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 Fulham]
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of the patients bad been once vaccinated; 15 not vaccinated.
In the remaining 33 cases no information as to vaccination was
obtained: 219 cases were properly isolated by removal to
small pox hospitals—25 to Highgate, and 104 to Fulham. Of
the patients removed to hospitals, 19.5 percent, died: of those
treated at home, 34 per cent., but this last does not represent
the true per-centage of deaths, as there can be no doubt that
there are a certain number of cases which are treated at home,
and not reported at all.
It is most satisfactory to be able to state that, out of all the
cases which were immediately reported and removed, in only
two instances did a second case of Small Pox afterwards occur
in the same house, while in almost every instance where a case
was not removed, fresh cases afterwards took place. On the
whole, the work clone in the Sanitary Department so far as infectious
disease is concerned, has been satisfactory. Great improvement
has taken place, both as to the per centage of cases.
removed, and as to the celerity with which they were removed.
I need hardly remind you that a great deal depends upon the
cordial co-operation of the medical men in the District. As regards
the medical men in Hammersmith, without exception, I
have to thank them for their assistance in carrying out my
views. In Fulham, however, I am sorry to say I cannot make
so absolute a statement, though as compared with the previous
year, there was a very marked and favourable difference. I
found Medical men, who, the year before, rather opposed the
removal of cases most anxious to assist me. I feel sure that if
all the medical men had taken the same interest as did Drs.
Daniell, and Murdock, the number of cases might have been reduced
90 per cent. It is, however, gratifying to find that the
public in general, appreciate the course adopted by your Board
for their protection. Under the present state of law, I can
suggest no improvement in this direction, unless it be systematic
re-vaccination whereever a case of Small Pox has
occurred.
At the commencement of the year your Board, not being
satisfied with the accommodation afforded by the Highgate
SmallPox Hospital, owingto the inconvenience of removing cases
to so great a distance, applied to the Metropolitan Asylum
Board for permission to send patients to the Fulham Hospital.
After considerable difficulty, this permission was obtained.
Owing to the cordial co-operation of the Board of Guardians,
an arrangement was entered into by which your Board refund
to the Board of Guardians the expense incurred for the
TABLE I.
The deaths registered in the Fulham District, and the mean temperature in each of the 11 years.—1868—1878.
| Mean Temperature | Number of Deaths. | Number of Persons to Acre. | Population. | Proportion of Deaths to 1ooo persons living. | Proportion persons Living to each Death. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1868 | DEG. 51.6 | 1336 | ||||
| 1869 | 49.5 | 1397 | ||||
| 1870 | 48.7 | 1579 | ||||
| 1871 | 48.7 | 1446 | 16 | *66041 | 21.8 | 45.0 |
| 1872 | 50.7 | 1405 | ||||
| 873 | 48.9 | 1479 | ||||
| 1874 | 49.4 | 1660 | ||||
| 1875 | 49.4 | 1875 | ||||
| 1876 | 50.1 | 1964 | ||||
| 1877 | 49.7 | 1765 | 23.4 | 96000 | 19.4 | 56.7 |
| 1878 | 49.6 | 2346 | 23.7 | 100000 | 23.7 | 42.6 |