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PUBLIC HEALTH IN THE LOCAL LEGISLATION OF 1926.
49
appeal to the magistrates. Housing and town planning being closely allied to public health, we may also note that the London County Council has obtained a power to extend the 1925 Housing Act in the direction of
PUBLIC HEALTH IN THE LOCAL LEGISLATION OF 1926.
commercial accommodation.
Southend-on-Sea and erections on forecourts
Margate prevent IN so far as public health can be promoted by which mar the local amenities. Eastbourne took a Acts of Pailiament, the local are not less notable step towards acquiring the adjacent downs than the general statutes. Progressive local authorcompulsory purchase, failing agreement. Newcastle ities take the initiative ; the rest of the country follows by has obtained town-planning powers over lands already their example in titne. In the campaign for public Swindon is authorised to set aside parks. health the local skirmishings ahead of the general developed. and pleasure-grounds for the exclusive use gardens, front line are always worth study and for this purpose of boys and girls attending elementary and secondary the local Acts of 1926 provide good material. ’L’Ite schools in the borough. In connexion with waterPublic Health Act of 1925 greatly enlarged the powers it wdll be found that the Rhymney Valley and supply cf local authorities, but there is a demand Taf Fechan Water Boards are now allowed to make in many places for powers still wider in matters like reasonable subscriptions to associations of watei the of food supplies and the prevention authorities and to pay the costs of attendance of of infectious disease. As to food. the local Acts of members and officers at conferences. The latter 1926 furnish frequent instances of the usual clauses Board has been a new power to impose summary given prescribing adequatelarderaccommodation, rest ricting penalties for the breach of any order it may make the handling or cooking of food by infected persons, prohibiting sheep-washing (with or without chemicals) regulating ice-cream and potted-meat manufacture. in the area including the Taf and its tributaries and empowering the supervision of the transport of and the Board’s reservoits. The local legislation of food. There are also examples of clauses for penalising 1926 does not make much mention of river pollution, the original vendors of unsound food and authorising but there are occasional references to the protection The of the search of vehicles, sacks, pa,rcels, &c. fisheries—e.g., to the Dart waters in the Paignton the introduction Act. Rumworth reservoir in the Bolton Act, and the Chorley and Guildford Acts uf inedible fats on premises where food is prepared. Hampshire Conservancy in the West Hampshire The C’uildford Act prulibits the blowing of meat Water Act. There is a remarkable clause in Section 9 carcasses and makes food poisoning notifiable. Many of the Stoke-on-Trent Act authorising the corporation localities obtained in 1926 a statutory widening of the to contract with the owners and occupiers of factories infectious disease," the list in the or other trade works for the definition of supply of sewage effluent. !nfectious diseases (Notification) Act of 1889 being The contracts arc to provide that the effluent shall thus enlarged to include such illnesses as measles, not be used for any other purpose than for condensaGerman measles,whooping-cough. chicken-pox, scabies, tion or boiler or other factory purposes or for washing ringworm, and influenza. As usual, restrictions have coal or coke on the premises of the person supplied. been placed in many places upon Sunday schools and There is mention of the London, Midland and Scottish entertainments in times of epidemic. Parents are Railway as a possible purchaser of effluent, apparently to notify the head teacher of a child’s infection. The in connexion with its canals. By way of safeguard the withholding of information from medical officers is consent of the Ministry of Health is to be necessary frequently made punishable. Power is taken to obtain to all contracts, and he may impose conditions to can
now
important
evidently
protection
prohibit
"
the names of an infected household’s laundry, and, prevent nuisance or danger to health ; further, a at Chorley, to obtain lists of a dairyman’s customers. Factory and Workshops Act inspector may bring Another clause in the Chorley Act authorises the offenders before a court of summary jurisdiction. municipality to supply doctors with antidotes. At The City of London (Various lowers) Act regulates Hackney a medical officer may enter a common the discharge of offensive liquids (chemical or trade lodging-house under warrant. There is often a power refuse, waste steam, liquid heated above 110 degrees for the removal from houses of the bodies of persons Fahrenheit, crude petroleum, B’c.) into sewers, and dying of infectious disease. Sufferers from any grave has special provisions for waste pipes conveying acids infectious disorder may be removed to hospital at from premises where chemicals are used. The slaughter Bristol without a justices’ order if the sufferer or his of animals is prohibited in the City by the same Act. or her parent or guardian consents. There is a stronger Elsewhere there are clauses against offensive trades hut not entirely novel clause in the Hackney Act in the Acts to Bristol, Chorley, Colwyn Bay. relating for removing a patient certified to be suffering from and Paignton, and