Mexborough and Swinton Times February 4, 1927
Smallpox Unabated
More Cases in Mexborough and Swinton
Nine in one house
Though the smallpox epidemic seems to be dying down in Sheffield, according to the report of the Medical Officer (Dr Wynne) to the City Council on Wednesday, it is still raging as violently as ever in Mexborough and Swinton. And though more people are coming forward for free vaccination at the public stations established in these places, this, in the opinion of the Medical Officers, is still leaving the problem largely untouched, because of the large number of unvaccinated children in the towns, many of them in houses where cases of the disease have occurred.
“They are coming up for vaccination very well,” said Dr S.O.Hatherley, the Medical Officer for Swinton, yesterday, “but there are so many children unvaccinated that it is sure to spread.”
Swinton returned an increased number of cases on the previous week. Up to Saturday night 11 cases had been discovered. From Sunday morning till yesterday afternoon that number had been equalled.
The previous restriction of the fresh outbreak largely to the Roman Terrace district has ceased, and the cases of the last few days of occurred in various parts of the town, including Milton Street. Though one or two other cases shows suspicious symptoms of more serious development, there are as yet no cases distinctly of the more virulent type.
At Mexborough Oaks yesterday afternoon 30 cases had been notified – it against 29 for the all of the previous week. Nine of the new case were actually discovered in one house. That made Mexborough’s total for the epidemic 338 cases.
A serious aspect of the academic at Mexborough is the fact that some half-dozen cases had been discovered by the medical officer (Dr J.J.Huey) of persons with the disease, and in an infected state, wilfully exposing themselves and others to danger of spreading the epidemic.
Dr Huey has discovered children who have been going to school with the disease, and also adults going about their business as usual. In some of these cases the disease was of two or three weeks standing.
With the authority of the Mexborough Urban Council, the medical officer yesterday issued a poster warning the public that in future failure to notify the fact immediately symptoms of the disease appear will incur prosecution.
The posting gives the symptoms – feverish nurse, general feeling of illness, often vomiting; painting head, neck, between shoulder blades, smaller back: in mild cases disappearing on first or second day, when the patient feels better, but is then infectious. The rash usually appears on the fourth or seventh day, usually first on the forehead, forearms, legs and wrists.
The Mexborough schools have been considerably affected in attendance by the epidemic, but are now beginning to recover. The school most effected is Doncaster Road, whose attendance last Friday dropped to 65%, through the absences of children with smallpox, vaccinated children, and contacts. All the precautions suggested by the sanitary department been taken, including the regular disinfecting of the schools. One or two children have been discovered in the schools in an infective state, and promptly notified.
The disease introduce itself into a new district this week, the case been notified at Darfield, and isolated. This is the first case of smallpox in Darfield for years. The neighbouring town, Wombwell is clear, but cases have occurred at Jump.
Up to last night no fresh cases have been reported at Wath. Last week there were two, and since January 12, 1927 eight cases and be notified.
In the Hoober Hospital last night there were 41 case of smallpox from the area of the Swinton, Wath and District Joint Hospital Board.