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4. The Resident Medical Officer of the Kensington Dispensary reports
infectious cases, which he is not allowed to treat in the homes of the poor
when they cannot be properly isolated.
6. Medical men occasionally report cases, especially when they desire
assistance to get patients [e.g., domestic servants) removed to hospital ;
or when they require the aid of the disinfecting staff.
6. The Chief Commissioner of Police has instructed Divisional Surgeons
that on the occurrence of infectious disease being reported in the residence
of a police officer, the Medical Officer of Health is to receive due
notice of the fact.
7. The Postal Authorities have intimated to the medical officers of the
Department that, if in their several districts it be not already the rule
to give notice of infectious diseases to the Sanitary Authority, it would
be well that such a rule should be introduced in the case of Post Office
servants.
8. In my annual report for 1877 I referred to a resolution of the London
School Board directing the Superintendents of Divisions throughout
the Metropolis to instruct the “Visitors” to report to the several
Medical Officers of Health cases of infectious disease coming to their
knowledge in the discharge of their official duties. The Board subsequently
passed a resolution directing Teachers, also, to inform the Medical
Officer of Health of the case of any child excluded from School on
account of its showing symptoms of an infectious disease, or coming
from a house where an infectious disease exists. A few such cases have
been reported, but on the whole the results of my efforts to promote
notification through the School Board organisation have not realized
expectations.
9. Clergymen and District Visitors occasionally report cases of sickness.
10. The Resident Medical Officers of St. George's and St. Mary's Hospitals
report the admission of cases, or the application of inadmissible cases, of
infectious illness, from houses in this parish.
11. Occasionally, anonymous communications are the source of information, for
I have not felt at liberty to disregard such communications, which have
frequently proved to be accurate.
In one or another of the above ways some hundreds of cases
come to my knowledge in the course of every year. How many
never get reported at all it is impossible to say; but from the fact
that many fatal cases of infectious disease, other than small-pox,
are concealed until after registration of death, it may be inferred
that unrecorded cases of recovery are numerous.