The history of small-pox in Australia, 1788-1908 / compiled from various sources by J.H.L Clumpston.

Date:
1914
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: The history of small-pox in Australia, 1788-1908 / compiled from various sources by J.H.L Clumpston. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Library & Archives Service. The original may be consulted at London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Library & Archives Service.

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    In this instance, also, the oft-repeated tale has to be told once again—Drs. Bedford and Ward, sent up from Sydney by the Government, declared that they were of the opinion that it was oiot a case of true variola, but a very aggravated case of varicella.—{Loc. cit.) An interesting fact in connexion with this case is worth recording. A child of the patient McG., aged about 3 years, slept on the same bed with the patient from the onset of his disease until the third day of the rash. It was vaccinated on that day only, and thereafter slept elsewhere. Neither this child nor any other member in the household contracted the disease. Nor did the disease appear except in this one patient. 1877. Onl2thDecember, 1877, it was discovered that there was a case of small- pox on board the steamer Brisbane, lying in Sydney Harbor, after her arrival in port. The patient was landed from the ship on the 13th, and died on the following morning. This was the first case. A second case of small-pox was landed from the ship on 18th December at the Quarantine Station, whither the ship had been removed on the discovery of the first case. No other case appears to have occurred on the vessel herself, and she seems to have been released from quarantine on 27th January. The Master was fined £100 for breach of the quarantine regulations in giving false information at the time of arrival in port. On 30th December a case of small-pox was discovered in a small house on the wharf, next to the wharf where the steamship Brisbane had berthed. This patient, a young woman, had a very severe attack, but there is no record of either her death or recovery. There is no evidence to show how this patient contracted the disease. All that can be said is that the dates are consistent with infection from the Brisbane during the time she was moored at the wharf. On 11th January two girls, members of the Holden family at Miller's Point, were taken ill, and although the City Health Officer at first declared that the disease was not small-pox, it subsequently proved to be so. On 14th January, the daily press reported as follows :— Another of the Holden girls, aged 16, died yesterday on board the hospital ship. Whether this was a third member of the family or the second of the two above is not apparent. At any rate, that two deaths had occurred in the Holden family up to 14th January is certain. On 15th January the father of the Holden family became ill with the disease. On 29th January is the report that '' the remaining child of the Holden family died on Saturday night. Apparently three children (all of whom died), and the father, were attacked in the Holden family. On 18tli January a case appeared on the H.M.S. Wolverine, one of the fleet of men-of-war lying in Sydney Harbor. Three more cases appeared on this vessel and one on the Sappho, all of which had been diagnosed by 20th January.