View report page

60
for each such certificate or declaration in respect of cases occurring
in his private practice and a fee of one shilling for each such
certificate or declaration in respect of cases occurring in his
practice as a medical officer to any public body or institution ;
6. And any person who shall wilfully offend against this enactment
shall for every such offence be liable to a penalty not exceedingforty
shillings."
Encouraged by the Report of the Select Committee, Mr.
Hastings, who had been a member of it, with Sir Trevor Lawrence,
Dr. Farquharson and Mr. Brinton, introduced a Bill in the Session
of 1883, " To provide for the better Notification of Infectious
Diseases," drawn on the lines of the model clause. Without
entering into details I may state that the Bill proposed to throw
upon the householder, and upon the medical attendant, equally,
the duty of notifying cases to the Medical Officer of Health—the
so-called " dual system." A deputation waited upon the Local
Government Board in support of the Bill, the principle of which
has been accepted by Governments of both political parties,
and has unanimous approval of the Medical department of the
Board. The President of the Board signified willingness to agree
to general legislation to facilitate the application of the desired
provisions by local authorities, but he said the Board were of
opinion that the time had not yet come to give universally the compulsory
powers proposed, by absolute legislation. After a few
years experience of the working of such provisions in the districts
where they had been applied, the matter might be extended still
further. Meanwhile the Board were disposed to give local
authorities who wanted compulsory powers, the means of dealing
with infectious diseases, at once, without the necessity of applying
for a local Act; either by means of a general Act, which they
could bring into force themselves, or else by giving them power to
make bye-laws for that purpose. The President expressed his
willingness to support a proposition to refer the Bill to a Select
Committee ; the Bill, however, was opposed on the second
reading, and the House having been counted out the measure was
dropped for the Session, and has not been re-introduced.