Annual report for the year 1917 : (20th year of issue) / Metropolitan Asylums Board.

  • Metropolitan Asylums Board (London, England)
Date:
1918
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Annual report for the year 1917 : (20th year of issue) / Metropolitan Asylums Board. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    22/58 (page 22)
    In 1888 the Board was authorised to admit diphtheria patients, and by the Poor Law Act, 1889 [52 & 53 vie., c. 56], they were empowered to admit non¬ pauper cases of fever, diphtheria, and smallpox. These provisions with regard to the removal and reception of fever, diphtheria, and smallpox patients were subsequently incorporated in the Public Health (London) Act, 1891 [54 & 55 vie., c. 76], By Order dated 18 February, 1911, the Local Government Board sanctioned the admission to any of the infectious hospitals of poor persons suffering from such infectious or contagious diseases other than those above mentioned as they might thereafter determine. On 22 February, 1912, the Board sanctioned the admission of poor children suffering from measles or whooping cough received through the metropolitan poor law authorities, while by further Orders, dated 30 May, 1911, and 9 August, 1912, issued pursuant to the provisions of the Public Health (London) Act, 1891, sec. 80, the Local Government Board sanctioned the admission, subject to certain restrictions, of non-pauper cases of measles and whooping cough respective^. On 2 July, 1912, the Local Government Board (under their Order of 18 February, 1911) authorised the Managers to receive into their infectious hospitals poor persons suffering from puerperal fever through the poor law authorities, and by Order dated 20 August, 1912, prescribed that, subject to certain restrictions, non-pauper cases should also be admitted. Provision is made at the infectious hospitals for the instruction of medical students and of candidates for the diploma of public health. Provision is also made for bacteriological work and for research work into the causation of infectious disease. The Board receives from the several medical officers of health notifications of infectious disease occurring in the metropolis, and publishes information relating thereto. [Infectious Disease (Notification) Act, 1889 (52 & 53 Vic., c. 72), and Public Health (London) Act, 1891 (54 & 55 Vic., c. 76), s. 55, s.s. (4).] (ii.) Sanatoria and hospitals for tuberculous patients. The Board has entered into arrangements under which it provides accommodation for tuberculous patients in the county of London as required by the Insurance Committee for the county [National insurance Acts, 1911 to 1913, 1 & 2 Geo. 5, c. 55, and 3 & 4 Geo. 5, c. 37]. Accommodation for non-insured persons is also provided, the cost of the patients being borne partly by the Government and partly by the Board. (Hi.) Ambulance service. By the Poor Law Act, 1879 [42 & 43 Vic., c. 54, s. 16], superseded by sec. 79 of the Public Health (London) Act, 1891, the Board was empowered to provide an ambulance service for the removal of patients. (iv.) The mentally defective. The Local Government Board Order, dated 15 May, 1867, included the “ insane ” amongst the classes of poor for whose reception and relief the Board was constituted. A further Order, dated 18 May, 1875, defined the persons to be admitted into the Board’s imbecile asylums as such harmless persons of the chronic or imbecile class as could be lawfully retained in a workhouse ; but no dangerous or curable persons such as would under the statutes in that behalf require to be sent to a lunatic asylum shall be admitted. A Local Government Board Order, dated 2 April, 1897, included feeble-minded children amongst the classes of poor persons to be received by the Board, and authority was subsequently given for the retention of these