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76
As the result, apparently, of the communication I made to the
Chief Commissioner in October, the following (second) Memorandum
was issued in November:—
Sick: Infectious Diseases.—Referring to Police Orders, 7tli
March last, under this head.—On the occurrence of infectious disease
being reported in the residence of a police.officer, the Divisional Surgeon
is to see that the Medical Officer of Health receives due notice, as well as
all other Parish Authorities.”
And finally a third Memorandum was issued in January,
1883, as follows
“Sick: Infectious Diseases.—Referring to Police Orders, 7 th of
March last, under this head.—When the Divisional Surgeon reports in
accordance with that Order that he considers a member of a police.
officer's family ought to be removed to the Fever Hospital, the case is
to be reported to the Parochial Authorities. Certificates of admission
to the Fever Hospital a,re to be issued to police.officers only.”
The second Memorandum required the occurrence of an
infectious disease in the residence of a police.officer to be reported
to the Medical Officer of Health, irrespective of the question
whether the sick person was, or could be, properly isolated. By
the third Memorandum, such report, in respect of a member of the
family, appears to be required only when the Divisional Surgeon
is of opinion that the sick person ought to be removed to hospital;
the Divisional Surgeon apparently being relieved from the obligation
to report cases when the sick (in his opinion) can be safely
treated at home. I am under the impression that the Divisional
Surgeons are now required to report all such cases.
In a letter received from the Postal Authorities (July, 1883),
expression was given to "an anxious desire to meet as far as may
be the wishes of the Vestry" and it was stated that "the Department
never loses an opportunity of inculcating upon its servants
how important it is that in cases of infectious and contagious
diseases in their families they should remove the sick to hospital.”
Copies of three notices, which “have been placed in the hands of
every post office servant having infectious or contagious disease in
his house,” were enclosed, one of them having been issued
“early in the present year to the numerous medical officers of the
Department throughout the country, in which they have been in.