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108
should be "so amended as to empower any Justice to direct
the removal to a hospital of any person suffering
from any dangerous infectious disorder, and being without
proper lodging or accommodation, which would enable him to
be properly isolated, so as to prevent the spread of disease to
other inmates of the same house; or to be properly treated."
My own view that such an alteration of the law is necessary,
is just as strong now as when I drafted the above resolution.
It was hoped that the Public Health Act, 1891, would give
Sanitary Authorities increased powers in this regard, but it
does not in any way deal with the matter.
THE LONDON SCHOOL BOARD AND INFECTIOUS
DISEASE PREVENTION.
In former reports, extending over some fifteen years, I
have made reference to the action of the School Board for
London, taken at my instance, with the object, of preventing
the spread of infectious disease through the agency of public
elementary schools. The Visitors first, and subsequently the
Head Teachers, were instructed to inform the Medical Officer
of Health with regard to any children absent from school,
when there was reason to suspect that such absence was due
to illness of an infectious character. When the Notification
Act came into operation, the Board and their Medical Officer
manifested a commendable desire to utilize its provisions to
the utmost extent possible, for preventing the spread of
disease through Board Schools. The Public Health Act, 1891,
makes provision for information to be given, by the Medical
Officer of Health, to the Head Teachers of all schools, of the
occurrence of any of the infectious diseases named therein,
whether in school children themselves, or in houses from
which children are attending school.