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A most difficult class of persons to deal with are those who have no fixed
abode—the vagrants who pass through casual wards, and the dossers who
frequent common lodging-houses. The Guardians of the Poor were advised
not to close the casual wards, but to cause the casuals every evening before
admission to be medically examined, to take a warm bath for personal cleansing,
especially of the hair and nails, to have their clothing disinfected by
steam, and to be revaccinated. The common lodging houses, under the
control of the London County Council, have been careful in the admission of
new inmates, and when the disease has broken out have more or less
quarantined the inmates for a fortnight by the inducement of free board
and lodging. The workhouse and infirmary have protected themselves by
stopping the admission of visitors, and by segregating new arrivals.
At a Conference of Metropolitan Borough Councils at the offices of the Metropolitan
Asylums' Board on Friday, 7th February, 1902, to consider measures
for the prevention of Small-pox in London, resolutions to the following effect
were adopted:—
A.— With regard to the removal of Small-pox patients.
1.—That it is advisable that application be made to the Metropolitan
Asylums Board to send out to every Medical Officer in London
daily lists of Small-pox cases, with ages and addresses of
patients, as is done weekly in the cases of all infectious diseases
and daily in the cases of Small-pox discharged from hospital.
B.— With regard to inquiries at infected houses.
2.—That it should be declared an offence, under the Public Health
(London) Act, 1891, to refuse or withhold information or give
false information with respect to persons living in a house in
which Small-pox has broken out, with regard to the names,
employment or occupation, schools attended by their children, or
as to any persons not living in such house but employed therein,
C.— With regard to disinfection.
3.—That the provisions of the Public Health (London) Act, 1891,
with regard to the prevention of infectious diseases, require
amendment by shortening the period of 24 hours allowed by
section 60, for a master of the house to decide whether he will
undertake the disinfection or allow the Sanitary Authorits to do
so.
4.—That all disinfection should be carried out to the satisfaction of
the Sanitary Authority.
5.—That the provisions of section 63 of the Public Health (London)
Act, 1891, be extended to the taking of any house, or part of a
house, by a person suffering from an infectious disease, or who
has been exposed to infection.
D.— With regard to contacts.
6.—That the Local Government Board be informed that it is desirable
to amend the law providing that when a person inhabits any part
of a house in which there has been a case of Small-pox, and