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In case No, i the patient was seen by a private practitioner
before being taken to the West London Hospital where she
had, two months previously, been an in.patient with dysentery,
In case No, 2 the child was said to have had a fall about
August 1st, 1915, after which he lost the use of both legs and
was taken to the West London Hospital on September 4th,
I9I5.
In case No, 3 the patient had previously been under the
care of a private practitioner, when she was said to be suffering
from bronchitis, On August 3rd, 1915, the patient lost the
use of an arm suddenly and was taken to the West London
Hospital,
In case No, 4 the patient was taken ill at Brighton on
August 30th, 1915, when his parents came to Hammersmith
for a short period and the patient was taken to the West
London Hospital,
In case No, 5 the patient was first taken ill on August
4th, 1915, when a private practitioner was consulted, and was
afterwards an in.patient in the West London Hospital from
August 7th, 1915, to September nth, 1915, On September
24th, 1915, he again attended the West London Hospital as
an out.patient,
In case No, 6 the patient was first taken to a private
practitioner and afterwards to the West London Hospital on
October 1st, 1915,
In every case enquiries were immediately made, when the
necessary particulars were obtained which were forwarded to
the London County Council,
It will be clearly seen that owing to the length of time
intervening between the onset of the disease and its notification,
the steps necessary to be taken for the prevention of
the possible spread of the infection are of but little value,
In view of the fact I addressed a letter to the Resident
Medical Officer at the West London Hospital, who notified
the cases, pointing out that a considerable time was allowed to
elapse between the attendance of the patients at the hospital
and the receipt of the notification certificates, I was informed
that the delay in notification had been caused by the lack of
permanent help in the out.patients' department at the hospital
through depletion of staff owing to the war,
The Resident Medical Officer also pointed out, and I
agree with his observations, that it is extremely rare for the