190 president's address SECTION 1. 



I need not enlarg^e upon the sanitation of lodging-houses, 

 schools, factories, and public places of all kinds, such as churches 

 and theatres. It is in principle similar to that of dwelling-houses. 



VI. 



MEASURES FOR DEALING WITH INFECTIOUS DISEASES. 



Whatever may be done with relation to ordinary diseases, the 

 State claims the right to interfere in the case of infectious disease, 

 as its treatment concerns every one within reach of the infection. 

 The tendency appears to be towards increasing the number of the 

 diseases to be classed as infectious. This is the case in America, 

 where phthisis is, in some sanitary administrations, so classed. 



As regards notification of infectious diseases, the yearly reports 

 of the medical officers of health of many of the large towns in 

 Oreat Britain continually call attention to the beneficial effects that 

 have followed the adoption of the Infectious Diseases Notification 

 Act, 1889. As far as I know, it is only in the United Kinodom and 

 in this colony of South Australia that any fees are paid to medical 

 men fnr notification; and here I understand that, as the fees are 

 only paid on notification of smallpox, cholera, and yellow fever, the 

 payments are seldom or never made. My own opinion is that this 

 list should be extended to embrace other diseases in which imme- 

 diate preventive measures are known to be effectual. As it is 

 certain that in such cases early notification of every case is one of 

 the most important factors in the success of such preventive 

 measures, such notification is worth securing at some cost and 

 should be obligatory. If it be not the cases that are most likely to 

 spread infection, such as those occurring in inns, lodging-houses, 

 dairies and retail shops will not be notified. 



As to special prophylactic measures, such as vaccination, I will 

 not occupy your time, but only express my regret that in some of 

 these colonies, as our governments must surely recognise the value 

 of the operation, they do not seem to have the courage of their 

 opinions and insist on its performance. 



As regards hospitals for infectious diseases, our attention will, I 

 understand, be specially directed to the provision that is made in 

 this city of Adelaide. It is certain that the knowledge of the pro- 

 per construction and proper administration of them has made great 

 advances in recent years. The establishments and services of the 

 Metropolitan Asylums Board in London, and of the city authorities 

 at Glasgow, are especially complete. As an example of good con- 

 struction, I may mention the floating hospitals for smallpox on the 

 Thames, where the difficult problems of warning and ventilation 

 have been solved with singular success. In the comparatively 

 large Avards the air is renewed every seven minutes without creating 

 draughts. The only negligence I would remark upon is that the 

 outgoing air is not subjected to any antiseptic treatment — a very 



