Dr. Page's report to the Local Government Board on an inquiry into the circumstances of an outbreak of small-pox in St. Joseph's Certified Industrial School for Roman Catholic Girls, Manchester / [David Page].

  • Page, David, M.D.
Date:
1888
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Dr. Page's report to the Local Government Board on an inquiry into the circumstances of an outbreak of small-pox in St. Joseph's Certified Industrial School for Roman Catholic Girls, Manchester / [David Page]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    during the same period, Sister Clare informing me she had not been in the city for any purpose since some time in May last.* I inquired as to the possibility of infection by clothing, but it was shown to me that the clothes of the children are made upon the premises from new material, and I was told that it is an invariable practice on the admission of a pupil to destroy in the kitchen furnace every article of apparel she brings with her. Every child is provided with a new outfit, no worn clothing is accepted by way of gift, and all needlework is wrought upon new material. In view of a possible introduction of infection by children or others recently admitted to the institution, I directed my inquiry to the history of every one who had entered it between the middle of June and the middle of July. These admissions were stated by the Lady Superintendent to have been alto¬ gether six in number, and included five children admitted from Manchester on June 21st, 22nd, 26th, July 1st and Ilth, and a child admitted from York on July 6th. Of the Manchester cases, two were homeless waifs picked up in the streets by the local school officers. I visited the homes of other two, accom¬ panied by Mr. Whiley of the Health Department, where, as well as at houses around, I made inquiry and examined children with the result of finding no evidence of the existence of small-pox of any description ; and the fifth case was a girl admitted from Crumpsall workhouse, in whose case there was no history of antecedent illness.f With regard to the sixth child, admitted as stated from York on July 6th, The girl I saw her in the wards at Monsall on August 12th, when she was running irom ^ork about and helping to wait upon those who were still confined to bed. This child, Mary Anne Conley, nearly 13 years of age, showed, upon examination, three vaccination scars of well-marked characters, but of small area. I observed, scattered over her feet legs and arms, about a dozen spots, two or three more upon the body and a single one upon the face, the whole number not exceeding 20. Several were mere stains or discolorations, but the majority were distinct, although not deep, depressions of a bluish-red colour, the spot upon the face being red and more deeply pitted than the rest. I noticed no adherent scabs or scales, but both the medical superintendent and the ward nurse stated that these were to be seen after the child’s admission on July 27th, and that they were similar in appearance to what are seen in the later stages of modified small-pox. I questioned the girl with the view of eliciting her history, but her discrepant statements inducing me to make a subsequent visit to the hospital for the purpose of cross-examining her, I found her story from beginning to end hopelessly contradictory, and in material points the child admitted her previous statements to be untrue. I visited York on August 14th when I had an interview with the Town Clerk, Mr. McGuire, and Dr. North, medical officer of health, from whom I received most cordial assistance at this stage of my inquiry. I visited the locality in Hungate where the child lived prior to her removal to Manchester, and saw her mother, sisters, and other persons with whom she had been most intimately associated up to the day she left. I also saw the school attendance officer who accompanied her from York to Man¬ chester, and I was enabled to find their fellow passengers on the journey. I may state at once that the evidence is complete and conclusive that Mary Ann Conley was duly examined and truthfully certified on July 3rd to be free from disease, and that on July 6th, the day of her removal from York, she continued to be to all appearance in good health and free from recognisable symptoms of illness up to the time of her reception at the school. This case has become matter of dispute between York and Manchester, but without, so far as I can see, the smallest occasion. The facts about the child are * It may be well to state explicitly that the Sisters do no visiting amongst the poor, but are wholly engaged in the care and education of the children in St. Joseph’s School. During the same period covered by this part of the inquiry, three cases only of small-pox had been notified to the health authorities at Manchester, on June L5th, 19th, and 29th, when they were removed to Monsall. No further cases were notified prior to the outbreak at St. Joseph’s School, and throughout August the only notification received was of the later cases that occurred in connexion with the school outbreak, I examined the five Manchester children without finding any indications of illness prior to admission. All had been successfully vaccinated in infancy, and all had escaped small-pox save one, who had been attacked on July 27th, and was seen by me at Monsall. A 4