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12
TO THE VESTRY OF ST. MARY ISLINGTON.
Gentlemen,—
Your Sanitary. Committee report:—
1.—That pursuant to the Vestry reference of the 7th November, 1884,
they have taken into consideration the communication received from
the Metropolitan Asylums Board, together with the report of the
Board's General Purposes Committee with reference to the reception
and treatment of non-pauper cases of infectious disease at the hospitals
of the managers.
In reviving the discussion upon this subject, the Board have
recapitulated the arguments previously used to show the desirability
of enlarged powers being granted them as a central authority, and
of their providing the requisite hospital accommodation for all cases
of dangerous infectious disease ocurring in the metropolis. To these
two propositions the Vestry and your Committee have already
assented in prineiple, the more especially as regards the latter, it
being the opinion of your committee that the Board were originally
constituted for the purpose of making the provision referred to.
The Board, however, in further announcing their readiness to receive all
classes of infected patients, states that—" The Local Government
" Board will be requested to place themselves in communication with
" the several Local Sanitary Authorities of the Metropolis, with the
" view of issuing an order which shall empower the Managers (in
" accordance with the terms of Section 15 of the Poor Law Act, 1879*)
" to contract with such authorities for the reception into the Managers'
" hospitals of cases of dangerous infectious disorder, other than those
" chargeable to the various Parishes and Unions."
This proposal means (if such contracts be entered into) that the maintenance
of the greater proportion of the patients (over 90 per cent.
according to a previous report of the Managers), now admitted to
the infectious hospitals upon the order of the Relieving Officers,
* See Note A, page 15.