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VI.—Legislation.
During the year 1896 a very important Act—to which slight attention has
been paid—was passed by Parliament. The Act is known as 59 & 60 Vict.,
chap. 19, or the Public Health Act, 1696: an Act to make further provision
with respect to epidemic, endemic, and infectious diseases, and to repeal the
Acts relating to Quarantine. This Act is the coping-stone to the system of
medical inspection, observation, and isolation gradually substituted by this
country for quarantine since 1848; and now, after fifty years' promising, to
be adopted internationally. It repeals the Quarantine Act of 1825, and
transfers from the Privy Council to the Local Government Board the powers
of control over infectious diseases—especially cholera, plague, and yellow
fever—imported to these shores.
Consequent upon the preceding, another Act was passed, 59 & 60 Vict.,
chap. 20, or the Public Health (Ports) Act, 1896, empowering the Local
Government Board, by order, to assign to any Port Sanitary Authority any
powers, rights, duties, capacities, and obligations under the Infectious Disease
Prevention Act, 1890.
SPECIAL REPORTS.
In addition to weekly, monthly, and minor reports, special reports upon
the following subjects have been printed and presented:—
The recent Census—July, 1896.
The Sanitary Congress—November, 1896.
Temporary Shelters during Disinfection—October, 1896.
The compulsory removal of house refuse—November, 1896.
Bye-laws as to Houses let in lodgings (tenement houses)—January,
1897.
Open spaces about buildings—February, 1897.
I have the honour to be,
Your obedient servant,
JOHN F. J. SYKES.