View report page

54
"The Sanitary Authority shall forthwith cause Circular
"Letters to be sent to all legally qualified Medical Practitioners
"in the District informing them of their duties under this
" Regulation."
In accordance with these instructions the following circular
letter was at once sent to every medical practitioner in the
District :
Public Health Department,
Town Hall, Clerkenwell.
'24th September 1900.
Dear Sir,
NOTIFICATION OF CASES OF PLAGUE.
I have received from the Local Government Board a circular, dated
20th September 1900, stating, that in consequence of the appearance of the
Plague at Glasgow, and in view of the possible occurrence of cases of the disease
in England and Wales, they have decided to issue an order requiring the
immediate notification to the Sanitary Authorities and to themselves of all cases
of plague.
The Local Government Board has accordingly issued a Special Order
extending the Provisions of Section 55 of the Public Health (London) Act 1891, to
Plague. The Sanitary Authorities will, therefore, under this Order, have the
same powers and duties in relation to notification of cases of plague as they would
have under that Section (Section 55), if Plague were an infectious disease similar
to other diseases which are notifiable.
The Order instructs me to inform you of this officially, and to remind you of
the duties falling upon all medical practitioners concerning the notification of
Infectious diseases.
It will be the duty of this Sanitary Authority to report forth with to the Local
Government Board any cases of plague which may be notified to us.
I need scarcely add that I shall, of course, be glad to immediately co-operate
with you in the event of it becoming necessary, which I hope and expect will not
be the case.
Yours faithfully,
GEORGE NEWMAN, M.D., D.P.H.,
Medical Officer of Health.
Notification is, of course, the first item in the line of defence
against infectious disease. Isolation of cases follows as a matter
of course upon notification. The Metropolitan Asylums Board
therefore made all arrangements for immediate removal to the
South Eastern Hospital of any person duly certified to be suffering
from Plague. The London County Council also made arrangements