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benefit, but when his removal is effected for the benefit of the
community, as in the case when he is sent to hospital by the
Sanitary Authority, this is obviously unjust.
The hospitals of the Metropolitan Asylums Board cannot
with its present constitution serve the purpose of hospitals
for sanitary purposes—the thought and intention of the two
classes of institutions is entirely different. For the hospitals
of that Board to come to serve the purpose of the Sanitary
Authorities, it would be necessary for it to cease to be of Poor
Law constitution. First that the hospitals may come to be
freely used by all classes, a result which can never be attained,
so long as the hospitals are associated with pauperism, and
secondly that institutions so closely related to the health of
the inhabitants of a district, may be placed under the control
of those who are responsible for it.
The Vestry have undoubtedly acted wisely in expressing
the opinion that hospitals iutended for the prevention of the
spread of disease should be under the control of a Central
Board representative of the Sanitary Authorities.
The number of infectious persons sent on the order of the
Vestry to the London Fever and Small-pox Hospitals is increasing
as people learn the enormous advantages which
result. The Vestry have shown their intention not to allow
a lack of accommodation in these institutions to interfere
with the thorough performance of one of their most important
public health functions.
One of the most important subjects that has for some years
come before the Metropolitan Vestries and District Boards,
is that of the compulsory notification of cases of infectious
disease. At the instigation of the Vestry of Kensington, a
conference of Vestries and District Boards was held, at which
St. Pancras was represented by the Vice-Chairman of the
Sanitary Committee.
The following resolutions were unanimously passed:—
1.—"That in the interests of public health, and to
enable Nuisance Authorities to discharge the duty
of checking and preventing the spread of infectious
diseases, such as Scarlet Fever, Small Pox, etc.,
provision should be made, by legislative enactment,
to secure the compulsory disclosure to the said
authorities of all cases of such diseases immediately
after their occurrence."