An Act to make further provision for the Preservation of the Public Health. WE [Assented to, November 14th, 1884.] HEREAS it is desirable to amend "The Public Health Acts"- Preamble. South Australia, by and with the advice and consent of the Legis- 1. This Act may be called "The Public Health Acts Amend- Short title. ment Act, 1884." 2. Upon proof, by the certificate in writing or by telegram from Isolating houses, &c. the officer of health of any town or sanitary district or of a duly qualified medical practitioner, that smallpox, cholera, plague, yellow fever, or other dangerous, contagious, or infectious disease, which may from time to time be declared by the Governor by Proclamation in the Government Gazette to be a dangerous, contagious, or infectious disease within the meaning of this Act, exists within a district, that there is danger that the same may spread, and that to prevent the spreading thereof it is necessary to the public safety that power should be given to isolate any tenements, the Governor in Council may make an order empowering and directing such persons as the Central Board of Health may, for that purpose, appoint to stop the traffic into or through any streets, thoroughfares, or places, whether public or private, which the Central Board of Health shall specify, and to limit or prevent ingress, egress, or regress of any persons to Medical attendant to report existence of disease to Local Board. Duty of Local Board of Health to cause premises to be cleansed and disinfected. disinfection. The Public Health Acts Amendment Act.--1884. or from any house or premises within the streets, thoroughfares, or places so specified for so long as shall seem to the Central Board of Health necessary for the public safety, and no proceedings at law or otherwise shall be taken or lie against any person for anything done in conformity with such order and direction. 3. The medical practitioner in attendance at any house in which there is any person suffering from any of the contagious or infectious diseases before named or declared as aforesaid, so soon as he shall have satisfied himself of the nature of such disease, shall report the existence of such disease in such house to the Central Board of Health: Provided that in cases where the house is situate more than ten miles from Adelaide the medical practitioner shall also forward a copy of such certificate to the Local Board of Health. Every medical practitioner shall be entitled to receive from the Central Board a fee of Five Shillings for every report furnished to such Central Board pursuant to this section; and if any person fails to comply with the provisions of this section, he shall be deemed guilty of an offence under this Act, and shall, on conviction thereof, be liable to a penalty of not less than Two Pounds nor exceeding Fifty Pounds for every such offence. 4. Where the officer of health or any legally qualified medical practitioner shall certify in writing to the Local Board of Health that the cleansing and disinfecting of any house, or part thereof, or of any articles therein likely to retain infection, would tend to prevent or check the spread of any of the said contagious or infectious diseases, the Board may cleanse and disinfect such house, or part thereof, and articles, and may for that purpose remove any such articles, and may recover the expenses incurred by them in the execution of this section from such owner or occupier, in a summary manner, before two Justices of the Peace, or may, if the Board sees fit, themselves defray such expenses, or any part thereof. Provision of means of 5. Any Local Board of Health may provide a proper place, with all necessary apparatus and attendance, for the disinfection of clothing, bedding, or other articles which have become infected, and may cause any articles brought for disinfection to be disinfected free of charge. Provisions of conveyance for infected persons. Removal of infected lodging to hospital by order of Justice. 6. Any Local Board of Health may provide and maintain a carriage or carriages suitable for the conveyance of persons suffering under any such contagious or infectious disease, and may pay the expenses of conveying therein any person so suffering to a hospital or other place of destination. 7. Where any suitable hospital or place for the reception of the persons without proper sick is provided within any town or sanitary district, or within a reasonable distance thereof, any person who is suffering from any such contagious or infectious disease, and is without proper lodging or accommodation, or lodged in a room occupied by more than one family, The Public Health Acis Amendment Act.-1884. family, or is on board any ship or vessel, may, on a certificate signed by any legally qualified medical practitioner, and with the consent of the superintending body of such hospital or place, be removed, by order of any Justice of the Peace, to such hospital or place at the cost of the Local Board of Health. 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 the order of the Local Board of Health. An order under this section may be addressed to such officer of the Local Board of Health as the Justice of the Peace or Board 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. 8. Any Local Board of Health may make regulations (to be approved of by the Central Board of Health) for removing to any hospital to which such Local Board are entitled or permitted to remove patients, and for keeping in such hospital so long as may be necessary, any persons brought within the town or sanitary district of such Local Board by any ship or boat who are infected with any such contagious or infectious disease, and such regulations may impose on offenders against the same reasonable penalties not exceeding Forty Shillings for each offence. 9. Any person who, knowing himself to be suffering from any such contagious or infectious disease, or, who having so suffered, is not sufficiently recovered to prevent all risk of infecting others Exposes himself in any street or public place without taking reasonable precautions against spreading such discase; or Enters any shop, wareroom, factory, theatre, inn, or place of common resort; or Enters any railway carriage or public conveyance, or any ship or vessel, without previously notifying to the owner or person in charge the fact of such disease: And any person who, having the charge of a person so suffering, causes or permits him to do any of the things in this section above mentioned: And any person whosoever who knowingly gives, lends, pawns, sells, transmits, or exposes, save in pursuance of this Act, any bedding, clothing, rags, or other things which have been exposed to infection from any such disease: Shall be liable to a penalty not exceeding Five Pounds; and any person who, knowing himself to be suffering from any such contagious or infectious disease, or having so suffered is not sufficiently recovered to prevent all risk of infecting others, enters any public conveyance, without previously notifying to the owner or person in charge thereof the fact of such disease, shall, in addition, be liable to Removal to hospital brought by ships. of infected persons Penalty on exposure and things. of infected persons pay |