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should be educated under open-air conditions. I hese two
latter classes of children have come to be known as the "Pretubercular,"
as experience has shown that if proper measures
are not adopted the majority of them develop tuberculosis.
It is likely that the benefits to be derived from a
school of this kind would be of even more advantage to the
two latter classes named above than to those children who
are definitely tubercular, as it would prevent the development
of the disease in the "Pre-tubucular," while it could
do not more than arrest it in those already affected with
*
tuberculosis.
I do not desire to minimise the importance of this
result, but it must ever be borne in mind that to deal with
disease by prevention rather than by cure is essentially the
work of the Local Authority, and the only sure means of
raising- the health and physical condition of the people.
Certain Considerations.
At the present time, with the country at war and the
demand for men and fit men imperative, a review of the
work which has been done by the Council in past years
for the improvement of the health of the population and the
results achieved may not be out of place.
It is some forty years since the first great measure relating
to public health was passed, namely, the Public Health
Act, 1875. This Act, which is still in operation, gives power
to Local Authorities to enforce the remedy of insanitary
conditions injuriously affecting health. The scope of the
principal Act has been enlarged from time to time by amending
and kindred Acts, notably the Public Health Acts
Amendment Acts, 1890-1907; the Housing Acts, 1890-1909;
and the Factory and Workshop Act, 1901. These Acts all
deal with questions of environment or external circumstances
relative to health.
The first Act, dealing with the question of disease
relative to the health of the community, was passed