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40
AMBULANCES.
The 16th section of the Poor-Law Act, 1879, confers power on the
Asylum Board to provide Ambulances for the conveyance of sick
persons to the hospitals of the Managers. At present the Manageis
require ambulances only for the conveyance of sick or convalescent
cases between their hospitals. In some parishes the Vestry (Nuisance
Authority) and the Guardians (Poor-Law Authority) both have ambulances:
in others the Vestry or the Guardians alone. There being some
39 Nuisance Authorities and 30 Boards of Guardians it would appear
that a not inconsiderable saving might possibly be effected should the
Managers find it practicable to give effect to the section—replacing the
existing arrangements by a uniform system of ambulances connected
with the several hospitals, five in number. A strong motive for the
adoption of this plan is supplied by the necessity now admitted of
disinfecting parochial ambulances before they leave the hospital
premises.
PREVENTION OF THE SPREAD OF INFECTIOUS
DISEASES
Is one of the chief duties appertaining to the office I hold; and it
is one which constantly engages the attention of all the officers in my
Department. A difficulty with which we have to contend is the want
of information of the occurrence of non-fatal cases of illness—information
that would be of the greatest value, particularly at the commencement
of an epidemic when the first cases are usually mild; and
it has been my constant endeavour to increase our sources of such
information.
It may not be out of place to state here what progress has been
made:—
1. By virtue of an arrangement entered into between your Vestry
and the sub-district registrars of deaths, eight years ago, I
duly receive notice of all deaths from the graver infectious
diseases (small-pox, scarlet fever, diphtheria, typhus, enteric
and simple continued fevers), within a few hours after they
have been registered. It may be observed that when a death
has occurred from an infectious disease there is always a
probability of finding other cases of illness in the same house or