Annual report for the year 1914 : (17th year of issue) / Metropolitan Asylums Board.

  • Metropolitan Asylums Board (London, England)
Date:
1915
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Annual report for the year 1914 : (17th year of issue) / Metropolitan Asylums Board. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    PREFATORY NOTE. CONSTITUTION AND DUTIES OF THE METROPOLITAN ASYLUMS BOARD. CONSTITUTION. The Metropolitan Asylums Board was established by an Order of the Poor Law Board, dated 15 May, 1867, pursuant to the provisions of the Metropolitan Poor Act, 1867 [30 & 3l vie., c. 6]. This Act empowered the Poor Law Board to combine into districts the unions and parishes of the metropolis as they should think fit, for the purpose of establishing “ asylums ” for the reception and relief of the sick, insane or infirm, or other class or classes of the poor, and to issue Orders controlling the action of the Managers of any such district. The Metropolitan Asylum District embraces all the unions and parishes in London, and the Board deal with those matters which it is considered can best be transacted by a central authority for the whole of the metropolis rather than by each separate board of guardians acting locally. The Poor Law Board and their successors, the Local Government Board, have from time to time issued Orders for the direction and guidance of the Metropolitan Asylums Board. The Board is composed of 73 members, 55 being elected by the metropolitan boards of guardians and 18 nominated by the Local Government Board. DUTIES. (i.) Infectious diseases. The first Order already referred to, dated 15 May, 1867, constituted the Board for the reception and relief of the classes of poor persons chargeable to some union or parish in the said district respectively, who may be infected with, or suffering from, fever, or the disease of smallpox, or may be insane. The Diseases Prevention (London) Act, 1883 [46 & 47 Vic., c. 35], removed the civil disabilities which had till then been attached to admission into the Board’s hospitals. 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 Vic., 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 respectively. 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 research work into the causation of infectious disease.