1884-5, the enormous traffic of Small-pox cases to and from
the Hospital, which obtained during part of the preceding
year, has been much diminished, as most of the cases were
removed direct to the hospitals or ships instead of being
brought first to Homerton. As I mentioned in my last year's
report, as many as 859 cases were removed to and from the
Homerton Hospital in one month, and 763 were transferred
to the ships, whilst during this year the largest number taken
from the Hospital in one month was 113, and I believe all of
these had received treatment in the Hospital. Above 60
cases were taken to their homes from the Hospital in the
month of January, so that with the 113 removed to the
ships, nearly 180 cases were removed to or from the hospitals
during that month. It is therefore evident that under the
arrangements then in force the risk to a locality in which a
hospital for infectious diseases is placed is not to be measured
only by the number under treatment at any one time, but partly
also by the number moved to and from the Hospital. A question
has been raised and answered in the affirmative by Mr. Power, as
to the probability of the disease being spread through the air