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desirable that the work should be in the hands of the
Department, and such an arrangement will, it is
believed, lead to economy.
It has not been necessary to close any of the
schools during the past year, nor has any school
shown a marked incidence of disease. On one or two
occasions, when visiting schools, a tendency to crowd
the scholars into a small space for the purposes of
teaching has been observed, a practice which, on
sanitary grounds, can hardly be condemned too
strongly. It is by such close aggregation that disease
spreads from child to child.
Vagrants and Infectious Disease.—The fact that
disease is spread by vagrants and other users of casual
wards, shelters, etc., has occupied the attention of
Sanitary authorities for some years. In 1893 a report
was presented to the Corporation of Newcastle
by the Medical Officer of Health for the Borough
which attracted considerable attention, and was one
of the causes for holding the Conference of Delegates
from the Metropolitan Boards which took place last
June. The following resolutions were passed on that
occasion:—
Resolutions passed at the Conference held at the County Hall,
on 19th July, 1894.
1. “That common shelters which are not subject to the law
relating to common lodging-houses should be made
subject to such law.