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18
In my opinion this cannot be carried out thoroughly or
effectually at any private residence, so that in all cases of scarlet
fever and diphtheria, the infection of which is principally conveyed
by means of the clothing, it will be necessary for the
Vestry to carry this out, and, to do so, some method will have
to be adopted to find out when such process could take place.
(7) Every person who shall cease to occupy any house, room, or part of a
house, in which any person has, within six weeks previously, been suffering from
any infectious disease, without having such house, room, or part of a house, and
all articles therein liable to retain infection, disinfected to the satisfaction of a
registered medical practitioner, as testified by a certificate signed by him, or
without first giving to the owner of such house, room, or part of a house, notice
ot the previous exigence of such disease, and every person ceasing to occupy any
house, room, or part of a house, and who on being questioned by the owner
thereof, or by any person negotiating for the hire of such house, room, or part of
a house, as to the tact ot there having within six weeks previously been therein,
any person suffering from any infectious disease knowing makes a false answer to
such question, shall be liable to a penalty not exceeding ten pounds.
(13) Any person who shall knowingly cast, or cause, or permit to be cast
into any ash-pit, ash-tub, or other receptacle for the deposit of refuse matter,
any infectious rubbish, without previous disinfection, shall be guilty of an offence
under this Act.
(14) Where Sections seven and thirteen of this Act, or either of them are
in force in any district, the Local Authority shall give notice of the provisions
thereof to the occupier of any house in which they are aware that there is a person
suffering from an infectious disease.
Sections 7 and 13 should be taken together, as it will be seen
by section 14 that it is necessary' for the Local Authority to
give notice of the provisions of these two sections to the occupier
of any house where we have notice that any person is suffering
from an infectious disease.
(15) The Local Authority shall, from time to time, provide, free of charge,
temporary shelter or house accommodation, with any necessary attendants for the
members of any family in which any infectious disease has appeared, who have
been compelled to leave their dwellings for the purpose of enabling such dwellings
to be disinfected by the Local Authority.
It is this section that will cause considerable stir in some
parts of the metropolis. In our own district there are undoubtedly
cases occurring in which people who only occupy
one room, and I take it that in such cases as these shelter will
have to be found.
And now, Gentleman, having given you a short synopsis of
the Act, it becomes my duty to point out to you what is required
to so carry this Act out as to be a means of protection
to the public health in the district. In each house where
infectious disease takes place, it is necessary for the premises
to be at once visited, and an examination made as to its
sanitary condition, and a record to be kept of the same, and
notice should be left stating the contents of sections 7 and 13 of
this Act, and any other sections of the Act that may be
necessary; and in order to give us notice when the premises