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forward in a letter dated December 3rd, 1901, addressed to the
Lambeth and other Metropolitan Borough Councils. As far as
Lambeth Borough is concerned, comparatively little difficulty has
been encountered in this respect during the recent epidemic,
though it is clear that, where there is difficulty, some such powers
as those suggested should be forthcoming, and the Lambeth
Borough Council on January 23rd, 1902, decided to support the
Islington Council in regard thereto.
The vagrant classes moving from Workhouse to Workhouse
(and from town to town) are a cause of Smallpox spreading—9
separate introductions of the disease by tramps having taken place
in Lambeth during the epidemic. It follows, as a corollary, that
the importance of quarantining "contacts" in connection with
Smallpox cannot be over-estimated, more especially when such
"contacts" are amongst the vagrant class. It has been suggested
that the law should be altered, or fresh 'egislation introduced, so
that (1) such "contacts" should be compulsorily (a) quarantined
indoors and kept under observation at their own homes, or in a
Sanitary Authority's own Refuges, for at least a fortnight, (b) revaccinated
and their clothing and persons disinfected and
cleansed, and (c) registered; and (2) that Sanitary Authorities
should be empowered to expend moneys out of the rates for such
purposes. It is doubtful if the general feeling in the country will
countenance such compulsion.
The quarantining and inspection of "contactsp" can, with best
results, as far as the recent Lambeth experience goes, be carried
out at their homes, supplemented, if necessary, with a small
monetary allowance when the "contacts" are prevented from
going to work by their employers, or for other reasons, and where
their wages are consequently stopped (in whole or in part). Such
monetary allowances need only be sufficient to cover rent and
maintenance, and are. as such, sufficient to ensure the recipients
following out instructions as to necessary precautions, e.g., pre
venting such " contacts," as far as possible, from entering other
persons' houses, or any public institution (or meeting), under
penalty of forfeiting their monetary allowances. The quarantined
persons have been allowed to go about, and, under conditions
satisfactory to the Medical Officer, certain of them have been allowed
to continue at work during the whole or part of their period
of quarantine. Quarantining of "contacts" in a special building is
quite unnecessary, except as occasions may require for a few hours
whilst their houses (and clothing) are being disinfected; and for
this purpose the existing Refuges at Wanless Road and the Wharf
are ready to hand, though, fortunately, even these have only been
found necessary on two occasions. It has been found during the