782 HEALTH—INFECTIOUS DISEASES. [ART. 43.

health, he shall immediately investigate the matter and take all
proper steps for the restriction or suppression of such disease or
diseases; and the said county commissioners may incur and pay,
as other county expenses are paid, the necessary and legitimate
expenses thereof; he shall promptly notify the secretary of the
State board of health of the existence of any epidemic or unusual
sickness or mortality that may come to his knowledge within his
own sanitary jurisdiction or contiguous thereto; and when thus
informed, it shall be the duty of the secretary of the State board
of health to co-operate with and aid the local health authorities
in making scientific and practical investigation into the cause or
causes of any existing disease, and in devising the most efficient
means for its restriction or suppression, or for the exclusion of
any threatened disease; and to this end he may exercise all the
powers of the State board of health.

Infectious Diseases—Small-Pox.

1882, ch. 155, sec. 1.

15. When the health authority of any city or town, or any
justice of the peace for any county, is of opinion, on the certificate
of a qualified medical practitioner, that the cleansing and disin-
fecting of any house or part thereof, and of articles therein likely
to retain infection, would tend to prevent or check infectious
diseases, it shall be the duty of such authority or justice of the
peace to give notice in writing to the owner or occupier of such
house, or part thereof, requiring him or her to cleanse and disinfect
such house, or part thereof, and articles, within a time specified
in such notice; and if the person to whom notice is so given fails
to comply therewith, he or she shall be liable to a penalty of not
less than five dollars and not exceeding ten dollars for every day
during which he or she continues to make default; and the health
authority or justice of the peace, as the case may be, shall cause
such house or part thereof, and articles, to be cleansed ond disin-
fected, and may recover the expenses incurred from the owner or
occupier in default, as other fines and forfeitures are recoverable;
provided, that where the owner or occupier of any such house or
part thereof is, from poverty or otherwise, unable, in the opinion
of such health authority or justice of the peace, effectually to carry
out the requirements of this section, such authority or justice of