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112
have received a representation from the London County Counci
that it should be made the duty of the Medical Officers of Health of
the City of London, the Port of London Sanitary District, and each
Metropolitan Borough to—
(a) "notify the County Medical Officer of Health forthwith on
the occurrence of cases of plague, cholera, small-pox or any
epidemic disease," and
(b) " furnish him with any subsequent information elicited in
the course of enquiry,"
and I am to request that the Board may be furnished with the
observations of the Metropolitan Borough Council upon the subject.
I am, Sir,
Your obedient Servant,
F. J, Willis,
Assistant Secretary.
The Town Clerk of Poplar.
The Public Health and Housing Committee considered the matter
and reported to the Council:—
"If it is intended that outbreaks, as distinct from individual
cases, should be included in the proposed Order, these appear to be
already sufficiently dealt with under the Sanitary Officers' (London)
Order, 1801, Article XVIII., paragraphs 16 and 17, which require
reports to the Local Government Board and the London County
Council.
,,If individual cases, however, are meant, there seems to be no
necessity, so far as the commoner diseases are concerned, for an Order
imposing upon the Medical Officer of Health the routine duty of
notifying and reporting, having regard to the labour that would be
entailed, both upon the Borough Councils and the London County
Council, and the infinitesimal advantage to be obtained; moreover
the information if required by the London County Council, may be
obtained by them from the Metropolitan Asylums Board, to whom
notifications are sent, and who make weekly lists of the notifications
received from all London. In the case of cholera, plague and
small-pox, there seems to be no necessity for an Order, since the
Medical Officers of Health are accustomed and have expressed their
willingness to notify the County Medical Officer of Health forthwith
upon the occurrence of cases."
The Committee recommended the Council that representations, to
the effect stated, be made to the Local Government Board.