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5
Board invited an expression of opinion from the Vestry as to
the propriety of merging the present Local Sanitary Authorities
in one Central Authority for hospital purposes, such
Central Authority to be, not merely a Department of Poor
Law Administration, but to have the powers of the Sanitary
Acts conferred upon it.
The Vestry concurred in the opinion of Managers of the
Metropolitan Asylum District that the duty of providing
sufficient hospital accommodation for non-paupers, as well as
paupers, should be exercised by this Board, which should
continue to be a Department of Poor Law Administration for
this special purpose, but should not have the powers of tho
Sanitary Acts conferred upon it. Virtually this would be
to continue the present system, except that all persons of
whatever social rank might be compelled to go into pauper
hospitals when suffering from infectious diseases; and that
the Vestry wonld give up its present power to furnish hospital
accommodation.
The Medical Officers of Health of the Metropolis had also
under their consideration the Resolutions adopted by the
Managers of the Metropolitan Asylum District Board,
respecting the provision for the isolation and treatment of
epidemic infectious disease in London ; they having been
invited to express an opinion thereon.
These Officers, as a body, agreed with the opinion of the
Managers, that adequate provision for the isolation and treatment
of epidemic infectious disease in the Metropolis does not exist; "
and under existing circumstances they endorsed the conclusion
contained in the above Resolutions, " that such provision
could be best made in a comprehensive and systematic
manner by one Central Authority acting for the whole Metropolis."
But as regards the constitution of the Authority and the
administration of the infectious disease Hospitals, the Officers
were of opinion that such Hospitals, regarded in the light of
a sanitary provision for the advantage of the general population,
should be completely dissevered from any relation with
pauperism.
It may be expected that the Resolution of the Managers
of the Metropolitan Asylum District, thus endorsed with modifications
by the Metropolitan Vestries and their Medical
Officers, will bo speedily acted upon, and steps taken to centralize
Sanitary Authorities for the provision of hospital
accommodation.