may examine the case and order the removal of the patient if it deems it expedient: provided, that the notice herein required, in cases of sick persons whose health would be endangered by removal, shall be signed by the overseers of the poor, or by such officer as they see fit by special vote to appoint, and they or he shall certify, after a personal examination that in their or his opinion such removal of the person named in such notice, at the time of his application for aid, would endanger his health. Acts of 1885, 211, § 1. reimbursed by The expense incurred by a city or town under the pro- Expenses to be visions of the preceding section, after notice has been Commonwealth. given as therein required, shall be reimbursed by the Commonwealth, the bills for such support having been approved by the state board* or by some person designated by it, the bills so audited being endorsed with a distinct declaration that the amount charged for has been paid from the city or town treasury. Acts of 1885, 211, § 1. The expense of thus supporting the person who is a state pauper, written notice having been given to the state board within sixty days from the time when such aid shall be first given, shall be paid by the Commonwealth, reference being had to the expense of supporting such a person at the almshouse,† if thereto committed. Acts of 1891, 420, § 1. Expenses of cases. state pauper of inmates syphilis. Any person who is confined in, or an inmate of, any Treatment state penal or charitable institution, a common jail, house afflicted with of correction or municipal or town almshouse, who shall have the disease known as syphilis, shall at once be placed under proper medical treatment for the cure of such disease, and when in the opinion of the attending physician it is necessary for the proper treatment thereof, or that such disease is contagious, so as to be dangerous to the health and safety of other prisoners or inmates in such institution, the persons under treatment shall be * State Board of Lunacy and Charity. Such persons may be detained till danger of infection has disappeared. Expense of their support, how paid. isolated from such other prisoners or inmates until the contagious stage of such disease has passed, or until the time when in the opinion of the attending physician such isolation is unnecessary. Acts of 1891, 420, § 2. When at the expiration of the sentence of any person who is confined in, or is an inmate of, any of the institutions named in section one of this act, such person shall then have the disease known as syphilis in its contagious or infectious symptoms, or in the opinion of the attending physician of such institution, or of such physician as the authorities thereof may consult, would cause the discharge of such person to be dangerous to public health and safety, such person shall be placed under proper medical treatment and kept suitably cared for as provided in section one of this act, in the institution where he has been confined, until such time as in the opinion of the attending physician such contagious and infectious symptoms shall have disappeared, and the discharge of the patient shall not endanger the public health. The expense of his support not exceeding three dollars and fifty cents a week shall be paid by the city or town where he has a legal settlement, after notice to the overseers of the poor of such city or town, or, if he is a state pauper, after notice to the state board of lunacy and charity, of the expiration of his sentence, and of his condition. 1810* Parents, etc., to cause children to be vaccinated. Penalty for neglect. 1855 1894 VACCINATION. Acts of 1894, 515, § 1. Parents and guardians shall cause their children and wards to be duly vaccinated before they attain the age of two years, except as provided in section two of this act. For every year's neglect the party offending shall forfeit the sum of five dollars. Chapter 117, section 2, Acts of 1809, 1810, and dated March 6, 1810, provided for" inoculation of the inhabitants with the cow-pox, under the direction of the town board of health, or a committee chosen for that purpose." Acts of 1894, 515, § 2. All children who shall present a certificate signed by a Certain children regular practicing physician that they are unfit subjects may be exempt. for vaccination shall not be subject to the provisions of section nine of chapter forty-seven of the Public Statutes excluding unvaccinated children from public schools, and all children upon such a certificate shall be exempted from the provisions of this act, and the parents and guardians of such children shall not be liable to the penalties imposed by section one of this act. Acts of 1894, 515, § 3. to enforce The board of health in any city or town shall require Boards of health and enforce the vaccination and re-vaccination of all the vaccination. Penalty for inhabitants thereof whenever in the opinion of said board neglect. the public health or safety requires such action. Every 1855 person over twenty-one years of age, not under guardian- 1894 ship, who neglects to comply with such requirement shall forfeit the sum of five dollars. Acts of 1894, 515, § 4. means. The board of health in any city or town shall furnish To provide the means of free vaccination or re-vaccination to all the inhabitants thereof whenever in the opinion of said board the public safety requires it. Acts of 1894, 515, § 5. 