Report on an epidemic of small-pox at Sheffield during 1887-88 / by Dr. Barry ; with an introduction by the Medical Officer of the Local Government Board ; presented to both Houses of Parliament by command of Her Majesty.

  • Barry, Frederick W. (Frederick William), 1850-1897.
Date:
1889
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Report on an epidemic of small-pox at Sheffield during 1887-88 / by Dr. Barry ; with an introduction by the Medical Officer of the Local Government Board ; presented to both Houses of Parliament by command of Her Majesty. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by Royal College of Physicians, London. The original may be consulted at Royal College of Physicians, London.

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    child was suckled whilst in the hospital by a woman who was suffering from small-pox, Small-pox and who was one of the persons included in the outbreak B. Her own child was not s AT f affected and had been left at home. After remaining in the hospital for about a i(Ss7—ssby fortnight the two children were discharged as the medical officer asserted that the Dr. Barry. disease for which they had been treat in good health, but his unvaccinated developed small-pox of a severe type 30th. (6.) A girl resident in the Upper Walkley district of Nether Hallam was sent in ordinary course to the hospital in April to be treated for scarlatina, and was discharged “ well ”* on June 8th. Four days afterwards she developed small-pox and was re- admitted. (c.) A woman resident at Parkwood Springs, Brightside district, was admitted to the hospital on May 13th also for scarlatina, and was discharged on June 4th.f Shortly afterwards she developed small-pox, and was re-admitted on June 14th. The geographical distribution of these new centres of infection is indicated in Map No. 1 by green dots. A. glance at this map will show that at an early period of the epidemic small-pox had thus established itself over a very wide area, involving four districts, viz.: Brightside, Nether Hallam, North Sheffield, and Sheffield Park. The whole of the cases which had occurred up to the end of May. and of which any record could be obtained, were, with three exceptions, traceable to cases included in one or other of tlie outbreaks already noticed. The first of these exceptions was that of a girl (A.S.) resident in St. Stephen’s Road, who was being treated for heart disease by a mesmerist. He used to see her pro- fessionally every morning at the Temperance Hall, Townliead Street, and every evening she used to attend at the same place for the purpose of being exhibited on the platform when under the influence of mesmerism. The hall on these occasions was very much crowded, and became very hot and offensive, and it may be that whilst there she received the infection of small-pox. The daughter of the mesmerist was subsequently attacked, and was admitted to the hospital whilst A. S. was under treatment there ; the mesmerist himself developing small-pox shortly afterwards. The second of the three cases was that of A. J., a painter’s apprentice, resident in Fawcett Street, who was attacked on May 18th. With regard to the source of this case I was unable to obtain any reliable information. The third case was that of a woman, J. W., resident in Summer Street, in a house close to the hospital. This case will be referred to later in this report.^ After the end of May the disease became so widespread, and opportunities for catching it so numerous, that it was impossible to affirm the particular means of its communication to individuals newly attacked. It was shortly afterwards that a special incidence of small-pox in houses in the immediate neighbourhood of the hospital, to which a later section of the report is devoted, began to take place. The Ecclesall sub-district was invaded in the week ending June 11th; Upper Hallam and West Sheffield in the week ending: June 18th; South Sheffield in th^ week ending July 9th ; and Attercliffe in the week ending July 23rd. As already stated, it was during the last week in March 1887 that the earliest cases of small-pox treated in any hospital were admitted to the Borough Hospital in Winter Street. The Infectious Diseases Hospital at the Ecclesali Bierlow Union Workhouse was opened for the reception of small-pox patients on July 26th. The Infectious Diseases Hospital at the Sheffield Union Workhouse was opened for the same purpose on August 20th. The Borough Small-pox Hospital at Lodge Moor was opened for the reception of patients on February 22nd, 1888. In Table II. the number of new cases which occurred week by week in each of the Progress of sub-districts of Sheffield, from the commencement of the epidemic to March 31st, 1888, Small-pox is shown in columns 2 to 10. Epidemic, The sub-districts are arranged in the order of their invasion. The number of cases admitted each week to the various hospitals is given in columns 12 to 16, the number of cases treated at home in column 17, the deaths in the hospitals in columns IS to 22, and the deaths at home in column 23. The total cases and total deaths occurring during each week will be found in columns 11 and 24 respectively. * This girl had been revaccinated just before being discharged. f This person was not revaccinated before being discharged the first time from hospital. J See page 279 post. A 3 ied was not small-pox. the elder one remained younger brother shortly after their return home of and was re-admitted to the hospital on May