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82
take the duties of a Central Hospital Authority in regard to
measures for checking and preventing the spread of Infectious
Disease. The subjects referred to, in the Synopis, are as follows—
(1.) Admission of all classes of Infectious Patients.—This is
a matter that has been pressed upon the attention of the
Asylums Board by your Vestry on more than one occasion. A
deputation of the Managers waited upon the President of the
Local Government Board (12th December, 1887), the Managers
being willing to receive all classes of patients. The Board subsequently
(16th December, 1887) promised to consider the
question with a view to legislation in the then ensuing session
(1888) if circumstances should admit of it. The Managers having
admitted many patients on certificates signed by Medical
Officers of Health and private medical practitioners, without the
intervention of the relieving officer, the Local Government
Board stated (21st August, 1888), that it had been the intention
of the President to introduce a Bill for the purpose of removing
any doubt which might exist as to the legality of expenditure
incurred, as much bad been, in respect of the maintenance of
patients so admitted. Circumstances did not admit of legislation
in 1888, but the Board, as elsewhere explained (page (15),
sanctioned the expenditure so incurred by the Managers in
doing that which your Vestry had advised should be done.
(2.) General Conveyance of Infectious Persons to Hospital.—
The Ambulance Committee of the Asylums Board reported
(21st April, 1888), that it was desirable, in the public interest,
that the Managers' ambulances should be made generally available
for the conveyance of any persons suffering from infectious
disorders within the Metropolitan District, a system the desirability
of which I had ventured to suggest to the Managers in
1881. The Managers approved the report, and empowered the
Committee to confer with the President thereon. The
President's engagements did not enable him to receive a