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Bills before Parliament
566
Bills bdore Parliament
~P=bu0H~atu
BILLS BEFORE PARLIAMENT. Foc~ Bills relating to sanitary matters are now before the House of Commons. The Bills in question wilt doubtless receive due attention from the Parliamentary Committee of the Society, and we propose at present to deal with them in a very brief manner. Isolation ttospitals Bill (No. 111).--This Bill differs from tha~ introduced last year, and referred to in this Journal in May last. ~ Last year's Bill was a private one, this year's is a Government measure. Its objects are briefly (a) to enable a local authority which has provided " a hospital for the reception of the sick," under the Act of 1875 or any local Act, to transfer such hospital to the county council for the use, by a "district formed under the Isolation Hospitals Act, 1893," as an isolation hospital. The transfer can only be effected after the Local Government Board has been satisfied " t h a t hospital accommodation sufficient for the needs of the district" of the local authority " h a s been or will be provided." Any money paid for such transfer is to be used for the discharge of any loan raised by the local authority. The proposal is of special interest, as it appears from the wording o'f Clause 1 (1} that the Act of 1875 authorizes a local authority to provide hospital accommodation for sick persons not suffering from infectious disease. The second object of the Bill is (b) to enable a county council t(~ make annual contributions towards the maintenance of a hospital for infectious sick provided by a local authority, subject to the consent of the Local Government Board being obtained in the case of contributions towards the maintenance of hospitals not erected by loan. Public Health Bill (No. 141).--This Bill, backed by Sir Francis Powell, Sir Walter Foster, N[r. Talbot, Dr. Farquhar~n, ]~r. Henry Hobhouse, Mr. Cripps, Mr. Heywood Johnstone, and Sir Michael Foster, is the same Bill as was brought forward Iast year by Dr. Farquharson and others. Its object is ~o secure "fixity of tenure" for all "health officers" and ~o provide for ~heir superan nuation. We have on previous occasions 2 dealt at length with its provisions, which we believe are well known to our readers. Facto~y and Workshops Acts Amend.ment Bill (No.-180).--This Bill follows in part the line of the Bill which was before the House last year. It contains much that does not immediately concern ~he medical officer of health, and we, therefore, shall only speak of a few of. its clauses :
~ay, ~901]
Bills b e f o r e P a r l i a m e n t
567
Clause 9 (1) (b) provides that the lists of outworkers shall be sent twice a year to the council of the district in which the factory or workshop is situated. Clause 10 legalizes what is often done in practice--that is, the prohibition of work in homes where any infectious illness which is required to be notified occurs--gi~ing the district council power to forbid such work being carried on in the house or part of the house. The order may De issued even if the patient be removed to hospital. and in a n y case is to be for a specified time or until disinfection be carried out to the satisfaction of the medical officer of health. In emergency two or more members of the council may act on the advice of the medical officer of health, as in school closure. The class of work specified by the Clause is the making, cleaning, etc., of wearing apparel, " a n d such ether classes of work as may be specified by the Secretary of State" by order made in due form. Clause 11 transfers from the district factory inspector to the district council the power to prohibit work under certain conditions in places pronounced to be "injurious to health." Clause 13. requires the district council to give notice of the provisions of the Acts relating to domestic factories and workshops, and Clause 14 extends the powers of entry with respect to workplaces. Clause 15 requires adequate means of ventilation to be provided and kept in use. Clause t6 makes it compulsory for the district council to keep up a register of workshops in the district, and Clause 17 requires the medical officer of health to report specifically on the administration of the Acts each year in his annual report, and to send such report, or the special part dealing with this subject, to the Secretary of State. With respect to laundries conducted for "religious or charitable purposes," the managers may nominate a special inspector, who, if approved by the chief inspector, shall replace the factory inspector (Clause 26). Clause 28 (1): After January 1st, 1904, no underground bakehouse (being one whose floor is 8 feet or more below the surface of the adjoining ground) shall be used unless such bakehouse be specially certified as fit for use. The conditions for certifying are to be suitability as regards construction, light, ventilation, "and in all other respects." Clause 80 provides for the provision of thermometers in factories and workshops, and that the means taken to warm such places " m u s t not interfere with the purity of the air" of such place.
