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38
Medical In arresting the spread of small-pox there is no doubt
inspection that, next to vaccination, re-vaccination and disin-
of Contacts fection, the medical inspection of persons who have
been in contact with a case of small-pox, is the most
important. As a rule the disease takes from 10 to 12 days in
incubation, during which period the person is apparently well; at
the end of this period he becomes feverish, and 14 days from infection
begins with a pimply rash, this appearing first on the forehead.
The initial feverish condition may be of short duration, and upon the
appearance of the rash the patient may feel quite well for a time
and thus go about in an infected condition, unaware of the serious
mischief he may be committing. Daily inspections were made of
all the members of the household from whence a case was removed,
as well as that of people who may have visited the house during the
illness, and not until 16 days had elapsed were they considered safe.
This entailed much extra work on the medical officer, but the
importance of such procedure is shown in the history of cases
3, 4, 5, 8, and 9, who, as a result of such inspection, were all discovered
immediately they began to be ill, and thus were removed to
the Hospital before they could spread the disease.
As small-pox is not infectious during the incubation period
it was not considered necessary to keep the " contacts " from their
occupation, but they were warned at the end of a week that if they
felt ill in from 10 to 14 days from exposure to infection they should
remain at home and at once send word to the Medical Officer, if
this occurred after his daily visit.
In one instance upon development of the disease in three
"contacts" (3, 4 and 5) the premises were closed, for a few days, by
desire of the occupier, whilst the house was thoroughly disinfected
and cleansed throughout. The husband of case 9, being employed
by the Corporation as a road sweeper in a residential part of the
Borough, was granted a fortnight's holiday.
Where the people reside in the Borough the duties of medical
inspection can be carried out with good results, but in the case of