View report page

54
THE HUMANE SLAUGHTERING OF ANIMALS BILL.
The Humane Slaughtering of Animals Bill, which was a private measure, was
promoted with the object of ensuring the humane slaughtering of animals for the
purpose of food. Provision was also made for the closing of private slaughtering houses
and for the payment of compensation.
The Mayor, Aldermen and Commons of the City of London in Common Council
assembled were defined as the Local Authority in respect of the City of London.
Except to state that humane slaughtering, the licensing of slaughtermen, and the
abolition of private slaughterhouses, are principles with which I am in agreement, the
Bill, which was not proceeded with, calls for no special observation.
VACCINATION ACTS (REPEAL) BILL.
The Vaccination Acts (Repeal) Bill—a short private measure which bad as its
object the repeal of the Vaccination Acts—was similar to a Bill presented with the same
object in 1913 and not proceeded with, which fate was shared by the present Bill. It
provided that no public money should be available either to pay for vaccination or for
providing a supply of vaccine lymph, and that vaccination should cease to be a condition
of admission to the public service.
Briefly expressed, the following are the reasons that the Corporation, as the
Sanitary Authority for the City of London, were unable to support the Bill.
Although vaccination is unfortunately not practised to the extent it formerly was,
there is not the slightest doubt that it is one of the most valuable means we possess of
combating outbreaks of small-pox. and any attempt to further limit the scope of this
method of preventing the spread of the disease is much to be regretted. Whenever
small-pox occurs, either in sporadic or epidemic form, it is my experience that advantage
is taken of the public facilities which are provided. In both instances direct contacts
are generally ready to accept the advice to be vaccinated, and in the latter instance
varying numbers protect themselves against attack by voluntary requesting to be
vaccinated.
If public vaccination were dispensed with, the difficulty of combating outbreaks
would enormously increase, as many persons would be unable to pay for the operation
to be privately performed.
As regards the public services I consider it would be nothing short of a national
calamity if unvaccinated persons were allowed to enter certain of the public services,
e.g., the Army, Navy or Public Health, and it is quite conceivable that other public
work would be considerably hampered during the period of epidemic prevalence if in
such services there were engaged a large proportion of persons who were not protected
against an attack.
MILK AND DAIRIES ACT, 1914.
The details of this Act have already been printed and submitted in the Monthly
Report of your Medical Officer of Health, of date 17th October, No. 182.