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13
The s.s. "Tuscania" arrived in Liverpool from Bombay on April 1st
having had a case of Small Pox of a virulent type on board. Quarantine is
not in force in England, and except those who were actually ill all the
passengers and crew were allowed to land.
Their names and addresses were sent to the respective Medical Officers of
Health of the districts where they went to. There they and their contacts were
kept under observation. Five members of the crew came to Stepney and one
developed the disease.
Throughout the year Small Pox cases have occurred at the different
hospitals in the Borough. They were at once removed to the Metropolitan
Asylums Board (now L.C.C.) hospitals and all the contacts were vaccinated
whenever possible. The infected ward was put into quarantine for three weeks
and daily inspections were made of the contacts. By these means the spread
of the disease was checked and very few secondary cases developed.
For the year 1929 there were approximately 17,429 people vaccinated.
We have had only 1 death directly traceable to vaccination.
This was the case of a child who had been vaccinated in the Mile End
Hospital with the parents' consent. The child developed encephalitis and
died. Undoubtedly the encephalitis was a result of the vaccination. The
child was vaccinated with Government lymph and two insertions only were
made. Public vaccinators are now allowed to make only one insertion if the
patient so desires.
All cases were removed to hospital.
The death-rate for the whole Borough was .008 per 1,000 of the population.
Chicken Pox.
Chicken Pox was made a notifiable disease on the Gth May, and 829 cases
were notified during the year.
123 belonged to the Limehouse District.
136 belonged to St. George-in-the-East.
366 belonged to Mile End Old Town.
204 belonged to the Whitechapel District.
103 were removed to hospitals.
11 cases proved to be Small Pox.