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A question as. regards the desirability of making Contagious Ophthalmia notifiable, was
raised by the Board of Guardians in a communication addressed to the late Vestry. A child under
their care in a public institution had been forcibly removed by relations whilst suffering from this
complaint, and it was pointed out that the Guardians, in the present state of the law, could neither
punish the people who had acted so foolishly nor enforce isolation of the child. Under these
circumstances, the Guardians asked to be informed—Whether it would not be desirable to declare
ophthalmia a notifiable disease under the provisions of the Public Health (London) Act, 1891. The
Vestry, on the recommendation of the Sanitary Committee, informed the Guardians that action
could not be taken on the lines indicated in their letter. I may add that I know of no district
where ophthalmia has been made a notifiable disease, and I need hardly say that good cause would
have to be shown before the Local Government Board would " approve" (under sec. 56) the
addition of any disease to the scheduled list—supposing a sanitary authority to be desirous to make
such addition ; I' question, moreover, whether the Board would in any case approve the addition of
ophthalmia, which is not a disease ejusdem generis with the diseases scheduled in Section 55, any
more than, say, venereal disease. Already considerable expense is incurred, with problematical
benefit, with respect to notification of erysipelas, and if ophthalmia were made notifiable, a much
larger expense would arise—with even less appearance of utility. The matter, nevertheless, is
important, and the difficulty referred to by the Guardians might be met by legislation authorising
the detention in a public institution of a child suffering from contagious ophthalmia, and placed
therein by the Poor-law authority for isolation and treatment. It should not be difficult to satisfy
the Local Government Board as to the desirability of such a course.
FACTORY AND WORKSHOP ACTS, 1878 to 1895.
The duties devolving upon the sanitary authority under the Factory Acts with respect to
workshops, were set out in the annual report for 1896 (pp. 97—103 inclusive). An effort to cope
with these responsibilities was made by the late Vestry, on my recommendation, in October, 1893,
by the appointment of two ladies as inspectors of workshops, workplaces, and laundries, where
women are employed. These ladies, Miss Deane and Miss Squire, are now factory inspectors under
the Home Office. Miss Deane's successor, Miss Duncan, who ceased to hold office in July, 1895, is
factor}* inspector to the Government of New South Wales. The appointment held by her in this
borough was not filled. The present lady inspector, Miss de Chaumont, was appointed on Miss Squire's
resignation.
There is nothing conflicting in the duties of factory inspectors and of inspectors
appointed by the sanitary authority: the duties of the respective offices are reciprocal. It is the
duty of the medical officer of health under the Public Health (London) Act, 1891 (sec. 27) to
" give written notice to the factory inspector" of " any child, young person, or woman employed in
a workshop," and this has been done, since October, 1893, in a large number of instances, upon
information acquired for me by the lady inspectors. I report, moreover, to His Majesty's Superintending
Inspector of Workshops, &c., every workshop and workplace newly opened or discovered
by the inspector; and, reciprocally, that gentleman forwards to me all written notices received by
him from persons who intimate their intention to occupy premises as workshops or workplaces.
The Superintending Inspector reports to me cases of overcrowding discovered by his assistants, and
cases of dirty and insanitary premises observed by those officers, and requiring to be dealt with
under the Acts, it being the duty of the sanitary authority to take steps to abate such nuisances.
The sanitary authority and their officers possess "all such powers of entry, inspection, taking legal
proceedings or otherwise," as a factory inspector has under the principal Act, i.e., the Act of 1878.
The powers of the sanitary authority in regard to the inspection and supervision of workshops, in
order to the enforcement of the law, are ample. But lest they should be allowed to fall into
desuetude, or be wilfully neglected, power is given, by Sections 1 and 2 of the Factory and
Workshop Act, 1891, which enables the factory inspector to supersede a defaulting authority in the
execution of their duties in respect of workshops or laundries, and to recover from the authority, in
whose district the workshops or laundries are situated, " all such expenses in and about any
proceedings .... as he may incur."
It is a matter for satisfaction that there has become manifest, on the part of employers, an
increasing willingness to conform to the requirements of the law, with which many of them had been
more or less unacquainted, until they were made known by the visits of the first lady inspectors, and
by the notices issued by the sanitary committee. The inspector's visits are now received, as a rule,
with cordiality. In no respect have they done greater good than by the prevention of overcrowding,
and the improvements effected with regard to the warming of workrooms, and the ventilation of gas
iron-lieaters, &c. The good work begun by Miss Deane, Miss Squire, and Miss Duncan, has been
efficiently carried on by Miss de Chaumont, who has performed her duties with tact and discretion.
The initiative of the late Vestry in employing women to assist in the work of sanitary
administration, is being followed by other metropolitan sanitary authorities, aud by many provincial
sanitary authorities.