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81
Health. (London) Act. I cannot think that it is a frequent
occurrence in this Borough, but of course if any
information is obtained of any such exposure, the
Public Health Committee will, no doubt, order that
proceedings be taken.
The County Council goes on to speak of a subject which
cannot be so easily dealt with, namely, the fact that
children not themselves suffering from infectious disease,
but inhabiting houses in which there are such cases,
are allowed to visit Parks and Open Spaces. The
County Council states that, in many instances, the
disease has been spread in this way.
I shall be glad, in the first place, to have particulars of the
cases which have come to the knowledge of the Council,
in which disease has been thus spread. I have never
come across any such myself during fourteen years' experience
as Medical Officer of Health. There is no
power under the Public Health Act to interfere with
the movements of any persons who are not themselves
suffering from infectious disease, and I very much doubt
the necessity or advisability of any such power being
conferred in the case of any of the common infectious
diseases, except small-pox.
Take a case of Measles or Scarlet Fever in a family, say,
where there are six children, father and mother, in five
rooms. In Measles, the patient is required to be isolated
for four weeks; in Scarlet Fever, usually for at least
six weeks. Would the County Council propose that in
such a case the five children, who are not themselves
suffering from the disease, should be absolutely confined
to the house? Of course, if there were a garden, the
hardship would not be so great; but, to many houses,
there is no garden, and I consider confinement to the
house would not only be impracticable, but most
F