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24
Dealing with the administrative questions raised, they
report as follows:—
"We are of opinion that the provision of hospital accommodation
for persons suffering from infectious disease in the
metropolitan districts should be entirely disconnected from
the administration of the poor law, and treated as part of
the sanitary arrangement of the Metropolis.
"We think that the conduct of the hospitals cannot be
better placed than under the management of the Metropolitan
Asylums Board, with such changes in their mode of election
as shall give the Sanitary Authorities of London, that is to
say, the Vestries, District Boards, and Commissioners of
Sewers, at least an equal influence with the Guardians of the
Poor, in the choice of the elective members of the Board.
"We think that every person suflering from an infectious
disease, or those in charge of him, or if these neglect their
duty, the occupier of the house in which the sick person is
residing, or if he is a pauper, his medical attendant should be
required by law to notify the nature of the disease to the
Medical Officer of Health so soon as they or any of them are
aware of it, and that in the case of non-paupers, the medical
attendant should, if it is inexpedient to impose any further
obligation on him, be similarly required by law to furnish the
sick person, or those in charge of him, with a certificate of
the nature of the disease, in the form in which we have
already suggested, to be by them communicated to the Medical
Officer of Health. On every certificate so communicated, a
small fee should be paid to the medical man who signed it.
"If the Medical Officer after receiving such certificate, is.
satisfied that the patient can and will be properly isolated,
and requisite means for disinfection adopted, the matter will
proceed no further.
"If he is not so satisfied, and if the sick person is not too ill
to be removed, he will notify the case to the Metropolitan
Asylums Board, who will thereupon be at once and entirely
charged with the patient till his complete recovery, and in
particular, will be empowered to remove him at once, to one
of their hospitals. So far, no distinction ihould be made
between paupers and non-paupers who cannot be isolated.
But within the hospital those who are desirous of being placed.