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147
being glazed or covered for privacy, and they are sometimes
further obstructed by articles being hung by the side or front
of them. On these and other grounds the requirements of the
Public Health (London) Act, 1891, with reference to underground
rooms which are separately occupied, should be made to apply to
underground workrooms.
THE PUBLIC HEALTH LEGISLATION OF 1913.
The year 1913 was not very fruitful in Public Health legislation.
An important Act was passed to make further and better
provision for the care of feeble-minded and other mentally defective
persons and to amend the Lunacy Acts, and a very short
Act to amend the law relating to Public Health as respects the
provision and treatment of disease. This latter Act (the Public
Health Prevention and Treatment of Disease Act, 1913) was passed
with a view to removing some administrative difficulties which
have been experienced in connection with the law relating to
Public Health.
Section 130 of the Public Health Act, 1875, enables the Local
Government Board to make regulations for preventing the spread
of Cholera or other epidemic, endemic, or infectious disease, and
to declare by what authority or authorities these regulations shall
be enforced.
As County Councils had not been established when the Act
was passed, it was considered that such Councils could not
properly be declared to be authorities for carrying any such regulations
into effect. But in dealing with some diseases it may be
found desirable that some functions should be carried out by an
authority having jurisdiction over a large area. Section 2 of the
Act accordingly enables the Local Government Board to declare
that one of the authorities to execute and enforce the Board's
regulations, made with a view to the treatment of persons affected
with Cholera or any other epidemic, endemic, or infectious disease,
shall be the Council of a County, and Section 130 of the Act of
1875 will have effect accordingly as if a County Council were an