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14
Asylums Board Wharf, and returned as not being small-pox. A
fifth case I learnt of in the following way: On 7th January I
received a request from the Medical Superintendent of the Branch
Seamen's Hospital to disinfect the clothing belonging to a small-pox
patient. It appeared that the man went to the hospital on January
9th, was retained there till the 14th, on which date he was transferred
to the Greenwich Hospital, and on February 16th was transferred as
suffering from small-pox to the hospital ships at Long Reach. It was
evident that he contracted small-pox while at Greenwich, and
enquiries made at Sydney Street, Tidal Basin, where he lodged before
going to the Seamen's Hospital, appeared to exclude the possibility of
the infection having come from within the Borough. I arranged,
however, with the Medical Superintendent of the Plaistow Hospital to
disinfect and return the clothing to the Seamen's Hospital.
Vaccination.—In my last report, I summarized the findings,
of the Royal Commission on Vaccination. Since then, strange things
have happened, and some may think it to be possible to discuss the
subject of small-pox without reference to vaccination. The anomalous
position which still withholds the carrying out of the Vaccination
Acts from the Urban Sanitary Authorities, releases the Council from,
responsibility, other than that arising from each member's private
influence, and renders even the mention of the subject, in this report,
merely an academic discussion. At the same time, in the efficient
performance of vaccination, or its non-performance, at least in the
area of South-west Essex, is a matter of great moment to the
Council, having regard to the agreements entered into with other
local authorities (referred to in another part of this report). The
"tremendous experiment" of the Government may be fraught with
serious results to West Ham, and in any case, is a retrograde step.
One can understand and sympathize with the "conscientious objector,"
but words fail to describe the "unconscientious believer." To.those
of us, therefore, to whom the Report of the Royal Commission is a
gospel of sanitation, the duty is imposed, while patiently abiding the
results of recent legislation, of consistently striving towards the
object of our hopes, and in this respect the Council can, without