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to me principally by the Officials of the Stepney Union. In every
instance where it was practicable, the removal of the sick was
urged, and in the majority of cases effected. These removals were
conducted by the Officers of the Stepney Union, and the patients
were removed to the Hospitals under the control of the Metropolitan
Asylum District Board. Every possible disinfection was practised, the
premises were fumigated, clothing, bedding, &c. disinfected by heat,
in the disinfecting chamber belonging to the Board; the drains were
flushed frequently with disinfectants, and a large quantity of
infected clothing, not suitable for disinfection, destroyed, and notices
served upon the owners of infected premises for the cleansing of
the same. During the year 402 cases were reported to me, and
3,420 articles were disinfected in the apparatus of the Board. For
the number of houses disinfected, notices served, and other works
of a sanitary character, I beg to refer you to Table 7 in the
Appendix. As stated above, the removals were effected by the
Union Officers to Hospitals, designed more especially for the use of
the destitute, and considerable embarrassment was felt in so dealing
with many of the cases that occurred, which were decidedly not
destitute. You are, of course, aware that by the Sanitary Act of
1866, you are empowered to provide Hospital accommodation in
your District for persons suffering from infectious diseases,
and you are also given power to provide means of transit
thither, but owing, principally to the difficulty of obtaining sites
for the erection of these Hospitals, this Section of the Act has, with
one or two exceptions, where the Sanitary Authority has had the
good fortune, on account of the locality, to be able to provide these