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withdrawal would be accompanied by a statement of the circumstances
under which the letter was issued." In a further
communication, dated May 28th, no reference was made to the
suggested withdrawal of my letter, but new ground was opened,
the Clerk writing as follows:—
" It is the desire of the Committee that every
reasonable facility for the prompt and proper removal of these
patients to the hospitals should be afforded, and, with this object
in view the Committee are desirous of ascertaining whether, in your
opinion, some means could be adopted whereby the Vestry of Kensington.
would hold themselves responsible, under the contract contemplated
by Section 15 of the Poor Law Act, 1879, for the cost of maintenance
of cases of fever or small-pox, which may be removed to hospital, not,
however, upon the order of any qualified medical practitioner, but
upon the certificate of certain qualified medical practitioners in the
parish, who would not only act as deputies of the Medical Officer of
Health, and be responsible to him for the proper diagnosis of the cases
to be removed, but would also be recognised by the Vestry as their
responsible officers in regard to this particular branch of sanitary
legislation."
Writing on the 5th June, I ventured to point out that "the
suggested arrangement would substitute the certificate and the
direct application of one of a few selected doctors for the certificate
and the direct application of any registered medical practitioner,"
and that " the application for removal of a 'non-pauper' would
necessarily have to be made in the first instance to the Medical
Officer of Health, who, when found, would have to request a
selected doctor to visit the case. As it would not always be easy
to find, or to ensure the immediate attendance of the doctor
selected to visit the case," I was "afraid that time would seldom
be saved by the arrangement as compared with the system of
application by the friends of the patient to the Relieving Officer,
and removal of the case in strict conformity with the Order of the
Local Government Board." I referred to the fact that prior to
July, 1884, "the certificate of any known medical practitioner,
acting for the purpose as deputy of the District Medical Officer, had
come to be recognised, by certain Relieving Officers," (I was
alluding to the Kensington Relieving Officers), "as evidence of