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41
Every Sanitary Authority has an Officer specially trained in the prevention
as distinguished from the cure of disease, who is kept informed every moment
of the prevalence of disease.
In case of an outbreak of Small-pox, it falls upon the Sanitary Authority
to receive the notifications, to provide for isolation and for disinfection, and
in short to undertake the whole duty of combatting the disease ; and in case of
inability to cope with it, the odium also falls upon the Sanitary Authority.
The transfer of the control of vaccination should make no difference in the
cost, as the same Officers would carry out the work ; but it would make a vast
improvement in the administration, especially when under pressure, on
account of the administration for the prevention of Small-pox being in the
hands of one public body only and worked as part of one public department
in possession of such knowledge as to enable the staff and resources to
be applied in the most effectual manner and to the fullest extent available.
It has been said that some Sanitary Authorities would do even less than
some Guardian Boards in the matter. This is extremely unlikely, because
any failure to prevent an outbreak of Small-pox would expose the members of
a Sanitary Authority to considerable odium, especially as they will have been
constantly advised by an expert Officer to keep the vaccination up to date.
It has been said that Sanitary Authorities are unfit bodies to have control
of vaccination. It may be true that some of the smaller Sanitary Authorities
are not sufficiently alive to the prevention of diseases, but this does not apply
to the larger Authorities, and especially to the Boroughs and County Boroughs,
many of which have obtained private Acts far in advance of the general
legislation of the country or the knowledge of the bulk of our legislators.
It has been recommended that vaccination should be placed in the hands
of a Central Authority. It is now in the hands of a Central Authority, the
Local Government Board, which Board controls the administration of the
Acts by the Boards of Guardians in the Poor Law Unions, and would equally
control it if it were transferred to the Sanitary Authorities.
Money invested, not only in vaccination, but also in re-vaccination, is
well invested, and often saves thousands of pounds from being spent subsequently
by Sanitary Authorities in hospital provision and other measures
to meet epidemics.
It was resolved that in the opinion of the Conference of delegates of the
Metropolitan Vestries and District tBoards, the Vaccination Acts should be
administered by the Authorities that administer the Acts and provisions for
the prevention of the spread of infectious diseases by notification, isolation,
and disinfection.
It was further resolved that a Deputation from the Conference, to consist of
two Delegates from each Vestry and District Board represented, be appointed
to wait upon the President of the Local Government Board to urge
(a) the desirableness of the administration of the Vaccination Acts being