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123 PARLIAMENTARY INTELLIGENCE. MEDICAL MAGISTRATE.- His Excellency the Governor of New South Wales has appointed Mr. Thomas Arthur Grieves, L.R.C.P. Lond., M.R.C.S. Eng., of Wyalong, ’New South Wales, a magistrate for that colony. MR. RUDYARD KIPLING’S " Our Lady of the Snows " and Hymn before Action" have been set to music, and will be sung by special permission for the first time at ’the musical conversazione arranged by Miss Janotha to-day (Saturday), "Queen’s Day," in the National Hospital for the Paralysed and Epileptic, Albany Memorial, Queen-square, Bloomsbwy. THE DWELLINGS OF THE PooR.-The report of the Mansion House Council for the year ending Dec. 31st, 1896, states that in presenting its thirteenth annual record of work done to further the interests of sanitation in London and the suburbs the council feel that there is even a stronger ,necessity than in the past for keeping a steady watch upon the work of the local authorities, upon whom is devolved the serious responsibility of making and keeping their various districts in sound sanitary condition. During the past twelve months 10,684 inspections dealing with 7545 houses in all parts of London have been made. Of these the defects have been remedied in 3624 cases, while 2108 are still under con- .sideration, and 1813 have been dismissed. THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF MASTER PLUMBERS. -The annual meeting of the London branch of the above association was held on June 29th, followed by a dinner at the Holborn Restaurant. Though the matters dis- cussed were devoid of any general interest, yet such associa- tions must have a very pronounced influence for good, if an indirect one, upon the sanitary condition of the community. It is understood that this association does not exist simply for the purpose of benefiting the masters alone, but extends its operations to the improvement of the status of the trade as a whole. One object is to establish boards of conciliation, composed jointly of masters and operatives, in order to ,promote a better general understanding, and arrive at an amicable settlement in any matter of dispute. EAST SUFFOLK AND IPSWICH HOSPITAL.-The anniversary Court of Governors of this institution was held at the town-hall on Wednesday, June 30th, when the chair was occupied by the Mayor. A most satisfactory report was unanimously agreed to. It was shown that the work of the hospital had considerably increased, the number ,of in-patients being augmented by 48 and the out-patients - by 1191. The expenses, however, had been reduced. Con- siderable discussion took place on a resolution proposed by the Mayor to the effect that it is desirable that the secretary -should devote his whole time and attention exclusively to the affairs of the hospital, and that he should reside within ,the hospital, unless specially exempted from so doing by the committee of management. Eventually it was decided that the board of management should consider and report upon *the matter. DIPHTHERIA IN LONDON.-In the four-weekly period ended with June 19th the notified cases of diphtheria 4n London were much in excess of the total of the preceding ,like period ended on May 22nd. In the May period the total was 777, yielding a weekly average of 194, all the sanitary - districts except two being invaded. In the June period the like number of sanitary areas were invaded, but the total of notifications reached 895, a number which yields a weekly average of 224. In May only one district had upwards of 50 cases notified ; in June two districts were so circum- stanced, with an aggregate of 141 notifications. Other five districts in June had only 17 notified cases in all. In th( May period the registered deaths from the disease in Londor numbered 142, a weekly average of 35, with a resulting per case mortality on notifications of 18’3 per cent. In thl June period the deaths fell to 137, or 34 weekly ; and in th4 circumstance of an increased amount of disease the per cas. mortality rate fell to 14’1 per cent. Thus, whilst in th. June period the quantity of diphtheria prevalent was in excess of the four preceding weeks, the nature of the malady as judged by the mortality data for the corresponding weeks was milder. Compared with the June period of 1896, th current year’s data show favourably. In 1896 the case amounted to 1060, or 265 weekly ; the deaths to 196, or 4 weekly and the per case mortality rate was 18’5 per ceni In. the two weeks of the current year completed - sinc June 19th the deaths from diphtheria in London have been 24 and 32 respectively. The latter total during last week was 3 below the corrected decennial average for the twenty-sixth week of the years 1887-96. Three deaths belonged to each of the following sanitary areas :-Battersea, Camber- well, Chelsea, and Lambeth. Two of the 32 deaths were of persons aged upwards of 20 years, and 3 were of infants. Last Saturday found 869 diphtheria patients still under treatment, the admissions during the week having been 152. In the outer ring, only 5 deaths were registered from diphtheria last week, namely, one in Chiselhurst, Chiswick, Barnet, Hornsey, and Enfield districts respectively. Parliamentary Intelligence. HOUSE OF COMMONS. THURSDAY, JULY 1ST. Classificatian in County Asylums. MR. WEIR asked the President of the Local Government Board whether it was the practice within the metropolitan area to classify as paupers patients who were under treatment in county asylums, notwithstand- ing the fact that the cost of maintenance was provided by the relatives or friends of the patients ; and, if so, whether it was proposed to take any steps to amend the present system of classification.