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60
to the production of a medical certificate stating "the name,
age, and full address of the patient, from what disease
suffering, and in cases of fever, the particular kind of fever;"
thus doing what they had asked authority to do, knowing
doubtless that it was not in the power of the Local Government
Board to comply with their request. The Board raised no
objection to the judicious action taken, in disregard of law, by
the Managers; action which had consequences immediate and
decisive, for no fewer than 40 per cent. of the cases admitted to
the hospitals during the six months ended September 29th,
1887, were admitted without an order of a Relieving Officer.
The Local Government Board, replying (in July) to the Managers
letter, announced that "with a view to facilitate the
removal of infectious cases they had issued an Order by
which the certificate of any registered medical practitioner
was legalised for the admission of any such person admitted to
hospital upon the order of a Relieving Officer," a course I had
suggested in November, 1875. The Order, however, makes no
reference to the request of the Managers for authority to admit
patients upon the application of Medical Practitioners, although
it was known to the Board that such applications had been
made and complied with more or less frequently since 1884, and
especially during the recent epidemic of scarlet fever. The
Managers, therefore, being unwilling to let the matter rest thus,
resolved (October 8th):—
"That the attention of the Local Government Board be directed to the
fact that application was made to them on the 6th March last, for or to
obtain authority for the Managers to remove all persons suffering from fever
or small-pox whose removal shall be applied for by duly qualified medical
practitioners; and, inasmuch as the Order received on the 8th July only
partially gives effect to this recommendation, they be urged to further
consider that portion of the Ambulance Committee's report of the 31st
January last, which directs attention to the inconvenience and delay often
occasioned by the intervention of the relieving officer."
The Board, in reply, intimated that they were of opinion
that they were not empowered to issue an Order such as that
suggested, and pointed out that the existing Regulations