912
THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE.
[No. 40

these diseases has been, even though some months have
since elapsed, unless you know the house, clothes, &c.,
have been thoroughly disinfected.

15. With regard to all infectious or contagious disease,
    remember that a mild form in one person may originate a
    severe form in another.

16. In connection with this subject it should be remem-
    bered that too much attention cannot be paid to surroundings
    in general; also to drainage, ventilation, food, warmth, &c.

In cities, where proper attention to the trapping of all
waste-pipes leading to sewers is too frequently taken for
granted, examine carefully into arrangement and ventilation
of drains; ascertain whether, in consequence of attention
not having been duly paid to the trapping of overflow,
lavatory, and every other waste-pipe, gases are not being
conveyed in sundry ingenious ways into the various apart-
ments they were presumed to be excluded from; that the
plumbers have not, in other words, succeeded in ventilating
the house-drains, and therefore, of course, the sewers, into
the bedrooms.

"THE PUBLIC HEALTH ACT, 1876," No. 60.
Sections 27 to 40 inclusive.

INFECTIOUS DISEASES AND HOSPITALS.

Provisions against Infection.

Duty of Local Board to cause premises to be cleaned and
disinfected.

27. Where any Local Board is of opinion, on the certifi-
    cate of its Medical Officer, or of any other legally qualified
    medical practitioner, that the cleansing and disinfecting of
    any house or part thereof, and of any articles therein likely
    to retain infection, would tend to prevent or check infec-
    tious disease, it shall be the duty of such Board to give
    notice in writing to the owner or occupier of such house or
    part thereof, requiring him to cleanse and disinfect such
    house or part thereof and articles within a time specified in
    such notice.

If the person to whom notice is so given fails to comply
therewith, he shall be liable to a penalty of not less than
five shillings and not exceeding twenty shillings for every
day during which he continues to make default; and the
Local Board shall cause such house or part thereof and
articles to be cleansed and disinfected, and may recover the
expenses incurred from the owner or occupier in default in
a summary manner.

Where the owner or occupier of any such house or part
thereof is from poverty or otherwise unable, in the opinion
of the Local Board, effectually to carry out the requirements
of this section, the Board may, without enforcing such re-
quirements on such owner or occupier, cleanse and disinfect
such house or part thereof and articles, and defray the
expenses thereof.

Notice of infectious disease.

28. When a householder knows that a person within the
    house occupied by him is taken sick of small-pox, cholera,
    or any other highly infectious disease dangerous to the
    people, he shall immediately give notice thereof to the Local
    Board of the district in which he dwells. If he refuses or
    neglects to give such notice, he shall forfeit a sum not ex-
    ceeding ten pounds. It shall be the duty of the medical
    practitioner in attendance on such case to state to the house-
    holder, as early as possible, the infectious nature of such
    disease.

Local Boards may do certain acts for the prevention of infection.

29. Any Local Board may do any of the following
    things:—

(1.) Direct the destruction of any bedding, clothing, or
other articles which have been exposed to infec-
tion from any dangerous infectious disorder, and
may give compensation for the same.

(2.) Provide a proper place, with all necessary apparatus
and attendance, for the disinfection of bedding,
clothing, or other articles which have become in-
fected, and may cause any articles brought for
disinfection to be disinfected free of charge.

(3.) Provide and maintain a carriage or carriages suit-
able for the conveyance of persons suffering under
any infectious disorder, and may pay the expenses
of conveying therein any person so suffering to a
hospital or other place of destination.

Removal of infected persons without proper lodging to hospital by
order of Resident Magistrate.

30. Where any suitable hospital or place for the reception
    of the sick is provided within the district of a Local Board,
    or within a convenient distance of such district, any person
    who is suffering from any dangerous infectious disorder, and
    is without proper lodging or accommodation, or lodged in a
    room occupied by more than one family, or is on board any
    ship or vessel, may, on a certificate signed by a legally quali-
    fied medical practitioner, and with the consent of the super-
    intending body of such hospital or place, be removed, by
    order of any Resident Magistrate, to such hospital or place
    at the cost of the Local Board.

