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"1 That the provision of hospital accommodation for the large class of
persons whose isolation in hospitals is necessary for preventing the
spread of infectious diseases can be best made in a comprehensive and
systematic manner by one Central Authority acting for the whole
Metropolis (2).
"2 f\ That the Metropolitan Asylums District Board should be such
Central Authority, the Managers already having, in the several hospitals
erected under their auspices, nearly sufficient accommodation to meet
the requirements of the sick of all classes, excepting those who may be
able and willing to pay for hospital treatment, and for whom provision
is already made, or could be made, at the London Fever Hospital, and
the London Small-pox Hospital (2) (5).
"3 That steps should be taken to obtain an Act of Parliament to alter
the constitution of the Metropolitan Asylums District Board, by severing
its connection with pauperism in so far as relates to the treatment of
infectious diseases; and by providing for the election of a certain
proportion of the ' Managers' by the several Vestries and District
Boards of Works, the Sanitary Authorities within the Metropolis (1).
" 4. That pending such legislative action, and seeing that the hospitals
of the Managers have been established at the public cost and for the
common good, no compulsory payment should be exacted from any
persons whom the Sanitary Authorities may deem it necessary or expedient
to remove to the hospitals for the sake of isolation; and all
expenses incident to the maintenance of such persons in the hospitals
should be defrayed out of the general rate (5).
Note.—Under the proposed altered constitution of the Board, the
hospitals should be supported out of a Metropolitan rate; or power
might be given to the Managers to issue precepts on the several
Sanitary Authorities for their quota of the expenses.
"5. That the admission into the hospitals of persons suffering from infectious
diseases should not involve the loss of any political or other
rights by the said persons (5).
Note.—It is proposed to place the treatment of infectious diseases on
the same footing as Public Vaccination : in other words, admission
into the hospitals should not be deemed to be Parish or poor relief.
It has been ascertained that on the 15th February, 1877, the proportion
of patients in the several asylums who acknowledged to
having previously received parochial relief, was under ten per cent.
The principles embodied in Propositions 1,2, and 3, so far as respects a " Central Authority,"
are expressed in terms of a Report to the Asylums Board by their Committee for General Purposes,
dated Feb. 22, 1877 ; but the Yestry had previously adopted the principle of one Central
Hospital Authority.