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a fine not exceeding ten pounds is incurred by the offender. If a public conveyance
is so used, the owner or driver must report the fact to the Sanitary Authority,
and cause the conveyance to be disinfected: fine for default not to exceed five
pounds. The owner or driver may obtain compensation, for loss and expense
incurred, from the hirer of the conveyance.
Disinfection of Infected Conveyances.—Section 74 provides for the disinfection
of a public conveyance if hired or used—without notice to the owner or driver—for
carrying an infected corpse (but no "public conveyance other than a hearse" should
have been allowed to be used for the purpose !). A similar fine may be recovered
on the information of the Vestry if the conveyance is not disinfected, and a further
fine not exceeding 40s. for every day during which the offence continues.
Milk-Infection.—Section 71 deals with measures to be taken in case of an
outbreak of infectious disease attributable to milk; including inspection of dairies
outside the district, and power to prohibit the supply of milk; but the section is
of little practical use.
Infective Dead Bodies.—Sections 72 and 73 deal with the disposal of infective
dead bodies, being re-enactments of sections of the repealed Act.
Hospitals and Ambulances.—The Sections 75 to 81 under this heading, call
for little remark, being in the main re-enactments of provisions in repealed Acts.
The work, moreover, which the sections enable the several Sanitary Authorities to
do, is done satifactorily for the whole Metropolis by the Asylums Board. Section
80, however, is of the greatest interest to me, as it gives effect to the recommendation
made in my last monthly report for 1876,* and repeated in every one of my
annual (and in many of my monthly) reports since that date, by making provision
for the free treatment in the Asylums Board Hospitals of all cases of infectious
disease removed thereto: it provides also for the legal admission of non-paupers,
and it re-enacts the 7th section of the Diseases Prevention (Metropolis) Act, 1883,
which gives effect to my contention, set out in the 1876 report, that the relief
afforded to infectious sick persons in the hospitals should be depauperised. All of
the expenses incurred will, in future, be defrayed, as during the last fifteen years
I have urged that they should be defrayed, out of the Metropolitan Common Poor
Fund. Incidentally, it may be mentioned that the Asylums Board are expected, at
an early date, to place their ambulances at the disposal of any infectious sick person
requiring to be removed to any hospital, or any place, in the Metropolis, without
charge—a course which, when it is adopted will take away every vestige of
excuse for the use of public conveyances (e.g. cabs) for such a purpose.
Prevention of Epidemic Diseases.—Sections 82 to 87 re-enact provisions contained
in the repealed Diseases Prevention Acts, which relate to outbreaks of
epidemic diseases, notably cholera.
Mortuary; Place for Post-mortem Examination; Coroner's Court.—Section
88 makes it obligatory on every Sanitary Authority to provide a mortuary, and
*The report is dated January 10th, 1877.