View report page

11
refuse to have their children vaccinated, we would pray the
legislature to double their punishment. Nearly two-thirds
of the fatal cases of Small Pox are found to be of unvaccinated
children, or only once vaccinated adults. We call
attention, as we did last year, to the very inadequate
powers possessed by the sanitary authorities to remove
compulsorily a case of infectious disease which is
dangerous to the neighbourhood. A decision was obtained
from a Court during the year of great importance,
as it defines the law now existing; (see Local
Summary for East Battersea, page 34), for while we
could obtain an order from a Justice for removal of. a
dangerous case, the magistrate himself was thought
to have no power to enforce his own decision. It was
decided that the offender could be convicted of contempt
if not complying with the order of the Court. The
necessity for having suitable conveyances for infectious
cases, light, easy, accessible, warm, well ventilated, and
not too conspicuous in appearance, should meet with more
consideration than it has as yet done.

Forty-one of the Small Pox cases occurred in Bat-