-Mr. Chaplin replied that he was informed that all patients in county asylums were classed as paupers whose maintenance was paid for by the guardians, although it might be that in some cases the guardians were partially recouped by sums received from relatives. He had no information which would lead him to think that a grievance existed, but he would make further inquiry. Ventilation of the Metropolitan Underground Railways. Mr. Ritchie, in reply to Mr. Weir, said that the Committee on the Ventilation of the Tunnels of the Metropolitan and Metropolitan District Railways hoped to conclude the taking of evidence on July 6th. They had arranged to visit the Severn Tunnel to inspect the ventilating arrangements on July 12th, and the report would be made as soon as possible after that date. Poona Plague Administration. Lord George Hamilton answering questions on this subject said that the measures taken at Poona to prevent the spread of the plague had been attended by a remarkable amount of success, the deaths from plague having fallen from 177 per week to 7 per week within the last two months. While that was so they had been the subject of much misrepresentation and exaggeration in a portion of the vernacular press. He was confident that the Governor of Bombay had been and was most careful to confine the action of the authorities to what was absolutely necessary for checking the plague, and to show all possible consideration to the religious opinions and customs of the inhabitants. He had no reason to think, as at present advised, that any inquiry into the administration of Poona during the plague was necessary or desirable. Indian Famine Statistics. Lord George Hamilton said, in reply to a question, that the Indian Government had reason to believe that deaths were frequently reported as due to starvation when they were really due to other causes, and had in consequence issued orders to prevent the famine statistics from being vitiated by inaccuracies of this kind. FRIDAY, JULY 2ND. Viewing the Body at Inquests. Mr. Yoxall asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if his attention had been drawn to the fact that jurymen at coroners’ inquests often took grave objection to the statutory task, always un- pleasant, and frequently repulsive or dangerous, of viewing the body, and if he would consider the subject in order to devise some alternative method, leaving the coroner or jury to decide in difficult cases whether such viewing was necessary, and abolishing such viewing in ordinary and well-attested cases where the medical evidence was conclusive.— Sir Matthew White Ridley said, in reply : Yes, objection is taken occa- sionally, I believe, to the performance of this duty, and the question of relaxing the requirement was some years ago under the consideration of this House. I am afraid there is no prospect of my being able to deal with the matter at present, even if it should appear on considera- tion to be desirable to do so, but I will look into it and ascertain from the coroners what views are held by them upon the subject. MONDAY, JULY 5TH. Cattle Disease. Sir Arthur Forwood asked the President of the Board of Agriculture whether British steamers which call at Havre to receive cargo on their outward voyage for America were precluded from conveying from America to England live cattle for slaughter on landing unless a period of twenty-one days had elapsed between the time of call at the French port and their arrival at the English port, on the ground that infection from the cargo received in France but landed in America might be conveyed to the beasts subsequently received on the vessel in America and landed in England; and whether, as there was no restriction on the direct importation and distribution of merchandise from France into England, he would reconsider the regulations of the Board as regards vessels.-Mr. Walter Long replied that the landing of foreign animals had for very many years past been subject to the requirement that the vessel in which they were brought should not before taking them on board have touched within a specified period at a port in a country from which the importation of animals was entirely prohibited. This requirement was rendered, necessary by the fact that some of the diseases against which’this country legislated could be transmitted,
