Interim report of the Departmental Committee on Tuberculosis.

  • Great Britain. Treasury. Committee on Tuberculosis.
Date:
1912
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Interim report of the Departmental Committee on Tuberculosis. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    Sanitary Authorities. 9, The sanitary authorities are, in London, the Common Council, and the metro- politan borough councils, outside London, the county borough councils, borough councils, and. urban and rural district councils. They exercise in their several jurisdictions the powers of the Public Health Acts and regulations made under them, as to infectious diseases, hospital provision, housing, the milk and meat supply, &c., and since pulmonary tuberculosis has been recognised as an infectious disease, a number of authorities have taken additional steps to combat it: from’ this - point of view. Pulmonary tuberculosis has been made a compulsorily notifiable disease for the whole of England and Wales, and under regulations issued’ by the Local Government Board definite powers and duties are imposed upon sanitary authorities and their officers, for the administrative control of tuberculosis. The scope of these powers and duties can be gathered from Articles VIII. and IX. of the Public Health (Tuberculosis) Regulations, 1911, given below. ‘These should be read in conjunction with all the clauses of the Public Health Acts relating to sanitation and to the control of infectious diseases. Article VIII.—Upon the receipt of a notification under these Regulations or under the Poor Law Regulations or under the Hospital Regulations the Medical Officer of Health, or an Officer acting under the instructions of the Medical Officer of Health, shall make such inquiries and take such steps as may appear to him to be necessary or desirable for preventing the spread of infection and for removing conditions favourable to infection. Article IX.—(1) For the purposes of these Regulations and of the Poor Law Regulations and of the Hospital Regulations a Council, on the advice of their Medical Officer of Health, may supply all such medical or other assistance, and all such facilities and articles as may reasonably be required for the detection of Pulmonary Tuberculosis, and for preventing the spread of infection and for removing conditions favourable to infection, and for that purpose may appoint such othcers, do such acts and make such arrangements as may be necessary. | | (2) A Council, on the advice of their Medical Officer of Health, may provide and publish or distribute in the form of placards, handbills, or leaflets, suitable summaries of information and instruction respecting Pulmonary Tuberculosis, and the precautions to be taken against the spread of infection from that disease. . It will be observed that by these regulations sanitary authorities have had con- ferred upon them the power of treating pulmonary tuberculosis in their homes in addition to their already existing powers of treating this disease in dispensaries and other institutions. Under these powers much work has already been done by sanitary authorities in the provision of hospital or sanatorium accommodation or of dispensaries and shelters by the authorities themselves, or, more generally, by a subscription to a sanatorium, or to a dispensary erected by a voluntary society, inspection of houses occupied by patients suffering from tuberculosis, examination of patients and “ con- tacts,’ together with advice as to the prevention of the spread of infection, the provision of treatment by tuberculin, the bacteriological examination of sputum, the disinfection of premises and bedding, the making of byelaws for the prevention ot spitting, the provision of other necessary appliances, and the distribution of leaflets and handbills giving instruction and advice with regard to the management of tuberculosis. The sanitary authorities have power to deal with overcrowding and insanitary conditions of dwellings, to control the milk supply and to stop the supply of tuberculous milk, and to seize and condemn tuberculous meat exposed for sale. These powers they exercise through their medical officers of health, sanitary inspectors, and health visitors. Local Education Authorities. 10. The local education authorities are the councils of boroughs which had a population of over 10,000 and of urban districts which had a population of over 20,000 at the census of 1901, and for the rest of the administrative county, the county council. The local edweation authorities are required by statute to undertake the periodical medical inspection of the children attending the public elementary schools in their districts. They have also powers of treatment under sanction of the Board of Education. Under this power some 50 local education authorities have now established school clinics at which treatment and advice is given, and several have established day or residential sanatorium schools for children suffering from tuber- culosis, There are also open-air day schools for debilitated children, and numerous day schools for cripples and other physically defective children, many of whom.