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28
Vestry of the Parish of St. Matthew, Bethnal Green.
Confidential. INFECTIOUS DISEASES.
Small-pox, Scarlet Fever, Diphtheria, Typhus and Typhoid Fevers, &c.
187
I have reason to believe that there is case of
at No. Name
Remarks
Signature
Address
Visitor of the School Board for London.
To Dr. Bate, Medical Officer of Health,
Vestry Hall, Church Row, Bethnal Green.
Upon this form a large number of cases have been reported to us,
and in exchange the Sanitary Inspectors have forwarded to Mr.
Hetherington information of all cases of a similar nature which
have come to our knowledge from other sources. I am informed that
children from these addresses have not been allowed to attend school
until such time as the infectious disease has terminated, and the
premises have been properly disinfected and cleansed.
While upon this subject I may as well refer to a most important
Act of Parliament now in force in Bolton, compelling persons to give
information to the Sanitary authority in all cases of infectious
diseases; it would be of immense importance and advantage if a
similar Act could be made applicable to the Metropolis.
The Bolton Improvement Act, 1877, contains the following
Provisions for the Compulsory Registration of Infectious diseases:—
Section 87.—In order to secure that due notice be given to the Corporation of
any inmate of any building used for human habitation, who is suffering from Smallpox,
Cholera, or any contagious or infectious fever, the following provisions shall
have effect (that is to say):—
(1) If any such inmate be suffering from any such disease as aforesaid, the
occupier or person having the management or control of such building
shall, as soon as he shall become aware of the existence in any such inmate
of any such disease, forthwith give notice to the Corporation, at the Town
Hall, of the existence in such inmate of such disease ;
(2) If such inmate be not a member of the family of such occupier or person, the
head of the family (resident in such building) to which such inmate belongs,
and if there be no such head, then such inmate (unless prevented by reason
of such disease or of youth) shall, on becoming aware of the existence in
such inmate or in his own person as the case may be of such disease, forthwith
give notice thereof to such occupier or person;