568
Bills before P a r l i a m e n t
trubno ao~ath
There is little doubt that the provisions which have been mentioned will be found most useful, and we trust t h e y will not be whittled away in the course of discussion. Facto~'y and Workshop Acts Co~solidation Bill (No. l ~ l ) . - - T h i s is 6he of the most important measures brought forward for some years. It is to consolidate the undermentioned Acts : Factory and Workshop ,. . . . . . . Cotton Cloth Factories Factory and Workshop . . . . . . . Cotton Cloth Factories
Act, 1878. 1883. Act, 1889. Act, 1891. , 1895. Act, 1897.
As drafted, the Bill does not apparently (herein we speak subject to correction) amend any of the provisions of those Acts. Some such amendments are required, and we think the Parliamentary Committee of the Society should give this Bill their careful consideration. Doubtless the Amendment Bill which we have just discussed will be incorporated with the Consolidation Bill. The Consolidation Bill iS divided into ten parts, with schedules, and contains 158 clauses. We cannot venture to discuss the Bill adequately on this occasion, but we have one suggestion to make a?~ this stage. We have had occasion to consider the ease of clerks employed in counting-houses, etc., either attached to factories and workshops or independent thereof, and have experienced doubts as to the power to secure adequate ventilation and cubic space. It has been alleged that such places are outside the scope of the Acts, and we think they should, if that contention be true, be specifically included by the provisions of the Consolidation Act. 1 ~:)uBLicHEALTH,xii., p. 623 (May, 1900). PUBLICHEALTh,xi., p. 757 ; xii., pp. 1 and 643. A DELICATE TEST FOR D~XT~OS~ AND ALDEHYDES. E. ~IEGLER
(Wether reed: BL, 1900, xxfii., 785).--One e.e. of the solution to be examined, about 0'5 gramme of crystallized sodium acetate, and 2 c.c. of a fresh solution of phenylhydrazine hydrochloride are boiled together, 10 c.c. of 10 per cent. sodium hydroxide are added immediately, and the whole shaken. Presence of dextrose causes the formation of a fine rose colour, which appears at once or in fifteen or thirty minutes, according to the proportion of sugar in the liquid. Any eolour developing after thirty minutes is neglected. The limit of delicacy of the test is 0"005 per cent. Uric acid, creatinine, and albumin do not interfere; therefore the reaction should be useful in analyzing urine. It can also be employed to detect formaldehyde and other
aldehydes.--Analyst.
Bills bdore Parliament
~P=bu0H~atu
BILLS BEFORE PARLIAMENT. Foc~ Bills relating to sanitary matters are now before the House of Commons. The Bills in question wilt doubtless receive due attention from the Parliamentary Committee of the Society, and we propose at present to deal with them in a very brief manner. Isolation ttospitals Bill (No. 111).--This Bill differs from tha~ introduced last year, and referred to in this Journal in May last. ~ Last year's Bill was a private one, this year's is a Government measure. Its objects are briefly (a) to enable a local authority which has provided " a hospital for the reception of the sick," under the Act of 1875 or any local Act, to transfer such hospital to the county council for the use, by a "district formed under the Isolation Hospitals Act, 1893," as an isolation hospital. The transfer can only be effected after the Local Government Board has been satisfied " t h a t hospital accommodation sufficient for the needs of the district" of the local authority " h a s been or will be provided." Any money paid for such transfer is to be used for the discharge of any loan raised by the local authority. The proposal is of special interest, as it appears from the wording o'f Clause 1 (1} that the Act of 1875 authorizes a local authority to provide hospital accommodation for sick persons not suffering from infectious disease. The second object of the Bill is (b) to enable a county council t(~ make annual contributions towards the maintenance of a hospital for infectious sick provided by a local authority, subject to the consent of the Local Government Board being obtained in the case of contributions towards the maintenance of hospitals not erected by loan. Public Health Bill (No. 141).--This Bill, backed by Sir Francis Powell, Sir Walter Foster, N[r. Talbot, Dr. Farquhar~n, ]~r. Henry Hobhouse, Mr. Cripps, Mr. Heywood Johnstone, and Sir Michael Foster, is the same Bill as was brought forward Iast year by Dr. Farquharson and others. Its object is ~o secure "fixity of tenure" for all "health officers" and ~o provide for ~heir superan nuation. We have on previous occasions 2 dealt at length with its provisions, which we believe are well known to our readers. Facto~y and Workshops Acts Amend.ment Bill (No.-180).--This Bill follows in part the line of the Bill which was before the House last year. It contains much that does not immediately concern ~he medical officer of health, and we, therefore, shall only speak of a few of. its clauses :
~ay, ~901]
Bills b e f o r e P a r l i a m e n t
