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69
and without an order from an officer of the Union. The
Guardians referred the matter to the Local Government Board,
who in due course informed the Guardians that they "could not
doubt that the course which was taken in the case referred to,"
i.e., in removing the patient to hospital for isolation, "was
desirable in the interest of the public health," and that they
"could not advise them to raise any question as to their liability
to repay the cost of the maintenance of the patient." The
Board, moreover, reminded the Guardians that" the expense
. . . . is one which is a charge on the Metropolitan
Common Poor Fund, and is not borne by the Union." The Local
Government Board having forwarded to the Asylums Board
copy of their letter addressed to the St. Saviour's Guardians, the
said letter (with covering letter) was ordered to be entered on
the Minutes, a motion hostile to the principle of free treatment
taking the form of a proposed reference of the letter to the
General Purposes Committee, having been made, and defeated by
26 votes to 3. With reference to this case it may be pointed out
that if the cost of the child's maintenance had been repaid by
the Sanitary Authority it would have fallen upon the local ratepayers.
Contending, as I have done, successfully so far, for
free treatment of patients in the hospitals, I should be glad to
see my proposal to throw all charges for maintenance and
otherwise upon the Common Poor Fund directly, adopted, so as
to obviate irritating differences, such as the above, between tho
Poor Law and the Sanitary Authority respectively.
THE HOSPITALS AND THE SANITARY ACTS.
A Justice is enabled—sec. 26 Sanitary Act, 1866—by order,
on a certificate signed by a duly registered medical practitioner,
to direct the removal of any person suffering from a dangerous
infectious disease, and being without proper lodging or accommodation,
to a hospital "within the district" of the Nuisance
Authority. It is in the power of the Local Government Board
to issue an Order, under section 51 of the Sanitary Law