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It is widely known how the spinster has alwaysshown a remarkable spirit of self-abnegation in

respect of ageing parents and dependant relatives ;this spirit has in many cases been responsible for herstate of spinsterhood. Even now we are not askingthat she be specially compensated for her wealth-creating and domestic services, but that she shouldhave fair consideration along with the rest-that sheshould receive the same value for her contributionsunder the national health and pensions acts. Thecommittee of inquiry were unable to prove that hergrievance was not a genuine one.

We are sorry that THE LANCET has entered theranks of our opponents, but we are happy to be ableto state, with authority, that we have many staunchsupporters in the medical profession, and in theHouse of Commons we have Members of Parliamentwho are supporting us not only as politicians butalso as medical men.

I am, Sir, yours faithfully,FLORENCE WHITE,

Hon. National Organiser, National Spinsters’Pensions Association.

PARLIAMENTARY INTELLIGENCE

ON THE FLOOR OF THE HOUSE

By MEDICUS, M.P.

ON Friday of last week a thinly attended Houseof Commons listened to a statement by the Ministerof Agriculture, Sir Reginald Dorman-Smith, on

the milk industry. Compared with its predecessor,which was withdrawn in February because of opposi-tion from farmers and distributors, the Government’spresent bill may be described as one having the milkleft out and the subsidy left in. But it is unfortun-ately worse than that. The original bill providedfor the setting up of a milk commission " to keepgenerally under review matters relating to the milkindustry " and to advise and assist the Ministers.It created a constitution and a living brain for themilk industry, made provision for pasteurisation,and allowed for expenditure on research and education.But all this has gone.The Minister began with an excuse when he said

that since the withdrawal of the earlier bill it was"not now possible to introduce this session anyfresh proposals which can even purport to be calledcomprehensive." Yet, as he said, the industry isone of outstanding importance. More than 150,000farmers are engaged in dairy-farming and the annualoutput of milk and milk products is valued at morethan 60,000,000, or about a quarter of the totalvalue of agricultural output. The debate showedclearly that the purpose of this bill is to carry overthe present unsatisfactory arrangements for milk-

supply for a further period, but no new proposalsare made and the vital problems of safe milk andof cheap milk are left in the air. Clause 2 gives powersto the Minister to make grants for cheap milk forschool-children, expectant and nursing mothersand children under five ; but there is considerabledoubt as to how much milk will reach those for whomit is intended. Not a penny of the 250,000 votedlast year for this purpose has yet been spent, andmembers not unnaturally asked what is the use ofvoting money for benevolent-sounding schemes ifthey are not put into operation. Another feature ofthe bill-one becoming common in connexion withsubsidies-is that payments are to be made retro-spectively as from Oct. 1, 1938 ; but as Dr. HadenGuest remarked, milk cannot be given retrospectivelyto the expectant and nursing mothers and childrenunder five whom Parliament in July, 1938, intendedto benefit.The bombshell of the debate was left to the end

when the Under-Secretary for Scotland, Mr. Wedder-burn, in his reply left out all reference to futureGovernment policy on pasteurisation. In reply toa question by Mr. A. V. Alexander he announced thatthe Government would do nothing, but recommendedthat local authorities-Glasgow was mentioned-

should promote their own bills to secure powersin their own areas. The Government last year askedlocal authorities not to promote bills of their own.Now they have reversed that policy and ask them todo so if they wish. Sir Francis Fremantle was notalone in feeling disturbed at this proposal to " passthe buck " to the local authorities. The questionthat was in most members’ minds was, " ought therenot to be some definite protection for the communityagainst disease " And so the debate ended on anote which, as one agricultural member emphasisesfrom time to time, was " thoroughly unsatisfactory."

FROM THE PRESS GALLERY

Milk PolicyIN the House of Commons on July 7 Sir R. DORMAN-

SMITH, Minister of Agriculture, moved the secondreading of the Milk Industry (No. 2) Bill. Sincethe former bill was withdrawn it had been necessary,he said, to re-examine the whole problem of milkpolicy. It was not now possible to introduce proposalswhich could even purport to be called comprehensive.Certainly the fitness and health of the nation wouldbe improved by a greater consumption of milk.The Advisory Committee on Nutrition had recom-mended a pint a day as the desirable ration to aimat ; whereas at present the average was less thanhalf a pint. But the nation was becoming moremilk-conscious ; he paid a tribute to what the teachershad done in connection with the milk-in-schoolsscheme. As a result the number of children takingmilk in schools in England and Wales had gone upfrom 900,000 to well over 3,000,000 and the numberwas still increasing. In the last milk-contract yearthe increase in the consumption of liquid milk wasestimated at about 35,000,000 gallons net in Englandand Wales. As a result of the scheme for theencouragement of the production of clean milk atthe present time over 40 per cent. of the total milksales were now of at least " accredited " standard.Government assistance had also been directedtowards the eradication of tuberculosis in cattle.The existing milk legislation was due to expire