567
Clause 9 (1) (b) provides that the lists of outworkers shall be sent twice a year to the council of the district in which the factory or workshop is situated. Clause 10 legalizes what is often done in practice--that is, the prohibition of work in homes where any infectious illness which is required to be notified occurs--gi~ing the district council power to forbid such work being carried on in the house or part of the house. The order may De issued even if the patient be removed to hospital. and in a n y case is to be for a specified time or until disinfection be carried out to the satisfaction of the medical officer of health. In emergency two or more members of the council may act on the advice of the medical officer of health, as in school closure. The class of work specified by the Clause is the making, cleaning, etc., of wearing apparel, " a n d such ether classes of work as may be specified by the Secretary of State" by order made in due form. Clause 11 transfers from the district factory inspector to the district council the power to prohibit work under certain conditions in places pronounced to be "injurious to health." Clause 13. requires the district council to give notice of the provisions of the Acts relating to domestic factories and workshops, and Clause 14 extends the powers of entry with respect to workplaces. Clause 15 requires adequate means of ventilation to be provided and kept in use. Clause t6 makes it compulsory for the district council to keep up a register of workshops in the district, and Clause 17 requires the medical officer of health to report specifically on the administration of the Acts each year in his annual report, and to send such report, or the special part dealing with this subject, to the Secretary of State. With respect to laundries conducted for "religious or charitable purposes," the managers may nominate a special inspector, who, if approved by the chief inspector, shall replace the factory inspector (Clause 26). Clause 28 (1): After January 1st, 1904, no underground bakehouse (being one whose floor is 8 feet or more below the surface of the adjoining ground) shall be used unless such bakehouse be specially certified as fit for use. The conditions for certifying are to be suitability as regards construction, light, ventilation, "and in all other respects." Clause 80 provides for the provision of thermometers in factories and workshops, and that the means taken to warm such places " m u s t not interfere with the purity of the air" of such place.
568
Bills before P a r l i a m e n t
trubno ao~ath
There is little doubt that the provisions which have been mentioned will be found most useful, and we trust t h e y will not be whittled away in the course of discussion. Facto~'y and Workshop Acts Co~solidation Bill (No. l ~ l ) . - - T h i s is 6he of the most important measures brought forward for some years. It is to consolidate the undermentioned Acts : Factory and Workshop ,. . . . . . . Cotton Cloth Factories Factory and Workshop . . . . . . . Cotton Cloth Factories
Act, 1878. 1883. Act, 1889. Act, 1891. , 1895. Act, 1897.
As drafted, the Bill does not apparently (herein we speak subject to correction) amend any of the provisions of those Acts. Some such amendments are required, and we think the Parliamentary Committee of the Society should give this Bill their careful consideration. Doubtless the Amendment Bill which we have just discussed will be incorporated with the Consolidation Bill. The Consolidation Bill iS divided into ten parts, with schedules, and contains 158 clauses. We cannot venture to discuss the Bill adequately on this occasion, but we have one suggestion to make a?~ this stage. We have had occasion to consider the ease of clerks employed in counting-houses, etc., either attached to factories and workshops or independent thereof, and have experienced doubts as to the power to secure adequate ventilation and cubic space. It has been alleged that such places are outside the scope of the Acts, and we think they should, if that contention be true, be specifically included by the provisions of the Consolidation Act. 1 ~:)uBLicHEALTH,xii., p. 623 (May, 1900). PUBLICHEALTh,xi., p. 757 ; xii., pp. 1 and 643. A DELICATE TEST FOR D~XT~OS~ AND ALDEHYDES. E. ~IEGLER
(Wether reed: BL, 1900, xxfii., 785).--One e.e. of the solution to be examined, about 0'5 gramme of crystallized sodium acetate, and 2 c.c. of a fresh solution of phenylhydrazine hydrochloride are boiled together, 10 c.c. of 10 per cent. sodium hydroxide are added immediately, and the whole shaken. Presence of dextrose causes the formation of a fine rose colour, which appears at once or in fifteen or thirty minutes, according to the proportion of sugar in the liquid. Any eolour developing after thirty minutes is neglected. The limit of delicacy of the test is 0"005 per cent. Uric acid, creatinine, and albumin do not interfere; therefore the reaction should be useful in analyzing urine. It can also be employed to detect formaldehyde and other
aldehydes.--Analyst.