against smtoke nuisance in those pulmonary tuberculosis when his existing accolumoda- relating to Bristol, Chorley, Halifax, Margate, and tion is such that proper precautions against the spread These localities, together with of infection cannot be taken, if " thorough inquiry Newcastle-on-Tyne. and the urban district Southend-on-Sea, Guildford, and consideration have shown the necessitv in the of are some of the principal pioneers Mynyddislwyn public interest for the compulsory isolation of the of public health in the local legislation of 1926. person so suffering." The order of a metropolitan In many cases local authorities have already shown police magistrate is necessary and may be made subject the way ; others, no doubt, will follow. to independent medical examination. Other antituberculosis clauses elsewhere include the disinfection of premises and the special prohibition of handling STREET ACCIDENTS AND INSURANCE AT SHEFFIELD. or cooking food. The Colwyn Bay Act (Section 8(5) and the Margate Corporation Act (Section 78) have The Governors of Sheffield ftoyal Infirmary have decided to r4,lieve the pressure caused by casualties by providing identical provisions for demolition orders in respect an entirely separate casualty department, and the scheme animals are on of stables or cowsheds where kept, has been referred to the medical staff for consideration of certificate by the corporation’s veterinary surgeon details. At the meeting at which this decision was taken that an infectious or parasitic disease has appeared Mr. R. W. Matthews, who presided, urged that the voluntary and that eflicient disinfection is not possible. hospitals should be given statutory power to recover the cost of insured patients. There are certain novelties in the local Acts of the a have value as DOMESTIC SERVANTS AND CONTRIBUTORY SCHEMES. past year which special precedents. Bristol has secured a power to make by-laws underAn endeavour is being made to induce clomestic servants Section 157 of the Public Health Act of 1875 forin the 250 parishes served by the East Suffolk and Ipswich Hospital to join the contributory scheme which is already in compulsory notification where bathrooms are erected-1) successful operation. It is pointed out that since household and geysers or other hot-water apparatus installed have not to pay unemployment insurance they are This will be found in servants for the purpose of baths. better off than employed persons ; moreover, the Section 86 of the Bristol Act ; Section 87 prohibitsHealth Insurancemany Act does not entitle them to free treatment the erection of any house, building, or structure in at the hospital. By joining the scheme the full facilities of streets not formed or sewered, but allows a right ofE the hospital would be available to them. ’
.
appeal to the magistrates. Housing and town planning being closely allied to public health, we may also note that the London County Council has obtained a power to extend the 1925 Housing Act in the direction of
PUBLIC HEALTH IN THE LOCAL LEGISLATION OF 1926.
commercial accommodation.
Southend-on-Sea and erections on forecourts
Margate prevent IN so far as public health can be promoted by which mar the local amenities. Eastbourne took a Acts of Pailiament, the local are not less notable step towards acquiring the adjacent downs than the general statutes. Progressive local authorcompulsory purchase, failing agreement. Newcastle ities take the initiative ; the rest of the country follows by has obtained town-planning powers over lands already their example in titne. In the campaign for public Swindon is authorised to set aside parks. health the local skirmishings ahead of the general developed. and pleasure-grounds for the exclusive use gardens, front line are always worth study and for this purpose of boys and girls attending elementary and secondary the local Acts of 1926 provide good material. ’L’Ite schools in the borough. In connexion with waterPublic Health Act of 1925 greatly enlarged the powers it wdll be found that the Rhymney Valley and supply cf local authorities, but there is a demand Taf Fechan Water Boards are now allowed to make in many places for powers still wider in matters like reasonable subscriptions to associations of watei the of food supplies and the prevention authorities and to pay the costs of attendance of of infectious disease. As to food. the local Acts of members and officers at conferences. The latter 1926 furnish frequent instances of the usual clauses Board has been a new power to impose summary given prescribing adequatelarderaccommodation, rest ricting penalties for the breach of any order it may make the handling or cooking of food by infected persons, prohibiting sheep-washing (with or without chemicals) regulating ice-cream and potted-meat manufacture. in the area including the Taf and its tributaries and empowering the supervision of the transport of and the Board’s reservoits. The local legislation of food. There are also examples of clauses for penalising 1926 does not make much mention of river pollution, the original vendors of unsound food and authorising but there are occasional references to the protection The of the search of vehicles, sacks, pa,rcels, &c. fisheries—e.g., to the Dart waters in the Paignton the introduction Act. Rumworth reservoir in the Bolton Act, and the Chorley and Guildford Acts uf inedible fats on premises where food is prepared. Hampshire Conservancy in the West Hampshire The C’uildford Act prulibits