on Sept. 30 next and the purpose of the presentbill was to carry on to the end of September, 1940,the activities which had already been started. Themeasure had three main objects. The first was theencouragement of quality-milk production by theprovision of Exchequer contributions towards thecost of premiums paid on quality milks by milk-marketing boards. The second was to provideExchequer assistance for the milk-in-schools schemeand for the supply of milk at reduced prices tomothers and young children. The third was to puta bottom into the market for milk sold for manufactureinto butter and cheese. The estimated cost to theExchequer of these proposals was for the currentmilk year about .81,900,000 and for the next milkyear about ;B2,200,000, in addition to the expendi-ture (9300,000 and 500,000) under the AgricultureAct in respect of milk from attested herds.

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It was the intention to arrange for the supply ofmilk at reduced prices to local authorities so that theymight undertake extensions of their existing schemesfor the supply of milk either free or at reducedprices to nursing and expectant mothers and childrenunder five. Already a scheme along these lineshad been submitted by the main Scottish milk-marketing board for its area and had been approved.A similar scheme was now under consideration forEngland. In view of the increased consumption ofmilk in schools-and he desired to go on increasingthat-and the proposed maternity-and-child-welfarecheap-milk schemes the bill did not provide for anyoverriding limit to the annual grants. The Exchequergrant for the coming year would be about 61,000,000,as compared with :S500,000 a year hitherto, and about800,000 for this year.

Mr. T. WILLIAMS, on behalf of the Labour Party,expressed approval of the subsidies for quality milkand for cheap milk-supplies for children and nursingand expectant mothers. They also entirely agreedwith the continuance of the milk-in-schools scheme,for with milk at its present price it was impossiblefor millions of families to purchase the milk theyrequired to keep healthy. But in view of the factthat 40 per cent. of herds reacted to the tuberculintest something more needed to be done. The govern-ment had set up a national veterinary service, butthere were only 22 veterinary surgeons for the wholeof the country, and he urged a much bolder programmeof disease eradication and more research ; but aboveall they needed better and cleaner farm buildings.

Mr. W. ROBERTS said the government had runaway from the much bigger problem they mighthave tackled.

Dr. HADEN GUEST said that on health groundsnothing could take the place of milk ; the presentconsumption was definitely below what it ought tobe, especially among the poorest classes of thepopulation. Under the Milk (Extension and Amend-ment) Act, 1938, 6250,000 was set aside for the supplyof milk to nursing mothers and children under five,but up to March 30 of this year none of it had beenspent because the Minister had not been able tocome to an agreement with the producers and dis-tributors. Payments for milk were under the presentbill made retrospective to 1938, but milk could notbe given restrospectively to nursing mothers or

children under five. He thought the Governmentwere paltering with this question. The farmer gota very low price for his milk while the distributorgot a very high price. The farmer should get a betterprice and the consumer should get his milk at alower price. At present we had a policy of restrictedproduction and restricted consumption and priceshere were higher than in any European country, andhigher than in many parts of America. He realisedthe difficulties of the Government, but it was surelytime to put the organisation of the milk industryon an economical footing. The important thingwas nutrition and health, and putting a child’sneeds at a pint a day at least a quarter of the childrenin the country were getting only one-fifth of the milkthey needed. One generation of scientific nutritionand farming policy for the nation would transformthe generation on which they were acting.

After further debate the bill was read a secondtime.

Later, on a money resolution, Dr. HADEN GUESTurged that there ought to be a guarantee that themilk that was to be sold was of a sufficiently highquality not to cause disease. The amount of tuber-culous milk sold was a menace to the health of thecommunity.

Sir R. DORMAN-SMITH said the Government wantedto encourage the improvement of milk. They weregetting on with the eradication of tuberculosis. Itwas not everybody’s opinion that pasteurisationwas either necessary or desirable. Consumers if theydesired pasteurised milk should be able to buy it.It was open for any local authority to present a bill.

Mr. ALEXANDER said he was wholly disappointedwith the method of the Government in announcing

: their policy in this matter. They now found thatthe agricultural side of the Government at any ratewas taking the side of those opposed to pasteurisationand leaving it to the initiative of local authoritiesto promote legislation. That was a retrograde step.

Brigadier-General BROWN said it was better policyto remove the disease from the herds than to takeit out of the milk by machinery.

Sir FRANCIS FREMANTLE said that medical menhad been careful to recognise the difficulties of theGovernment. Agriculturists should realise when theywere calling for publicity in order to get the industryback to prosperity that their chief agents were

medical men. The medical profession were practicallyunanimous that milk could be rendered safe. Hehoped it would not be left to each local authorityto introduce safeguards as to pasteurisation.

