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The Report also contains information in connection with:—
(1) Small-Pox.
(2) Enteric and Scarlet Fever.
(3) Other Diseases.
(4) Chicken-Pox.
(5) Infected Clothing.
(6) Unsound Meat.
(7) The Launch.
(8) The Hospital.
(9) Canvey Island.
(10) Canal Boats.
Your Committee again have great satisfaction in drawing attention to the
continued healthy condition of the Port, an unusually small number of cases
of infectious disease having been recorded during the past half-year.
As stated in the Medical Officer's Report, application was made to the
Local Government Board by your Committee in April last for the Board's
approval to the inclusion of chicken-pox among the dangerous infectious
disorders specified in the regulations made by the Committee in 1885, under
section 125 of the Public Health Act, 1875.
Bearing in mind the difficulty of distinguishing chicken-pox from smallpox
at certain stages of the disease we considered it extremely desirable that
our proposal should be adopted. We have recently, however, received a letter
from the Local Government Board, in which they state that one effect of
carrying out the proposal would be that every ship arriving in the Port
with a case of chicken-pox on board would be subject to detention under the
Committee's regulations, a result which, as the Board understood, was not
contemplated by your Committee. If, however, any such ship were not
detained until the arrival of the Medical Officer of Health the master would
be liable to the penalty of 5l. imposed by Article 7 of the regulations. The
Board did not think it expedient to place masters under this liability, and,
having regard to the fact that the number of cases of chicken-pox met with
on board ship in the Port was very small, the Board were not at present
prepared to assent to the proposed amendment of the regulations.
All which we submit to the judgment of this Honourable Court. Dated
this first day of October, 1889.
J. E. Walford.
Daniel Greenaway.
Frank Tayler.
W. G. Howard.
Henry H. Thompson.
Wm. Courtney, Junr.
J. N. Pimm.
David Burnett.
William Creasey.
Cornelius Barham.