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6
SMALL POX.
It is two years since we had a case of Small Pox occur in our
district. During the past year we had six cases notified, the first
was that of a child in Nelson Street; the patient was removed
at once to the Hospital Ships, and the rooms thoroughly disinfected,
the house was very dirty, there were two families in
the house, a number of children, amongst which were two babies
unvaccinated; with the mother's consent I vaccinated both
these; and although every enquiry was made as to the origin of
the disease, I could not trace its source. About a week after
the child was removed the father was sent for to the Hospital
to see his son, as he was not expected to recover; exactly
twelve days after, the father showed symptons of the disease,
and was removed to the Hospital, where both the child and
father died. Before the man was taken away he begged his wife
not to visit him, there can be but little doubt the father contracted
the disease through his visiting the Hospital; and I
cannot help but think in a case of this kind, when the mental
depression is severe, and the system out of health, the visitor is
most susceptible to take the disease. I may point out the child
who died was not vaccinated.
The next case was that of a child in Myrdle Street, which
occurred in November, I at once visited the house, and the
mother wished me to see the child, as she had given the doctor
who certified it up, and had another attending who had stated
the child had Chicken Pox; I did so, and agreed with the opinion
of the second medical man, and ascertained that a fortnight
previous another child had had Chicken Pox in the same house.
I then saw the first doctor and after a little explanation he
agreed to withdraw the certificate.
The other three cases occurred in a house in Sidney Square;
first one child was notified, and was isolated at the top of the
house. 1 visited the premises, and the mother who opened the
door to me was nursing the child, two other children of hers
were playing in the street, I explained to her the danger of
mixing with the other children herself, and about a week afterwards
these two children were attacked, all these recovered:
they had been vaccinated.
SCARLET FEVER.
The number of cases of this disease notified during the year
was 232 : 49 of which were removed to Homerton Isolation
Hospital, the disease was of a mild type, and very generally
distributed all over the Hamlet; in fact, it was prevalent in
about the same proportion all over the Metropolis; the deaths
that occurred were only 12, which is a remarkable small
mortality for this disease.