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The infectious diseases bill
37,
THE
INFECTIOUS
THE INFECTIOUS DISEASES BILL. THIS Bill, introduced by Mr. Knowles, M.P., has been read a second time. T h e only objection that can be urged against it is its permissive character ; it is not to be put in force in a district save where the authorities themselves desire it. This means that where most required it will be least available. T h e following is a summary of the provisions : When it is certified to the local authority by the medical officer of health, or some other registered medical practitioner, that an outbreak or spread of infectious disease is in his opinion attributable to the milk supplied by a dairyman, th~ authority may require the latter to furnish a complete list of his customers. For this the dairyman is to be paid from is. to 3s., according to the number of his customers. In case an officer of health has reasonable cause to believe that any person in his district is suffering from infectious disease attributable to milk supplied within the district from a dairy situate beyond it, or that the consumption of milk from such a dairy is likely to cause infectious disease to persons residing within his district, he can apply to a magistrate for an order to inspect the dairy ; and if after inspection he is still of the same opinion, his local authority can direct the occupier of the dairy not to supply any milk within their district. On receiving a certificate from the officer of health as to its desirability, a local authority can require any laundry keeper or mangler of clothes to furnish for a small payment a list of the owners of clothes for whom work has been done during the past six weeks. Then, again, where the local authority are of opinion, on the medical officer's certificate or that of some other registered medical practitioner, that the cleansing and disinfecting of a house, and of any articles therein hkely to communicate infectious disease or to retain infection, would tend to prevent or check such disease, and that the work could be carried out more effectually by the authority than by the owner or occupier of the house, they may proceed to do it. But this must be at their own cost, and compensation must be made for all articles destroyed or injured in the process. For the purpose of carrying into effect the 12oth and 12 i st sections of the Public Health Act, with reference to causing premises to be cleansed and disinfected, and infected bedding, etc., to be destroyed, the local authority's officer is empowered to enter on any premises at any time between ten a.m. and six p.m. Moreover, a penalty of . ~ i o as a maximum is imposed on anyone who, on ceasing to occupy a house or room in which someone has within six weeks been suffering from an infectious disease, does not disinfect it and all articles in it to the satisfaction of a registered medical practitioner as testified by a certificate. T h e occupier is likewise required to give notice of the previous
DISEASES BILL. existence of the disease to the owner of the house or room. Also, if on being questioned by the owner or by anyone negotiating for the hire of it as to the existence of infectious disease in it within six weeks previously he makes false answer, he is to be liable to a similar penalty. Another requirement is that, without the written sanction of the officer of health or of a practitioner, the body of a person who has died of infectious disease is not to be kept unburied anywhere but in a mortuary for more than 4 8 hours. Provision is also made for preventing the bodies of those who die in hospital of infectious disease from beipg removed save for burial. Further, magistrates are authorized to order immediate burial in certain cases, such as where the body of one who has died of infectious disease is retained in a room where persons live o r sleep, or in any building so as to endanger the health of the inmates of this o r a n y adjoining house. Again, such corpses are forbidden to be carried in public conveyances without notice being given to the driver, and on his receiving notice he is to disinfect his carriage. One power given to a magistrate is that of directing the detention in hospital, at the cost of the local authority, of any person suffering from infectious disease who is not provided with lodging or accommodation in which proper precautions can be taken to prevent the spreading of the disorder. Householders should notice that it is even made an offence to allow any infectious rubbish to be put into any ashpit, ashtub, or other receptacle for the deposit of refusematter without previous disinfection. T h e local authority is required to provide temporary shelter or house accommodation for persons who have been compelled to leave their dwellings for the purpose of enabling them to be disinfected. Nurses may also be provided by the local authority for attendance upon persons suffering from infectious disease or upon children thus compelled to leave their dwellings, and for the service of any such nurse a reasonable charge may be made. SEIZURE UNDER SECT. I I 6 OF THE PUBLIC HEALTH ACT OF A a L I V E " ANIMAL UNFIT FOR
F o o D . - - I n the latter part of November, at Derby Police Court, Arthur Cooke, of A~hbourn, was fined .~..5, and costs, for exposing for sale a cow for human food which was diseased and unsound. T h e evidence went to show that the cow was brought into the borough and offered to three local butchers, that the cow was wretchedly emaciated and so evidently diseased that the meat inspector seized the animal and had it slaughtered. The Medical Officer of Health, Mr. Iliffe, made a ~ast-martem examination, and found the lungs and internal organs in a state of advanced tuberculosis. I t is important to note that in certain cases inspectors of nuisances can seize live animals, but there must be sufficient evidence to prove that they have been exposed for sale for human food.