1855 factories, etc., to be vaccinated. 1855 1894 Incorporated manufacturing companies, superintendents Inmates of of almshouses, state reform schools, industrial schools, lunatic hospitals, and other places where the poor or sick are received, masters of houses of correction, jailers, keepers of prisons, the warden of the state prison, and superintendents or officers of all other institutions supported or aided by the state, shall, at the expense of their respective establishments or institutions, cause all the inmates thereof to be vaccinated or re-vaccinated whenever in the opinion of the board of health, in the city or town. in which such establishments or institutions are situated, the health of the inmates thereof or the public safety require such action. School committee not to allow unvaccinated children to attend public schools. 1855 Vaccine institutions to be under supervision of state board of health. P. S., 47, § 9. The school committee shall not allow a child who has not been duly vaccinated to be admitted to or connected with the public schools. [But see 1894, 515, § 2, p. 37.] Acts of 1894, 355. All vaccine institutions in the Commonwealth shall be under the supervision of the state board of health. Selectmen may license lying.in hospitals, on certificate, etc. 1876 Licenses to be for two years, but revocable. 1876 Hospitals subject to visitation, etc. 1876 Penalties for keeping hos. pital without license. 1876 LYING-IN HOSPITALS. P. S., 80, § 56. The selectmen of a town may license any person to establish or keep therein a lying-in hospital, hospital ward, or other place for the reception, care and treatment of women in labor, if the board of health shall first certify to the selectmen that the person applying for such license is in its judgment a suitable person, and that from its inspection and examination of such hospital, hospital ward, or other place aforesaid, the same is suitable, and properly arranged and provided for such business. P. S., 80, § 57. Such license shall continue in force for two years, subject, however, to revocation by the selectmen. P. S., 80, § 58. Every such hospital, hospital ward, or other place shall be subject to visitation and inspection at any time by the board of health, the chief of police, and the selectmen ; and if it receives in a year more than six women as patients in labor, it shall also be subject to like visitation and inspection by the state board of health. P. S., 80, § 59. Whoever establishes or keeps or is concerned in establishing or keeping a hospital, hospital ward, or other place for the purpose mentioned in section fifty-six, or is engaged in any such business, without such license, shall for the first offence be punished by a fine not exceeding five hundred dollars, one half of which shall be paid to the complainant, and the other half to the town; and for any subsequent offence by imprisonment in the jail. or house of correction not exceeding two years. PROTECTION OF INFANTS. P. S., 80, § 60. infant to nurse notice to board Power of the Whoever engages in the business of taking nursing Persons taking infants or infants under three years of age to board, or or board to give of entertaining or boarding more than two such infants of health. in the same house at the same time, shall, within two board. days after the reception of every such infant beyond the 1876 first two, give written notice to the board of health of the city or town where such infant is so to be entertained or boarded, specifying the name and age of the child and the name and place of residence of the party so undertaking its care; and such board may enter and inspect said house and premises while said business is carried on, and direct and enforce such sanitary measures respecting such children and premises as it may deem proper. P. S., 80, § 61. Whoever violates any of the provisions of the preced- Penalties. ing section, or refuses admission to such board for said 1876 purpose, shall be punished by a fine of not less than fifty nor more than five hundred dollars. [See also 1889, chap. 309; 1891, chap. 194; 1892, chap. 318, esp. sect. 3.] QUARANTINE. P. S., 80, § 62. establish a A town may establish a quarantine ground in a suitable Towns may place either within or without its own limits; but if such quarantine place is without its limits, the assent of the town within 1756 whose limits it may be established shall be first obtained. P. S., 80, § 63. ground. Two or more towns may at their joint expense estab- Two or more lish a quarantine ground for their common use in a suit- tablish a com towns may es |