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15
HOW INFECTIOUS DISEASES ARE SPREAD.
In the early part of October eight cases of Small Pox occurred at one
house in York street, amongst the members of two families. In both
instances the parents obstinately refused to permit their children to be
removed to hospital, and as each family occupied two rooms, I did not
feel justified in taking the case before a magistrate for the purpose of
obtaining a compulsory order. Three of the children died. After the
death of one of them, what is called a "friendly lead" was held at a
neighbouring public-house, for the purpose of raising funds for the funeral
expenses. This was attended by the parents and friends of the dead child
(for aught I know) in the very clothes they wore while nursing it, for
the potman, and several persons who attended the "lead," took the
disease, and at least one person died of it.
The owner of 14, Artillery street, was summoned to Worship street
for failing to comply with an order to cleanse and disinfect his premises,
after the occurrence of three cases of Small Pox in the house. Notices
were served by the Inspector in the usual manner, and for twelve days
after the expiration of the notice nothing was done. At the hearing of
the case, the landlord pleaded that he was waiting to get rid of his
tenants before commencing the work; but the Magistrate did not
consider this a sufficient excuse, and imposed a penalty of £3 and costs.
The owner of a house in Sale street actually let his premises to new
tenants without having the house cleansed and disinfected, after three
cases of Scarlet Fever had occurred there. Notices had been served in the
ordinary way, but the landlord, instead of doing the work, turned his
tenants out, and closed the house. This was about the middle of May.
Shortly afterwards we found the premises re-let, a man, his wife, and a
young family being in residence there. No cleansing or disinfecting had
been done. The landlord was summoned to Worship street, and Mr.
Bushby, the magistrate, said he considered it a most iniquitous thing to
imperil the lives of people by letting strangers into a house where others
had suffered from a horribly contagious disease before the premises had
been disinfected. He fined him £10 and 21s. costs.
COMPULSORY REMOVAL OF SMALL POX CASES.
On the 16th of November, information was received that a number of
Small Pox cases were being concealed and treated at home, without