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38
at the hand of some unrelenting foe. "Would it not be thought worth
a little trouble to adopt some direct plan of campaign against this
enemy, and would it be considered possible that any Government
would refuse to sanction the expenditure of money necessary to assist
in an attempt promising a fair amount of success?"
In November, 1901, shortly after the Council had agreed to adopt
the voluntary notification of the disease, the following letter was
addressed to the medical practitioners of Stoke Newington:
Public Health Department,
Council Offices, Milton Boad,
Stoke Newington, N.,
November, 1901.
Dear Sir,
The Council at their Meeting on the 19th November last unanimously
resolved to inaugurate a Voluntary System of Notification of cases of
Phthisis within the Borough of Stoke Newington.
I now beg to invite your co-operation in this effort to diminish the
spread of Phthisis by dust infection. As you are aware, even though every
care is taken as to the disposal of sputum in a given case attended by you,
it is very desirable that the room occupied by the patient should be purified
before any other person sleeps in it. This work of disinfection will be
carried out by the Public Health Department free of all charge.
I enclose herewith a copy of the precautionary handbills which it is
proposed to leave at the house where a case of Phthisis is notified, and
sincerely trust that you will be able to assist me in the efforts which I propose
to make to bring about the removal of conditions which are likely to
favour the spread of the disease.
The usual fees for notification will be paid for information of the existence
of any case of Consumption which has not been previously notified
from the same premises. As cases will only be notified with the consent of
the patient, there will, it is thought, be no difficulty in obtaining information
as to whether the case has been previously notified or not.
Arrangements have been made for examining, without fee, specimens
of sputum from patients the nature of whose illness is dubious, and I feel
sure you will agree that this provision should be utilised in all such cases.
I am, dear Sir,
Yours faithfully,
HENRY KENWOOD,
Medical Officer of Health.