Sins against the laws of health : illustrated by the vital statistics of the Crosshill District : being a lecture delivered on behalf of the library of the Crosshill Young Men's Christian Association, 29th April, 1880 / by Eben. Duncan.

  • Duncan, Eben.
Date:
1880
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Sins against the laws of health : illustrated by the vital statistics of the Crosshill District : being a lecture delivered on behalf of the library of the Crosshill Young Men's Christian Association, 29th April, 1880 / by Eben. Duncan. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The University of Glasgow Library. The original may be consulted at The University of Glasgow Library.

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    envelope tlic poison of his malady; and the circnhiting library may disseminate with its novels and perioilicals the virulent parti- cles lurking iij^their pugfifli. Of these and other means of convey- ance, such as public washing-houses and laundries, I could relate many a sad and melancholy story. But in spite of all that hius been written on these mattm’S, and the frequent exposures which have been made of such ciuses, many people are still as selfish and indifferent to the safety of their neighbours as ever. I experience the giH'atest possible difRcnlty in restraining people from going back to bnsine-s, or going down to lodgings at the sea side, long before it is safe even for themselves. Sometimes, even after representing, as I always consider it my duly to do in the strongest manner, the disease, misery and death wdiich may result from such conduct, I find that people who have suffered from the milder forms of the disease refuse to believe in the danger to others, and go back to business or to social life before they are cutitlcd to do so, either by the golden rule of doing to others as they would be done by, or by the law of this country. Let me read to you the penalties which the law of this country attaches to such criminal and dangerous conduct— “ 1. The owner or occupier may be required to cleanse and disinfect any house or room, or the cabin or berth of any ship or vessel, and the articles contained in it likely to retain infection— where infectious disease has existed—under a penalty not exceed- ing I Os. a day for neglect. “ 2. If any person, suffering from any dangerous infectious disorder, shall enter a cab or other public conveyance, without informing the driver thereof that he is so suffering, he shall bo liable to a penalty not exceeding £5. “ 3. Any person suffering from any dangerous infectious dis- order—such as fever, scarlet fever, small-pox, etc.—who exposes himself in any .street, school, church, chapel, theatre, or other public place; or in any omnibus or other public conveyance; and any person in charge of one so suffering, who so exposes the sufferer, shall be liable to a penalty not exceeding £5. “ 4. Any person who. without previous disinfection, gives, lends, sells, or moves to another place, or exposes, any bedding, clothing, rags, or other things which have been exposed to infec- tion, becomes liable to a penalty not exceeding £5. “ o. Any person who lots a house, room, or part of a house, in which there has been infectious disease, without having such house or room, and all articles therein liable to infection, disinfected to the satisfaction of a qualified medical practitioner, is liable to a ])enalty not exceeding £20. This applies to public-houses, hotels, and lodging-houses. “ 6. If any person who lets, or shows for hire, any house or part of house, makes any falxe statement as to the fact of there being then in such house, or having within six weeks previously been therein, any person suffering from an infectious disease, such
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