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internal walls not less than six inches above the lowest floor, while
the whole site of houses not built on sand, gravel, or virgin soil must
be covered with six inches of concrete, and "no house may be erected
on any site filled up with dust, slops, or any material impregnated or
mixed with fœcal, animal or vegetable matter or refuse until such
matter has been removed, and the holes filled up with dry rubbish,
unless the excavation is used as a basement."
The Artizans' Dwellings Amendment Act modifies the manner in which
compensation is given for condemned property, and gives the Metropolitan
Board of Works authority to put the Act in force, should the
Local Authority neglect to do so.
The Artizans' and Labourers' Dwellings Improvement Act also makes
some alteration in estimating compensation, and allows the Board to
modify a scheme so as to provide accommodation for workpeople at
some place other than within the condemned area.
The Sale of Food and Drugs' Act has also been amended, and articles
may now be purchased solely for the purpose of submitting them to
the Public Analyst for examination. By this Act it shall be no defence
that the purchaser, having bought only for analysis was not prejudiced
by the sale, and articles for analysis may be purchased in any street or
open place of public resort. The amount of dilution to which spiritous
liquors may be subjected is also specified: this is fixed at 35 degrees
under proof for gin, and 25 under proof for brandy, whiskey, and
rum; any spirit retailed below this standard will render the vendor
liable to prosecution, unless due notice be given at the time of sale to
the purchaser, and no displayed notice that the "Spirits sold at this
establishment are diluted" will afford legal protection unless the same
statement is repeated at the time of sale, and labelled on the bottle
. or measure in which the article is sold.
By The Poor Law Act of 1879, the Metropolitan Asylums Board is
empowered to contract with anv Vestry for the reception and maintenance
in hospital of any person suffering from infectious disease,
and any person so received will be considered to be maintained in
hospital by the Vestry, who will be able to recover the expense of
such maintenance from the sick person, or his representatives, within
six months after his discharge from hospital. Persons thus removed
and treated in hospitals by the Vestry will, of course, not be liable to