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83
tion for the infectious sick, by warrant of law, as they previously
had been in fact; for it is well-known that legislation has, these
many years, followed in the steps of the Managers' practice in
regard to all that concerns the removal of the sick and their
admission to hospital. The available accommodation provided
was always sufficient until within the last six years, but the
increasing disposition of the public to make use of the hospitals,
which dates from the scarlet fever epidemic of 1887, together
with the further demands on the resources of the Managers
consequent on compulsory notification, have given rise to
difficulties to which references will have to be made in other
portions of this report. The Board, however, are not satisfied
with the extent of their present powers, and at a meeting in
July it was resolved,That it be referred to the General Purposes
Committee to consider and report upon the suggestion contained
in the annual report of the Statistical Committee to the
effect:—
"That the Managers do petition that the Legislature take at an early date,
in the interests of the public health, such measures as will place entirely
in the hands of a central body, powers not only of isolating the sick, but
of following the ambulance with the means of immediately disinfecting
the bedding, &c., from which the infected persons have been removed;
of vaccinating or re-vaccinating those who may have been in contact
with the infected persons or things; of investigating by skilled assistance,
the origin of the outbreak, and of compensating, when necessary,
persons detained in quarantine in the interest of the public health."
I cannot say that the arrangements for vaccinating or
re-vaccinating, in the cases indicated in the resolution, are of
the most satisfactory character—they are entirely under the
control of the several Boards of Guardians—but should it be
thought necessary or desirable to make any change, surely it
should be in the direction of transferring the powers with
respect to vaccination to the Sanitary Authority, as 1 recommended
in 1877. There does not appear to me any occasion
for making the suggested change in the arrangements for
disinfection, which, so far as my experience goes, is now done