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special attention to these facts as in several cases reports
have been circulated that patients were found not to be
suffering from Small-pox on arrival at Hospital. Apparently
the sole basis for these reports was the early removal of all
mild cases from the ships to the Gore Farm Hospital, which
was recently used as a convalescent home for Scarlet Fever
and Diphtheria, but the assumption that any of these cases
were not actually Small-pox is perfectly groundless.
In a few instances the more serious mistake was made of
taking small-pox for chicken-pox, acne, etc.
These errors have already been referred to under the
head "source of infection," and whereas there is no reason to
think that any harm at all was done by sending the 7 cases
mistakenly thought to be small-pox to the Ambulance Station,
the overlooking of the symptoms of small-pox in 9 cases gave
rise to at least 20 secondary cases of small-pox and probably
to considerably more.
6. Notification of Chicken-Pox. In order that possible
cases of small-pox mistaken for chicken-pox might come to the
knowledge of the Medical Officer of Health, the London
County Council, with the sanction of the Local Government
Board, declared chicken-pox a notifiable disease. 301 cases of
chicken-pox were notified between February 1st and June 30th.
All these cases were visited to find whether they had been
recently vaccinated, and if not or if there appeared any other
reason to suspect small-pox, permission was sought to visit
and examine the patient if this had not been already
requested. In 3 cases the notification of chicken-pox led
to the detection of cases of small-pox, but in 2 of these—the
very doubtful ones above referred to—the notifications came too
late to take the necessary steps as to isolation and vaccination