Mexborough and Swinton Times January 14, 1927
Mexborough Cases sent to Hoober
No Abatement of the Epidemic
At a special meeting of the Swinton and District Joint Hospital Board, held on Monday evening, the question of taking cases of smallpox from the Mexborough district was raised.
The Board decides to take five cases immediately another five after 17 days. The Board are obliged to keep a reserve of accommodation in hand to view of the serious danger of an extension of the epidemic to their own area. The disease is, in fact, threatening to reassume epidemic form in the Swinton district.
The development of the smallpox epedemic in Mexborough is causing considerable alarm, 16 fresh cases have been notified this week. These bring the total since February last 231, but while the cases at first were of in mild character and were confined to the western portion of Mexborough, and now more virulent intact, and are occurring in every part of the town.
The question of accommodating the cases in isolation hospital is presenting great difficulty to the authorities, and one of the Medical Inspectors from the Ministry of Health visiting the town on Tuesday.
The Conisbrough Isolation Hospital is full, and the Wath and District Joint Hospital Board can undertake only a few cases in their Hoober hospital. The Redmires hospital in Sheffield, and the Barnsley smallpox hospital have been considered, but the Redmires hospital is thought to be too far away, and the Barnsley authority and asked for the payment of 14 guineas for the first case and seven guineas for subsequent cases.
Formal case of smallpox have been notified that Swinton this week, all of them from Roman Terrace. Although the cases are mild, there is, in the opinion of the medical officer (Dr S.O. Hatherley) the great danger of the disease becoming more severe in character.
In the county of Durham this week 12 deaths from smallpox are reported.
Eight cases of the disease were reported at Doncaster on Wednesday. This makes 90 cases since the epidemic started at the beginning of October. About 60% of the cases are children of school age. The number of patients at present under treatment is 39.