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I personally saw the patients before their removal to the
Hospital, and immediately afterwards the Vaccination officer
was informed (by telegram), as required by the Local Government
Board, with a view to vaccination or re-vaccination being offered
to all contacts. The Vaccination Officer of the Kingston Union
then in turn communicated with the Public Vaccinator. I must
bear testimony to the prompt manner with which the home of
the patients and immediate neighbourhood were visited by the
Vaccination Officer, yet would suggest that it would be well if
the medical practitioner who is in attendance could undertake the
vaccination of contacts, and be remunerated in the same manner
as the Poor Iaw Medical Officers.
Section 13 of the Vaccination Act (34 and 35 Vict., cap.
98) provides that District Medical Officers in attendance upon any
person suffering from small pox should be entitled to payment
from the Guardians for vaccinating or re-vaccinating (as the case
may be) any person who is resident in the same house as the sick
person, and who can lawfully be vaccinrted at the public expense.
Seeing how necessary it is that the vaccination of contacts
should be performed at once, I think it would be well if this provision
were extended to all medical practitioners in attendance on small
pox patients.
Immediately after the patient's removal to the hospital the
complete process of disinfection is carried out, viz. :—The bedding,
etc., removed for steam disinfection, the rooms fumigated bv
sulphur dioxide or formalin, according to circumstances, the wall
paper soaked with a solution of perchloride of mercury, then
stripped off and burnt in the room, the walls and ceilings whitewashed,
and all floors, doors and woodwork thoroughly washed
and cleansed.
Further facilities should be provided to Medical Officers
of Health and medical practitioners generally for obtaining Iymph
of guaranteed efficiency, preferablv from Government sources.
The amount of work thrown on the Sanitary Department
cannot at all be judged by the number of cases. The system of
inter-communication between Medical Officers of Health, wherebv
they provide each other with lists of persons who have been
in contact with small-pox patients in their districts, involves a