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ask for them, lest we should be refused by the Vestry." And you, therefore, inherit a
legacy from your predecessors through their modesty in not demanding their full
requirements.
But since that time much has happened; and sanitary legislation has gone on
apace. Thus the following Acts of Parliament have been passed:—
The Margarine Act.
The Local Government Act.
Sale of Horse Flesh Act.
Infectious Disease Notification.
Infectious Disease Prevention.
Public Health Act Amendment Act.
Housing of the Working Classes.
Factory and Workshops Act.
Inland Revenue Act, 1891.
Public Health (London) Act, 1891.
Thus ever-increasing duties were placed on a staff which had been openly acknowledged
to be deficient. If then it was deficient in 1886 it clearly cannot be nearly
sufficient now, when such a number of new duties have devolved on the Inspectors.
The Notification of Infectious Disease has, at one stroke, more than quadrupled
the compulsory visits that have to be made by the staff. Thus, in 1887, before the
passing of the Act, there were 591 new cases of such diseases reported at the office,
while last year there were 2,091 oases. But this increase represents proportionally
far more work than appears by the mere mention of the figures, because every case
must be visited at once, and the name of the school ascertained so that the information
can be forwarded the same day to the various schools.
But the time spent at each house is longer, for now that the causes of infection
are better understood, the more numerous are the queries as to the milk supply, conditions,
and habits, that have to be made, and the more searching must be the
examination of the premises. In every instance, too, the premises have to be
re-visited to make inquiries as to the recovery of those who were ill, so that the
houses or parts of them shall be disinfected, because in the majority of cases the
people are not to be relied on to send early information. It is estimated that each
case entails four calls.
Additional duties have been thrown on the staff by the Registration of Houses
let in Lodgings, or occupied by members of more than one family, and by their
consequent inspection from time to time. But this registration has been left in
abeyance for several years owing to the number of Inspectors being insufficient to
carry on the work. It should be resumed, and instead of having only between 300
and 400 on the register there should be very many more.