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Doubtless the value of the measure will differ in different districts,
but in Stoke Newington I had already received so much information
from the School Attendance Officer with reference to these cases, and
the medical men almost without exception had shown so little disposition
to run risks, when the question of whether the disease at
issue was Chicken-pox or Small-pox, that I was inclined to the view
that the notification of the disease in the Borough would entail a
considerable amount of increased work with probably no compensating
advantage. At the time of writing, my suspicions have
been fully borne out. The larger number of notifications of Chickenpox
I have received through the School Authorities and not through
the Medical Attendants, and in every instance in which the notification
is received the case has turned out to be one of Chicken-pox
only. With reference to the notification of Chicken-pox, it must be
borne in mind that the Medical Officer of Health has no right to
question the diagnosis of a Medical Practitioner and to examine
the patient; and that being the case, one is liable to be found
fault with if an examination of the patient is made. At the time
of writing (March 1902), I have, however, visited every case
notified, and no complaints of my action have reached me. I
repeat, however, that in Stoke Newington, I believe that my
attention would be called to any case of Chicken-pox regarding
which the Medical Attendant had any doubt as to the diagnosis, and
hitherto the notification of the disease has thrown a very large
amount of work upon my shoulders without any advantage whatever.
At one time the notifications seriously threathened to occupy one's
time to the prejudice of more urgent work, and fearing that I should
not be able to visit all the cases, I sent the following letter to the
Medical Practitioners:—
[copy] .
Dear Sir,
As you have already been notified, Chicken-pox is now a compulsorily
notifiable disease in Stoke Newington.
With reference to the notification of this disease, may I ask you, as
a special favour, to indicate on your Certificate, whether the patient has
been vaccinated, and if so, how many marks of vaccination are to be seen.
I am, dear Sir,
Yours faithfully,
HENBY KENWOOD.