Public Health Act 1875

Provisions against Infection.

120 Duty of local authority to cause premises to be cleansed and disinfected.

Where any local authority are of opinion, on the certificate of their medical officer of health 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 infectious disease, it shall be the duty of such authority 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 one shilling and not exceeding ten shillings for every day during which he continues to make default ; and the local authority 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 authority, effectually to carry out the requirements of this section, such authority may, without enforcing such requirements on such owner or occupier, with his consent cleanse and disinfect such house or part thereof and articles, and defray the expenses thereof.

121 Destruction of infected bedding, &c.

Any local authority may direct the destruction of any bedding clothing or other articles which have been exposed to infection from any dangerous infectious disorder, and may give compensation for the same.

122 Provision of means of disinfection.

Any local authority may provide a proper place, with all necessary apparatus and attendance, for the disinfection of bedding clothing or other articles which have become infected, and may cause any articles brought for disinfection to be disinfected free of charge.

123 Provision of conveyance for infected persons.

Any local authority may provide and maintain a carriage or carriages suitable for the conveyance of persons suffering under any infectious disorder, and may pay the expense of conveying therein any person so suffering to a hospital or other place of destination.

124 Removal of infected persons without proper lodging to hospital by order of justice.

Where any suitable hospital or place for the reception of the sick is provided within the district of a local authority, 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 qualified medical practitioner, and with the consent of the superintending body of such hospital or place, be removed, by order of any justice, to such hospital or place at the cost of the local authority ; and any person so suffering, who is lodged in any common lodging-house, may, with the like consent and on a like certificate, be so removed by order of the local authority.

An order under this section may be addressed to such constable or officer of the local authority as the justice or local authority 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.

125 Removal to hospital of infected persons brought by ships.

Any local authority may make regulations (to be approved of by the Local Grovermnent Board) for removing to any hospital to which such authority are entitled to remove patients, and for keeping in such hospital so long as may be necessary, any persons brought within their district by any ship or boat who are infected with- a dangerous infectious disorder, and such regulations may impose on offenders against the same reasonable penalties not exceeding forty shillings for each offence.

126 Penalty on exposure of infected persons and things.

Any person who—

(1) While suffering from any dangerous infectious disorder wilfully exposes himself without proper precautions against spreading the said disorder in any street public place shop inn or public conveyance 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 exposes such sufferer ; or

(3) Gives lends sells transmits or exposes, without previous, disinfection, any bedding clothing rags or other things which have been exposed to infection 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 disinfection of the conveyance.

Provided that 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.

127 Penalty on failing to provide for disinfection of public conveyance.

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 ; and 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.

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

Any person who knowingly lets for hire any house room or part of a house in which any person has been suffering 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 certificate signed by him, shall be liable to a penalty not exceeding twenty pounds.

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

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

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.

130 Power of Local Government Board to make regulations.

The Local Government Board may from time to time make alter and revoke such regulations as to the said Board may seem fit, with a view to the treatment of persons affected with cholera, or any other epidemic endemic or infectious disease, and preventing the spread of cholera and such other diseases, as well on the seas rivers and waters of the United Kingdom, and on the high seas within three miles of the coasts thereof, as on land ; and may declare by what authority or authorities such regulations shall be enforced and executed. Regulations so made shall be published in the London Gazette, and such publication shall be for all purposes conclusive evidence of such regulations.

Any person wilfully neglecting or refusing to obey or carry out or obstructing the execution of any regulation made under this section shall be liable to a penalty not exceeding fifty pounds.