An order under this section may be addressed to such
constable or officer of the Local Board as the Resident
Magistrate making the same may think expedient; and any person who wilfully disobeys or obstructs the
execution of such order shall be liable to a penalty
not exceeding ten pounds.

Penalty on exposure of infected persons and things.

31. Any person who—

(1.) While suffering from any dangerous infectious dis-
order wilfully exposes himself, without proper
precautions against spreading the said disorder, in
any street, public place, shop, inn, or public con-
veyance, or enters any public conveyance without
previously notifying to the owner, conductor, or
driver thereof that he is so suffering; or

(2.) Being in charge of any person so suffering, so ex-
poses such sufferer; or

(3.) Gives, lends, sells, or transmits, or exposes without
previous disinfection, any bedding, clothing, rags,
or other things which have been exposed to infec-
tion from any such disorder,

shall be liable to a penalty not exceeding five pounds; and a
person who, while suffering from any such disorder, enters
any public conveyance without previously notifying to the
owner or driver that he is so suffering shall in addition be
ordered by the Court to pay such owner and driver the
amount of any loss and expense they may incur in carrying
into effect the provisions of this Act with respect to disin-
fection of the conveyance:

But no proceedings under this section shall be taken
against persons transmitting with proper precautions
any bedding, clothing, rags, or other things for the
purpose of having the same disinfected.

Penalty on failing to provide for disinfection of public conveyance.

32. Every owner or driver of a public conveyance shall
    immediately provide for the disinfection of such conveyance
    after it has to his knowledge conveyed any person suffering
    from a dangerous infectious disorder.

If he fails to do so, he shall be liable to a penalty not
exceeding five pounds; but no such owner or driver
shall be required to convey any person so suffering
until he has been paid a sum sufficient to cover any
loss or expense incurred by him in carrying into
effect the provisions of this section.

Penalty on letting houses in which infected persons have been
lodging.

33. Any person who knowingly lets for hire any house,
    room, or part of a house in which any person has been suffer-
    ing from any dangerous infectious disorder, without having
    such house, room, or part of a house, and all articles therein
    liable to retain infection, disinfected to the satisfaction of a
    legally qualified medical practitioner, as testified by a certi-
    ficate signed by him, shall be liable to a penalty not exceed-
    ing twenty pounds.

For the purposes of this section the keeper of an inn
shall be deemed to let for hire part of a house to any
person admitted as a guest into such inn.

Penalty on persons letting houses making false statements as to
infectious diseases.

34. Any person letting for hire or showing for the purpose
    of letting for hire any house or part of a house who, on being
    questioned by any person negotiating for the hire of such
    house or part of a house as to the fact of there being or
    within six weeks previously having been therein any person
    suffering from any dangerous infectious disorder, knowingly
    makes a false answer to such question shall be liable, at the
    discretion of the Court, to a penalty not exceeding twenty
    pounds, or to imprisonment, with or without hard labour,
    for a period not exceeding one month.

Hospitals.

Power of Local Board to provide hospitals.

35. Any Local Board may provide for the use of the in-
    habitants of its district hospitals or temporary places for the
    reception of the sick, and for that purpose may—

Itself build such hospitals or places of reception; or

Contract for the use of any such hospital or part of an
hospital or place of reception; or

Enter into any agreement with any person having the
management of any hospital for the reception of the
sick inhabitants of its district, on payment of such
annual or other sum as may be agreed on.

Two or more Local Boards may combine in providing a
common hospital.

Recovery of cost of maintenance of a patient in hospital.

36. Any expenses incurred by a Local Board in maintain-
    ing in an hospital, or in a temporary place for the reception
    of the sick (whether or not belonging to such Board), a
    patient who is not a pauper shall be deemed to be a debt
    due from such patient to the Local Board, and may be re-
    covered from him at any time within six months after his