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45
There are other provisions, but the Section which interests
me most is 7, which depauperises the relief given in Metropolitan
infectious disease hospitals. It is so important I quote it in
extenso:—
" The admission of a person suffering from any infectious disease into any
hospital or hospital ship provided by the Managers, or the maintenance
of any such person therein, shall not be considered to be parochial
relief, alms, or charitable allowance to any person, or to the parent
of any person, and no such person or his parent, shall by reason thereof
be deprived of any right or privilege, or be subject to any disability
or disqualification."
At last, therefore, we have come within view of the concession
by Parliament of a most important principle, for which I
have been contending many years, but more especially since
1876, viz., that maintenance and treatment in hospitals of
persons suffering from infectious diseases, and removed thereto
for isolation for the protection of the general public, shall not
pauperise such persons—in other words, admission into hospital
shall not be deemed to be parochial relief, " so as to deprive
the person, or his parent, of any right or privilege, or subject
him to any social or political disqualification."
Probably I should not be far out if I said we are indebted to
the initiative of the President of the Local Government Board
for this promised boon, Sir Charles Dilke having, with
Mr. Rathbone and other Members of Parliament endeavoured,
so early as the Session of 1878, to deal with the question in what
was known as the " Disqualification by Medical Relief" Bill,*
which ran as follows :—
" From and after the passing of this Act. no person shall bo deemed to be
disqualified to be registered as a voter or to vote at any election of
a member or members to serve in Parliament for any county or
borough, by reason only that he, or any member of his family, or any
person whom he is liable to maintain, has before or after the
passing of this Act, received medical treatment or relief for any
infectious or contagious disease, as an in-patient or out patient of
any hospital, infirmary, or dispensary, established or maintained by
any Sanitary Authority or Poor Law Authority, or at which he has
been so treated or relieved by the order, or with the sanction, of
any such authority or the Medical Officer thereof.''
*In my annual reports for 1878 and 1879, I entered fully into the reasons
for the introduction of this measure. Time and space forbid further reference
to the subject now.