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of very many of the poorer and uneducated classes to Vaccination, and
their consequent neglect of that means of prevention. The New Vaccination
Act will, I hope, have a beneficial effect in this respect. While
upon the subject of Small Pox, I cannot refrain from adverting to one
means of propagation of this and other Zymotic Diseases: the use of
street cabs for the conveyance of affected persons to the various Hospitals.
The Public Health Act of 1866, took cognizance of this abuse, and
clauses were inserted to prevent its occurence; which, however, have
utterly failed in their intention.
Clause 25. If any person, suffering from any dangerous or infectious disorder, shall
enter any public conveyance without previously notifying to the owner or driver thereof
that he is so suffering, he shall, on conviction thereof before any Justice, be liable to a
penalty not exceeding five pounds, and shall also be ordered by such Justice to pay to
such owner and driver all losses and expenses they may suffer in carrying into effect the
provisions of this Act; and no owner or driver of any public conveyance shall be required
to convey any person so suffering until they shall have been first paid a sum sufficient to
cover all such losses and expenses.
Clause 38. Any person suffering from any dangerous infectious disorder, who wilfully
exposes himself, without proper precaution against spreading the said disorder, in any
street, public place, or public conveyance, and any person in charge of one so suffering
who exposes the sufferer, and any owner or driver of a public conveyance who does not
immediately provide for the disinfection of his conveyance after it has, with the knowledge
of such owner or driver, conveyed any such sufferer, ****** shall, on
conviction of such offence before any Justice, be liable to a penalty not exceeding five
pounds * * * * *
Now the only effect of these clauses is to open the door of venality to
cabmen, since there is here nothing to prevent their taking as many
infected passengers as they please, provided they “have been first paid
a sum sufficient to cover all losses or expenses." As to the disinfection
of cabs, I have never known an instance of it. It is therefore by no
means pleasant to think how frequently one may have occupied a vehicle
whose last passenger was a Small Pox or Fever patient.
It would be a great boon if in every District suitable vehicles (distinct
from those used for the conveyance of paupers), were provided, to
be hired at a low rate for the conveyance of patients to the Hospitals, and
persons appointed to ensure their disinfection before being used again.
As such vehicles do not exist, except in a few places, I think the
best way to prevent contagion in this respect would be, that any cab