Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Islington, Parish of St Mary]
This page requires JavaScript
50
cases of Small-Pox, or other infectious disease, occurring in their
practice, and informing them of the ample provision made under
the 42nd section of "The Poor Law Amendment Act, 1876," for
the removal of all such cases to Hospital.
The subsequent controversy with the Local Government Board
as to the distinction which it was sought to establish between a
pauper and non-pauper patient, in the matter of Hospital accommodation,
having already been the subject of an exhaustive report
from your Committee, and of discussion in the Vestry, needs no
further reference, except that the fact may be mentioned of 34
Islington patients having been, within the knowledge of the
Sanitary Department, removed to the Highgate Small-Pox
Hospital, upon the payment of the fee of £4 4s. each, while 460
were removed to the Hospitals of the Metropolitan District Asylum
Board. Of the 34 thus sent to Highgate, 14 were servants whose
reception fees were paid by their employers, and as none were
heard of as having been refused admission, it may be assumed
that the friends of 20 patients only could in any way manage to
make the requisite payments.
The Committee further directed that the disinfection of
infected premises should be carried out by the owners as usual,
and that in all cases of their failure to comply with the notices
issued, the works should be done by the Vestry, and the expenses
subsequently recovered from the parties in default.
The money expended in this way, amounting to £67 12s. 6d.,
as well as a further sum of £6 13s. 7d., paid for the disinfection
of articles from an infected Laundry, has all been recovered and
paid to the Vestry.
The following additional directions, however, which were
given, have involved an expenditure on behalf of the Vestry of
£262 14s. 11d., no part of which will be recovered.
That infected Beds and Bedding whenever it was found to be
necessary should be condemned and burned, and 579 articles
having been thus destroyed, and mostly upon the infected
premises, their replacement with new Beds, &c., by the Vestry,
through the Guardians, at the wholesale cost prices, has caused an
outlay of £213 11s. 10d.