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The Poor Law Amendment Act, 1889, enables the Asylums'
Board Managers to admit any person, who is not a pauper, who is
reasonably believed to be suffering from Fever, Small-pox, or Diphtheria
into one of their hospitals. Certain clauses provide for the
re-imbursement to the Guardians of sums which they have paid
for cases. In pursuance of the provisions in this Act, the managers
have issued a Report to give effect to the following recommendations
of their Ambulance Committee:—
(a) That the managers do allow their carriages to be made
use of for the conveyance of persons suffering from
"dangerous infectious disorders" to places other than
the Board's Hospitals, pursuant to the power enforced
upon them by Section 6 of the Poor Law Act, 1889.
(b) That the charge to be made for each conveyance be, for
the present, five shillings.
(c) That discretionary power be conferred upon the Ambulance
Committee to remit the charge for such conveyance
when they deem it is expedient in the interest of the
public health.
(d) That the Ambulance Committee be authorised to convey
persons, under exceptional circumstances, to or from
places outside the Metropolitan area, and to make an
extra charge for the same.
(e) That it be referred to the Ambulance Committee to frame
such regulations as may be necessary to give effect to
the several decisions arrived at by the Managers.
A Public Health Act, which contains provisions to prevent the
spread of Cholera, became law in 1889. This Act is concerned
chiefly in enlarging the action and power of the Local Government
Board. Finally, there was passed an Act for the Prevention of
Cruelty to, and for the Protection of, Children.
It is a matter of general observation, that the Metropolis is worse
off as regards Sanitary Laws than all other Districts where the
Public Health Act, 1875, applies. It becomes necessary sometimes
to cast about before we can fish out from amongst the many
existing Sanitary Acts, some section which will enable some particular
matter to be dealt with. It will, therefore, be a boon to
have comprised within one Act of Parliament, that which now