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61
Report of the Medical Officer of Health.
Small=pox.
One case of small-pox was notified, and all details are given
in the following report:—
On 28th December a case of small-pox was notified to me
from Clapham, and on enquiry it was found that the case had
been for some time in Russia, and at Moscow, where he had been
living, his secretary had suffered from some skin eruption which
was diagnosed as chicken-pox. No further information as to
this case could be obtained.
The patient arrived at Dover by the s.s. "Stad Antwerpen"
on the 21st December. He left Dover by the 7.40 p.m. train,
and arrived at Victoria at 9.34 p.m. He was in a carriage by
himself from Dover to London. He travelled by taxi-cab from
Victoria, but it was not possible to trace it.
On the 22nd December, his medical man was called in and
saw the case every day, but no notification was received by me
till the 28th December.
vThe diagnosis of small-pox was verified by Dr. Wanklyn, of
the London County Council, on the 28th, and the case was removed
to hospital at 7 p.m. on that day.
The premises were disinfected by the sanitary staff on the
28th December, and the walls of the room stripped on the 29th.
All the inmates of the house were vaccinated or re-vaccinated
on the 28th December.
All other known contacts have been visited and advised to
be re-vaccinated. Nine of those in contact at his house were revaccinated.
The whole of the contacts were kept under supervision for
fourteen days.
The Medical Officers of Health of the various districts in
which contacts resided were duly informed. I also communicated
with the Medical Officer of Health for Dover, as it was possible
that some of the railway staff assisted the patient into the
carriage at the railway station.
The case recovered, and no further cases occurred.