Sir R. DOBMAN-SMiTH said the whole question ofmilk policy was under consideration with a viewto the introduction of legislation at a later date.He could not say what the policy about pasteurisationwould be.

Scottish Health Services

In introducing the vote for the Department ofHealth for Scotland in the House of Commons,Colonel CoLviLLE, secretary of state for Scotland,gave an account (reported last week) of the contribu-tion the department had made and was makingto the health and well-being of the people,

Mr. T. JOHNSTON, speaking for the Labour Party,admitted that great improvements had been madein the physical condition of the people, but urgedthat the figures for Scotland were disquieting whencompared with those for England and Wales. Theyshowed 417,000 cases of sickness and incapacity inScotland in the course of the year and 31,000 ofthe insured population were out of work for a wholeyear because of sickness. There must, he said, bea tremendous amount of avoidable sickness andsuffering among old-age pensioners.

Sir ARCHIBALD SINCLAIR, for the Liberal Party,agreed that there was much leeway to make up.Infantile mortality in Scotland was still 70 per 1000as compared with 53 in England and Wales, and theother death-rates still compared unfavourably withthose of England. He was glad the estimate for theHighlands and Islands medical service was beingraised by :B10,000, but that was not enough. Oneof the worst aspects of the health of school-childrenin Scotland was the condition of their teeth. Some56 per cent. of the school-children had from one to fourteeth decayed. Bad nutrition and bad housing werealso causes of ill health which needed more attention.

Mrs. HARDIE pleaded for the establishment ofclinics for rheumatism.

Mr. HENDERSON STEWART said that it was baffiingto him to find that Scotland lagged behind in therace for health and better housing. He could onlyexplain it by assuming that the Secretary of Statewas so overburdened that he had not the timenecessary to think of the big problem of Scotland.

UNDER-SECRETARY’S REPLY

Mr. WEDDERBURN replying to points raised saidthat properly coordinated plans existed for theorganisation of a casualty-hospital service in Scotlandin the event of war. The Minister of Health andthe Secretary of State for Scotland proposed, at avery early date, to lay before Parliament a white-paper which would give a comprehensive state-ment of the arrangements made in Scotland as wellas in England. The Scottish Secretary would also,at the beginning of next week, issue to all hospitalsin Scotland which would take an integral part in theemergency hospital service a statement showing theparticular r6le they would be expected to play,and which would also state the approximate numbersof beds which they would be expected to set free for

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casualties, the ways in which it was contemplatedthat these beds would be freed, the probable numberof patients to be sent home and the number to betransferred to the institutions to which patientswould be transferred from the hospitals. Withregard to the Highlands and Islands, the Secretaryof State had never felt justified in asking for theannual sum proposed in the report on the HealthServices for last year, but increases had been obtainedfor a fairly large number of small objects, and theamount of grant payable this year showed an increaseof ;B10,000 on the corresponding figure for last year,having risen from .696,000 to jE106,000. With regardto dental services, the department’s medical officerwas at present engaged in making a survey of theschool dental conditions throughout the whole ofScotland, with a view to making recommendationsfor the improvement of these service.

QUESTION TIME

JULY 6-12

Cheap Milk in ScotlandMr. MATHERS asked the Secretary of State for Scotland

how much of the Exchequer subsidy voted under theMilk (Extension and Amendment) Act, 1938, was beingused to help maternity and child-welfare authorities tostart cheap-milk schemes, and the price charged to thelocal authorities for the milk ; how many authorities hadinaugurated such schemes, and their names ; how manyexpectant and nursing mothers were receiving milk freeand for payment, and the price in the latter case ; andhow much milk was normally given daily in each case,and for what period.-Mr. CoLViLLB replied : A sumof 16,050 has been provided in the estimates of theDepartment of Agriculture for Scotland for the currentyear in connexion with the sale of liquid milk at a reducedprice to local authorities in Scotland for the purpose oftheir maternity and child welfare arrangements. A schemeby the Scottish milk marketing board was approved onFeb. 6, 1939. Local authorities within the board’s areacan obtain supplies at 8d. per gallon for ordinary milkor 9o!. per gallon for tuberculin-tested milk, plus thecost of distribution. Arrangements by Glasgow corpora-tion under the scheme have been approved and proposalsby six other authorities (the county councils of Dunbarton,Selkirk and Stirling and the town councils of Dumbarton,Dunfermline and Stirling) have been received and areunder consideration. The arrangements provide that,normally, one pint of milk will be supplied daily, eitherfree or at a price not exceeding 2d. to expectant or nursingmothers and to children under five years of age wherethe family income is within a scale adopted by the localauthority and approved for the purposes of the scheme.So long as the applicant continues to be qualified therewill be no limit to the period during which a supply ofone pint daily may be given. The Glasgow arrangementscame into operation only on July 1 and information asto the number of participants is not yet available.

