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172
for their default on the part of those Vestries which
have not yet required their officers to undertake such
duties ; the more especially as officers of Vestries
have no legal power of entry unless they have
reason to suspect the presence of a nuisance, and
then only (in case of refusal of admission) after due
notice, and armed with an order of a magistrate. I
admit that, on the whole, we have had very little
difficulty in the systematic performance of this duty.
But the inspectors are at times refused admittance;
and a former member of this Vestry, offended by
being required to carry out certain necessary works,
actually forbade his tenants, on pain of ejectment,
to allow any of the Sanitary Officers of the Vestry
to enter his houses.
The power given to Vestries of compelling,
under certain conditions, the disinfection of premises
after dangerous infectious diseases is undoubtedly a
very valuable one, and a power which has been
largely exercised. But after all it is only a minority
of cases in which such diseases occur that, under
present circumstances, are dealt with. In the
absence of compulsory notification of such diseases,
a large number of infectious cases, which are not
fatal, never come to the knowledge of the sanitary
authorities. And in no inconsiderable proportion