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91
On August 25th a circular was issued by the Local
Government Board to the Metropolitan Sanitary Authorities,
in which it was pointed out that owing to the existing
epidemic of scarlet fever the Metropolitan Asylums
Board would not be able to provide accommodation in
their hospitals for many cholera cases. The circular went
on to say :—
"The Board do not propose at the present moment to issuo
regulations under the powers which are conferred upon thorn
by Section 134 of the Public Health Act, 1875; and which are
referred to in Section 82 (1) of the Public Health (London) Act,
1891. In the event, however, of its becoming necessary for the
Board to issue such regulations, they would impose on tho
Sanitary Authorities the duty of making arrangements for the
prevention and treatment of cholera, and among those arrangements
would be comprised the visitation of poorer houses for the
purpose of detecting cholera and diarrhoea, and the supply of
medical attendance and nursing, and of medicine and disinfectants.
The arrangements to be made by Sanitary Authorities would
further include the provision of such additional hospitals and
places of refuge as might be necessary for the several parishes and
districts, the hospitals being provided for the reception of those
cholera patients who could not properly be treated in their own
homes, and the places of refuge for the lodgement of those persons
not actually sick whom it might be right to keep under observation
or to accommodate while their homo was either under
disinfection or was devoted to a sick person who could not properly
be removed.
"The Board desire that it should be clearly understood that,
although the Managers (of the Asylums Board) may make a
limited provision of hospital accommodation, it would devolve
under the regulations upon each Sanitary Authority to provido
such hospital accommodation as would, in the event of cholera
becoming epidemic in their parish or district, be requisite for tho
reception of cases where removal to hospital is required, the
arrangements as regards the Managers affording to the Sanitary
Authorities time and facility for supplying their own particular
requirements as to hospital provision.