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143
THE STRAND DISTRICT, LONDON.
"The Sanitary Authorities have the control of every means
"for the prevention of small-pox except that of vaccination, and
"this means of prevention should be placed under their juris"diction.
The transfer of this duty from the Boards of Guardians
"to the Sanitary Authorities would place the whole of the
"machinery for the prevention of the disease under one organisa"tion,
the relative parts of which could be mutually adapted to
"suppress smoothly and expeditiously any appearance of epidemic.
"If vaccination were in the hands of the Sanitary Authorities
"it would obviate much misunderstanding, especially at the most
"serious and important time of an outbreak of small-pox, when
"the means of suppression being in the hand of two Authorities
"in the same locality leads to much confusion, counter-proposal,
"and delay.
"The responsibility not only for stemming an immediate
"outbreak, but also preventing a future outbreak, should be
"placed upon the Sanitary Authority. Accusations on the one
"hand that it is due to the insufficient provision of hospital
"accommodation, and on the other that it is due to insufficient
"vaccination, could not then be made by one public body against
"another.
"The Sanitary Authorities have notified to them all cases of
"small-pox, and consequently are immediately acquainted with the
"extent and locality of outbreaks, and know when and where
"vaccination is most urgent.
"In case of an outbreak, it falls upon these Authorities to
"receive the notifications, to provide for isolation and disinfection,
"and, in short, to undertake the whole duty of combating the
"disease; and in case of inability to cope with it the odium falls
"upon them. The transfer of the control of vaccination need not
"make any difference in the cost, as the same officers would carry
"out the work, but it would make a vast improvement in the
"administration, inasmuch as it would be worked as part of one
"public department."
It had been intended to send a deputation from the Conference
to urge the above views upon the Local Government Board, but