THE
INFECTIOUS
THE INFECTIOUS DISEASES BILL. THIS Bill, introduced by Mr. Knowles, M.P., has been read a second time. T h e only objection that can be urged against it is its permissive character ; it is not to be put in force in a district save where the authorities themselves desire it. This means that where most required it will be least available. T h e following is a summary of the provisions : When it is certified to the local authority by the medical officer of health, or some other registered medical practitioner, that an outbreak or spread of infectious disease is in his opinion attributable to the milk supplied by a dairyman, th~ authority may require the latter to furnish a complete list of his customers. For this the dairyman is to be paid from is. to 3s., according to the number of his customers. In case an officer of health has reasonable cause to believe that any person in his district is suffering from infectious disease attributable to milk supplied within the district from a dairy situate beyond it, or that the consumption of milk from such a dairy is likely to cause infectious disease to persons residing within his district, he can apply to a magistrate for an order to inspect the dairy ; and if after inspection he is still of the same opinion, his local authority can direct the occupier of the dairy not to supply any milk within their district. On receiving a certificate from the officer of health as to its desirability, a local authority can require any laundry keeper or mangler of clothes to furnish for a small payment a list of the owners of clothes for whom work has been done during the past six weeks. Then, again, where the local authority are of opinion, on the medical officer's certificate or that of some other registered medical practitioner, that the cleansing and disinfecting of a house, and of any articles therein hkely to communicate infectious disease or to retain infection, would tend to prevent or check such disease, and that the work could be carried out more effectually by the authority than by the owner or occupier of the house, they may proceed to do it. But this must be at their own cost, and compensation must be made for all articles destroyed or injured in the process. For the purpose of carrying into effect the 12oth and 12 i st sections of the Public Health Act, with reference to causing premises to be cleansed and disinfected, and infected bedding, etc., to be destroyed, the local authority's officer is empowered to enter on any premises at any time between ten a.m. and six p.m. Moreover, a penalty of . ~ i o as a maximum is imposed on anyone who, on ceasing to occupy a house or room in which someone has within six weeks been suffering from an infectious disease, does not disinfect it and all articles in it to the satisfaction of a registered medical practitioner as testified by a certificate. T h e occupier is likewise required to give notice of the previous
DISEASES BILL. existence of the disease to the owner of the house or room. Also, if on being questioned by the owner or by anyone negotiating for the hire of it as to the existence of infectious disease in it within six weeks previously he makes false answer, he is to be liable to a similar penalty. Another requirement is that, without the written sanction of the officer of health or of a practitioner, the body of a person who has died of infectious disease is not to be kept unburied anywhere but in a mortuary for more than 4 8 hours. Provision is also made for preventing the bodies of those who die in hospital of infectious disease from beipg removed save for burial. Further, magistrates are authorized to order immediate burial in certain cases, such as where the body of one who has died of infectious disease is retained in a room where persons live o r sleep, or in any building so as to endanger the health of the inmates of this o r a n y adjoining house. Again, such corpses are forbidden to be carried in public conveyances without notice being given to the driver, and on his receiving notice he is to disinfect his carriage. One power given to a magistrate is that of directing the detention in hospital, at the cost of the local authority, of any person suffering from infectious disease who is not provided with lodging or accommodation in which proper precautions can be taken to prevent the spreading of the disorder. Householders should notice that it is even made an offence to allow any infectious rubbish to be put into any ashpit, ashtub, or other receptacle for the deposit of refusematter without previous disinfection. T h e local authority is required to provide temporary shelter or house accommodation for persons who have been compelled to leave their dwellings for the purpose of enabling them to be disinfected. Nurses may also be provided by the local authority for attendance upon persons suffering from infectious disease or upon children thus compelled to leave their dwellings, and for the service of any such nurse a reasonable charge may be made. SEIZURE UNDER SECT. I I 6 OF THE PUBLIC HEALTH ACT OF A a L I V E " ANIMAL UNFIT FOR
F o o D . - - I n the latter part of November, at Derby Police Court, Arthur Cooke, of A~hbourn, was fined .~..5, and costs, for exposing for sale a cow for human food which was diseased and unsound. T h e evidence went to show that the cow was brought into the borough and offered to three local butchers, that the cow was wretchedly emaciated and so evidently diseased that the meat inspector seized the animal and had it slaughtered. The Medical Officer of Health, Mr. Iliffe, made a ~ast-martem examination, and found the lungs and internal organs in a state of advanced tuberculosis. I t is important to note that in certain cases inspectors of nuisances can seize live animals, but there must be sufficient evidence to prove that they have been exposed for sale for human food.