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9 deaths from the disease, 2 in North Camberwell, 4 in
Peckham and 3 in St. George's. In all the above it will be
seen that Peckham is in a somewhat unenviable position, but it
must be remembered that I am speaking of a division which is
now sub-divided into two registration districts and which,
previously to December, 1905, contained a population nearly
double that of either North or South Camberwell.
There was a small and localised outbreak of smallpox
in Hampton's Avenue in May, the first notification being that
of a boy of 10 with no vaccination marks; the next attacked
being two other unvaccinated children, aged 4 years and 3
months respectively. The most noteworthy feature of the case
is that all the other children in this family and tenement of
school age had been at school for three days while there was
a case of smallpox in the building, yet nothing occurred
among other children of the school or house.
Early in the year a smaller attack occurred in Domville
Grove. No reason could be assigned for the outbreak and the
disease was strictly limited to the one house.
Our other dealings with smallpox were only those of
visiting persons who resided in it, but who had been in contact
with the disease elsewhere than in the Borough. No notification
was received in respect to any of these.
The above cases are worthy of special record for two
reasons: first of all they were strictly limited in area, none
of the adjoining inhabitants suffering, and also that no source
of infection could be found. It is needless to ask how they
would have been regarded as strong arguments in favour of
the aerial convection theory had a smallpox hospital in
working condition existed within a mile or so of the houses
in question.
There were two notifications of small-pox which turned
out afterwards not to be cases of this disease. During the
time of the notification of chicken-pox the County Council
made arrangements wish Dr. Wanklyn, the former Medical
Officer at the South Wharf, to act as Referee in case of doubt,
but with the removal of this disease from the list of those
notifiable, this engagement has unfortunately come to an end.
That there is an abiding necessity for such an arrangement
has been proved over and over again, and in default of the
Metropolitan Asylums Board undertaking this duty, it is to the