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42
Factory and Workshop Act, 1895, Sec. 29.
"(1).—Every medical practitioner attending on or called in
to visit a patient whom he believes to be suffering from lead,
phosphorus, or arsenical poisoning, or anthrax, contracted in
any factory or workshop, shall (unless the notice required by
this section has been previously sent) send to the Chief
Inspector of Factories, at the Home Office, London, a notice
stating the name and full postal address of the patient and the
disease from which, in the opinion of the medical practitioner,
the patient is suffering, and shall be entitled, in respect of every
notice sent in pursuance of this section to a fee of two shillings
and sixpence, to be paid as part of the expenses incurred by the
Secretary of State in the execution of the principal Act.
"(2).—If any medical practitioner, when required by this
section to send a notice, fails forthwith to send the same, he
shall be liable to a fine not exceeding forty shillings."
The Factory Inspector was sent on my information to investigate
the circumstances, and as a result of his inquiries found that
certain changes were necessary in the works. The respirators worn
by the workers were too small, and the arrangements for washing
were insufficient, etc.
The necessary works were subsequently executed to the satisfaction
of the Factory Inspector.
The chief point about this incident is that the Legislature had
provided in the above quoted sections a means by which early cases
of poisoning by certain substances might be known, but owing
to ignorance of the law on the part of the medical practitioners of
the district, the end sought by legislation was defeated.
In order to prevent a recurrence of such an accident, I visited
the Chief Factory Inspector and acquainted him with the circumstances,
and at the same time suggested the medical practitioners
should individually have their attention drawn to the statute.