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epidemic diseases (small-pox included), and are, therefore
largely interested in the administration of the law relating to
public vaccination. At present both the Vaccination Officer
and the officer appointed to see that the law is observed, are
employed by the Guardians of the Poor, and although the
Vestry fully believe that in the Westminster Union the
arrangements for public vaccination are ample and conscientiously
carried out, they entertain a very decided opinion
that the Vaccination Acts might be administered to
greater advantage if the appointment and control of
the medical practitioners for vaccinating purposes, and of
the officers for enforcing the law, were vested in the
local Sanitary Authority instead of the Poor-Law
Guardians.
The present system would appear to be open to two
objections; firstly, some prejudice against vaccination has
arisen on account of its association with the Poor Law
machinery, and secondly, it has a tendency to familiarise the
poor with pauperism. But, in addition to these objections,
it seems anomalous to place part of a system for preventing
epidemic diseases under the control of the Poor Law
Administration while there is a Sanitary Authority in the
same district. It is also evident that such a course might
endanger the public health or largely increase the cost of
administration if these two authorities did not act in
harmony. Having regard to these considerations, the Vestry
brought the subject under the notice of the Local Government
Board, and suggested that at the first convenient
opportunity a Bill should be introduced into Parliament for
transferring the administration of the law relating to vaccination,
so far, at least, as the Metropolis is concerned, from the
Poor Law Guardians to the various local Sanitary Authorities.
The Vestry sought and received, to some extent, the cooperation
of the other Sanitary Authorities of the Metropolis