Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for St James's, Westminster]
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health, and therefore unhesitatingly supported the representations
of other Authorities to the Local Government
Board in favour of early legislation to effect this object.
REMOVAL OF THE INFECTIOUS SICK TO
HOSPITALS.
Under the Sanitary Act, 1866, any person suffering from
any dangerous, contagious, or infectious disorder, and being
without proper lodging or accommodation, may be removed
to a hospital, providing such an institution exists in the
district of the Local Sanitary Authority, or within a convenient
distance therefrom. The object of this enactment is
twofold, firstly, removal in such a case would probably
facilitate the recovery of the sick person and certainly
increase his comfort, and, secondly, removal is necessary to
prevent the spread of infection among those who are least
prepared to meet it. It is evident, therefore, that both on
private and public grounds the Local Sanitary Authority
should be enabled to deal with such cases, although the
Vestry are not prepared to advocate the indiscriminate
removal of the infectious sick to hospitals, if the patient can
be properly treated at home.
In many districts, however, no hospital is provided, and
difficulties might arise in enforcing the law, if the necessity
arose. The Vestry have therefore suggested to the Local
Government Board the desirability of their issuing an order
under the Act 37 and 38 Vic., cap. 89, sec. 51, declaring
the Hospitals of the Metropolitan Asylums Board to be
within a convenient distance of the districts of the several
Nuisance Authorities of the Metropolis for this purpose.
Seeing that these Hospitals have been erected at the cost of
the Metropolis, it seems only equitable that the Metropolis
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