View report page

79
122 cases of small pox were reported to the Sanitary Department,
of which 114 were for isolation removed to Hospital; 8
could not be removed, of these 3 died. There are no data to show
how many cases had occurred in private houses which were not
reported.
In the corresponding period of last year there were 509 cases
reported.
INFECTIOUS DISEASES.
Small Pox, for instance, has been much less prevalent, and the
cases reported to the Sanitary Department were nearly all removed
for isolation and treatment to the Poor Law Asylums.
Here I may refer to a circular letter that the Asylum's Board
sent to your Vestry, notifying that they were prepared to make
arrangements in the Sick Asylums of the Board for the reception
of Non-Pauper Infected Persons of the Parish, if the Vestry would
undertake to pay the cost in each case. That circular it was my
duty to consider and advise thereon—and I regret that I could not
advise your Vestry to adopt this proposal of the Board; I could
not, for the Board did not agree to receive any and all of such
infected persons that the Sanitary Authority of the Parish might
have to send in their endeavour to arrest an epidemic by isolating
the infected. The Board made the reception of the infected
contingent upon the Board having suitable accommodation for
their reception. Experience has shown that in the face of an
epidemic the Sanitary Authority may not have time to provide
suitable Hospital accommodation for isolation purposes, but the
Asylum's Board, with their large resources might reasonably bo
expected to have taken precautionary steps to be ready to receive
all cases—and it seemed to your Medical Officer that it would be
much safer for your Vestry to know that it entirely depended upon
the Sanitary Authority themselves to provide for an exceptionally
severe outbreak, rather than wait on a contingency that might
lead to a most dangerous waste of time.
DWELLINGS IMPROVEMENT.
That operation has continued, and the changes made are
manifestly more advantageous for both landlord and tenant. For