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it may be doubted whether they would not rather have been
excused this "obnoxious duty," as it was described by one
of the members in moving a reference of the Order in Council to
the Works Committee. Parliament, in devolving the duty upon the
Board, has placed Rabies in the same category with pleuropneumonia
in cattle, glanders in horses, and swine fever—the
amending Act passed last June (Clause 8) having extended the
definition of "animal," which now includes any kind of four-footed
beasts: and "Rabies," being now classed as a "contagious
disease," under the new Order, the owner or person having charge
of any dog suffering therefrom is required to give notice to the.
police. The Order also provides that the Local Authority may
make any such regulations as they see fit for the muzzling of dogs,
or for keeping them under proper control, and for the seizure and
disposal of stray dogs, or dogs not muzzled or not under proper
control. No dog regulations have been made at present. It will
probably be deemed satisfactory in the circumstances that, the
new Order notwithstanding, the provisions of the Dogs Act, 1871,
still remain in operation, and may be acted upon by the police.
SMALL-POX HOSPITAL ACCOMMODATION.
The Royal Commission, in one of their "practical recommendations,"
proposed that provision should be made of sites and
buildings which could without difficulty be made capable of receiving
2,100, or by special exertion 2,700, small-pox patients. The
actual accommodation falls very far below the smaller of these
totals, consisting as it does of some 400 beds at the Hospital
Ships, and 60 beds, in all, at three London Hospitals, to which
Ambulance Stations are attached—beds for exceptional patients,
and which the Asylums Board will not suffer to be occupied except
in case of urgent necessity. The Gore Farm Estate, comprising
some 135 acres at Darenth, is available upon emergency for any
probable demand for accommodation. The Managers proposed to
erect on this site a permanent hospital, to contain ultimately
one thousands beds, mainly for convalescent patients. The plans