the blowing of meat Water Act. There is a remarkable clause in Section 9 carcasses and makes food poisoning notifiable. Many of the Stoke-on-Trent Act authorising the corporation localities obtained in 1926 a statutory widening of the to contract with the owners and occupiers of factories infectious disease," the list in the or other trade works for the definition of supply of sewage effluent. !nfectious diseases (Notification) Act of 1889 being The contracts arc to provide that the effluent shall thus enlarged to include such illnesses as measles, not be used for any other purpose than for condensaGerman measles,whooping-cough. chicken-pox, scabies, tion or boiler or other factory purposes or for washing ringworm, and influenza. As usual, restrictions have coal or coke on the premises of the person supplied. been placed in many places upon Sunday schools and There is mention of the London, Midland and Scottish entertainments in times of epidemic. Parents are Railway as a possible purchaser of effluent, apparently to notify the head teacher of a child’s infection. The in connexion with its canals. By way of safeguard the withholding of information from medical officers is consent of the Ministry of Health is to be necessary frequently made punishable. Power is taken to obtain to all contracts, and he may impose conditions to can
now
important
evidently
protection
prohibit
"
the names of an infected household’s laundry, and, prevent nuisance or danger to health ; further, a at Chorley, to obtain lists of a dairyman’s customers. Factory and Workshops Act inspector may bring Another clause in the Chorley Act authorises the offenders before a court of summary jurisdiction. municipality to supply doctors with antidotes. At The City of London (Various lowers) Act regulates Hackney a medical officer may enter a common the discharge of offensive liquids (chemical or trade lodging-house under warrant. There is often a power refuse, waste steam, liquid heated above 110 degrees for the removal from houses of the bodies of persons Fahrenheit, crude petroleum, B’c.) into sewers, and dying of infectious disease. Sufferers from any grave has special provisions for waste pipes conveying acids infectious disorder may be removed to hospital at from premises where chemicals are used. The slaughter Bristol without a justices’ order if the sufferer or his of animals is prohibited in the City by the same Act. or her parent or guardian consents. There is a stronger Elsewhere there are clauses against offensive trades hut not entirely novel clause in the Hackney Act in the Acts to Bristol, Chorley, Colwyn Bay. relating for removing a patient certified to be suffering from and Paignton, and against smtoke nuisance in those pulmonary tuberculosis when his existing accolumoda- relating to Bristol, Chorley, Halifax, Margate, and tion is such that proper precautions against the spread These localities, together with of infection cannot be taken, if " thorough inquiry Newcastle-on-Tyne. and the urban district Southend-on-Sea, Guildford, and consideration have shown the necessitv in the of are some of the principal pioneers Mynyddislwyn public interest for the compulsory isolation of the of public health in the local legislation of 1926. person so suffering." The order of a metropolitan In many cases local authorities have already shown police magistrate is necessary and may be made subject the way ; others, no doubt, will follow. to independent medical examination. Other antituberculosis clauses elsewhere include the disinfection of premises and the special prohibition of handling STREET ACCIDENTS AND INSURANCE AT SHEFFIELD. or cooking food. The Colwyn Bay Act (Section 8(5) and the Margate Corporation Act (Section 78) have The Governors of Sheffield ftoyal Infirmary have decided to r4,lieve the pressure caused by casualties by providing identical provisions for demolition orders in respect an entirely separate casualty department, and the scheme animals are on of stables or cowsheds where kept, has been referred to the medical staff for consideration of certificate by the corporation’s veterinary surgeon details. At the meeting at which this decision was taken that an infectious or parasitic disease has appeared Mr. R. W. Matthews, who presided, urged that the voluntary and that eflicient disinfection is not possible. hospitals should be given statutory power to recover the cost of insured patients. There are certain novelties in the local Acts of the a have value as DOMESTIC SERVANTS AND CONTRIBUTORY SCHEMES. past year which special precedents. Bristol has secured a power to make by-laws underAn endeavour is being made to induce clomestic servants Section 157 of the Public Health Act of 1875 forin the 250 parishes served by the East Suffolk and Ipswich Hospital to join the contributory scheme which is already in compulsory notification where bathrooms are erected-1) successful operation. It is pointed out that since household and geysers or other hot-water apparatus installed have not to pay unemployment insurance they are This will be found in servants for the purpose of baths. better off than employed persons ; moreover, the Section 86 of the Bristol Act ; Section 87 prohibitsHealth Insurancemany Act does not entitle them to free treatment the erection of any house, building, or structure in at the hospital. By joining the scheme the full facilities of streets not formed or sewered, but allows a right ofE the hospital would be available to them. ’
.