§ DR. FARQUHARSONasked the Secretary to the Local Government Board, Whether his attention has been directed to a statement in The Aberdeen Free Press of April 15th, to the effect that two cases of small-pox have recently occurred among workers in the Woodside rag works; whether he is aware that previous epidemics of small-pox have been 469 traced to the same source; and, whether, under these circumstances, he will direct that these depots of foreign rags, which have been proved to disseminate disease, shall be subjected to very strict disinfection?
THE LORD ADVOCATE (Mr. J. B. BALFOUR)I have communicated with the Board of Supervision in regard to this matter, and I am informed that the attention of the Board has been directed to the fact that small-pox has on more than one occasion occurred among the workers in the works referred to, and others. There can be no doubt that in some of these cases the infection has been traced to rags imported from abroad, as well as to the rags collected in this country. The Board's Medical Officer has made inquiries at the instance of the Board; but as it appeared very doubtful whether, under the Public Health Act, the Board could compel the paper makers to disinfect the bundles of rags before being used, the Board have mainly directed the attention of the Local Authority to the importance of making provision for the isolation and treatment of the infected persons, so as to prevent the spread of the disease. The action of the Local Authority of Woodside, where the works are situated, has been, on the whole, very successful in preventing the disease at any time from assuming an epidemic form.