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1902]
104
arisen in Islington because your Medical Officer of Health, while making
or causing to be made, every necessary inquiry, refrained from an examination
of the patient, and accepted as he felt bound to accept the notification
without casting any doubt on the diagnosis. He is glad to think that his
confidence was not misplaced, for in no instance was a case of Small Pox
known to follow in a family in which a medical practitioner had notified a case
of Chicken Pox. The medical profession of Islington, all through the
epidemic of Small Pox showed themselves fully alive to their responsibilities,
and in many instances went to very great trouble and expense to assure the
accuracy of their diagnosis before notifying Small Pox. It is gratifying, too,
to know that to an almost unknown extent they mutually assisted each other,
those with experience of Small Pox readily giving their services to others
who were not so fortunate.
Altogether 1,875 cases of Chicken Pox were notified to the Medical Officer
of Health by medical men.
In addition to these he received 482 notifications from the teachers of the
Public Elementary Schools, chiefly prior to the enforcement of its compulsory
notification, for as soon as that became law they ceased in a great
measure to give information, and then, as was not unnatural, looked
to the Medical Officer of Health to assist them in protecting their schools.
Prior to the introduction of compulsory notification your Medical Officer,
feeling it was desirable that he should obtain information about Chicken Pox,
lest there should be any cases not attended by medical men, and, therefore,
might possibly be Small Pox, addressed the following circular letter to all the
teachers in the Public Elementary Schools
Public Health Department,
Town Hall, Islington, N.
8th January, 1902.
Dear Sir or Madam,
My Public Health Committee, as well as myself, will esteem it
a very great favour if you will notify to me all cases in which children
are absent through Chicken Pox immediately that you receive the
information yourself.
I need not point out to you that at the present time examination
into such cases is a matter of urgency and importance; a great many
cases of Small Pox are mistaken for Chicken Pox.
I am,
Yours faithfully,
A. E. HARRIS,
Medical Officer of Health.