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35
1927
ill a day or two before she admitted it. There remained at home the father,
who kept well all through, although he did a considerable amount of the early
nursing. Another child of school age, 14 years, who was from home, escaped
infection.
The source of infection of this family was never satisfactorily cleared up.
There was, of course, a drain defective, but one looks in dysentery for infection
from another case, or through contaminated food.
Regulations.—During the year the Ministry of Health brought out new regulations
to come into force in 1928, entitled the Public Health (Infectious Disease)
Regulations, 1927. It was noticed that these regulations, proposed by the
Minister of Health on 12th October, 1927, applied provisions of Section 308 of
the Public Health Act, 1875, to Article 17 of the Regulations. Now the Public
Health Act of 1875 does not apply to London. On the 15th November, 1927, the
Ministry issued Circular 836, stating that it would be necessary to issue fresh
Regulations in respect of London, as these should have been made under the
powers conferred by Section (1) (b) of the Public Health (Regulations as to Foot')
Act, 1907. On receipt of this Circular reference was made to the Act of 1907,
which was stated to be an Act to enable Regulations to be made for the prevention
of danger arising to public health from the importation, preparation
storage, and distribution of articles of food, and paragraph (b) of sub-section (1)
of section 1 of the Act is to the effect that the regulations may "apply, as respects
any matters to be dealt with by the regulations, any provision in any Act of Parliament
dealing with the like matters with the necessary modifications and adaptations."
The Act relates to matter in respect of food, although the terms of paragraph
(b) appear to be somewhat wide. It appeared that it might be argued that
the power of making regulations under this Act is confined to regulations for the
purpose of preventing danger to public health from the importation, etc., of
food, and that the application of the powers given by paragraph (b) of subsection
(1) of section 1 to regulations relating to infectious diseases might be
challenged in the event of any case being taken to Court arising from the
administration of the regulations. The Minister of Health was further written
to on the matter, as there appeared to be some doubt as to the question of compensation.
A reply was received from the Minister on the 22nd November, 1927,
that his department contemplated the likelihood of claims for compensation
arising only under Part III of the First Schedule of the Regulations, the object
of which is the protection of food supplies. It was further stated, however, that
it may be possible that claims might arise under Part II of the Schedule, and
if such claims did not relate to action taken for the protection of foods, the
Minister was advised that it is doubtful whether they could be properly allowed,
and that Article 17 would be amended to avoid this.
GLANDERS, ANTHRAX AND HYDROPHOBIA IN MAN.
Order under Section 55 of the Public Health (London) Act, 1921, by the
London County Council. (Came into operation on the
26th April, 1909.)
During the year 1927 a case of Anthrax, a lad, aged 17 years, was notified
in the Lower Holloway Ward. The case is of some interest, as Anthrax is
usually spread by infection from working with infected hair, hides, and such like
material. Another common source is infection with the disease through anthrax
infected shaving brushes, the material of which the brush was made not having