Fresh Milk in Schools

Mr. DUNN asked the parliamentary secretary to theBoard of Education how many schools, elementary orsecondary, there were where fresh milk was not availablefor the children in England and Wales ; and if he wouldsay what was the reason for this and what he proposedto do to correct it.-Mr. KENNETE LINDSAY replied :The number of public elementary school departments inEngland and Wales in which it is known that milk wasnot available in any form on March 31 last was 1574out of a total of over 29,000. There were also certainother departments, the number of which it has not beenpossible to ascertain in the short time available, in whichonly dried milk was provided. On the same date therewere 132 grant-earning secondary schools in which noliquid milk was available. The principal reasons forthe failure to provide liquid milk are the difficulty offinding a supplier for small and remote rural schools,the inability of the medical officer of health to approveas safe the only milk available, and in a small minorityof cases the unwillingness of the teachers to operate the

scheme. An analysis of all these cases is being madewith a view to ascertaining the reason in each case.Mr. DUNN : Is this due in any degree to the operations

of the Milk Marketing Board ?- Mr. LINDSAY : I donot think so. In so far as the small rural schools areconcerned we are now engaged with the Milk MarketingBoard in trying to overcome this difficulty. If I explainedthe matter at greater length I could show that there aremany other factors which enter into the question.

Milk for MothersMr. BpooKE asked the Minister of Agriculture what

percentages of the persons eligible were participating ineach of the existing special area schemes for the supplyof milk at a reduced price to nursing and expectantmothers and children under school age ; and whether the

price per pint was the same in each case.-Sir WALTERWOMERSLEY replied : My right hon. friend is informed bythe Milk Marketing Board that, of the persons eligibleto participate in the experimental schemes for the supplyof milk at reduced prices to nursing and expectant mothersand children in the special areas, the proportions thathave availed themselves of the facilities are 60 per cent.in Jarrow, 61 per cent. in Rhondda and Walker-on-Tyne,and 65 per cent. in Whitehaven. The milk is suppliedat 2d. a pint, but in Whitehaven a special grant is madefrom the funds of the Whitehaven Council of SocialService and the Cumberland Friends’ UnemploymentCommittee to enable certain applicants to be suppliedwith the milk at 1. a pint.

Maternity Hospital AccommodationMr. GORDON MACDorrn asked the Minister of Health

what hospital accommodation for maternity cases existedin the Lancashire county council area, giving separatefigures for the Wigan county area; whether he wassatisfied that such provision was adequate to meet require-ments, and, if not, what action he proposed to take toincrease such accommodation to the necessary extent.-Mr. ELLIOT replied: Maternity accommodation in thecounty council’s area is available at forty-six voluntaryand municipal institutions. This provision appears tobe generally adequate, but further accommodation isdesirable in some particular districts. Five extensionschemes are already contemplated. In the Wigan area,where seven beds are available at Billinge Infirmary,the need for extension is realised and is under jointconsideration by the county and county borough councils.I am keeping the position under review.

London Maternity ServicesMr. DurrcArr asked (1) whether he was now prepared

to give an emergency grant to the London voluntarymaternity hospitals to enable them to tide over thedifficulties which had arisen as a result of the passing ofthe Midwives Act, and in consequence of the new rulesof the Central Midwives Board; and (2) if he was nowin a position to give a reply to the points raised by adeputation representing the London Maternity ServicesJoint Committee, which interviewed him on April 19last.-Mr. ELLIOT replied : The question of grants totraining institutions is receiving consideration in connexionwith the recommendations of the InterdepartmentalCommittee on Nursing Services, but I am not yet in aposition to make a statement.

Foster MothersDr. SuMMERSEiLL asked whether he was aware that

women who were totally unfitted, either from advancedage, ill health, or lack of morals, were able to take fosterchildren provided notice was given to a local authority ;and whether he proposed to take any action in the matter.-Mr. ELLIOT replied : I would draw the hon. member’sattention to section 212 of the Public Health Act, 1936,under which the welfare authority have power to apply to acourt of summary jurisdiction for an order to be madefor the removal to a place of safety of a foster child aboutto be received by a person who, for such reasons as arestated in the question, is unfit to have the care of thechild. The notice which under the act is required to begiven to the welfare authority before a foster child isreceived for reward should afford the welfare authority

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opportunity for action to prevent the reception of fosterchildren by unsuitable women.

Black-listed Elementary SchoolsMr. DUNN asked the parliamentary secretary to the

Board of Education how many elementary schools werestill on the black list ; and how many were providedor non-provided schools.-Mr. LINDSAY replied : Thenumber of public elementary schools still on the board’slist of schools with defective premises is 797 of which225 are provided schools and 572 non-provided schools.Replying to a further question by Mr. Dunn, Mr. LINDSAY

said that a great variety of steps was being taken tocorrect the position. The main reason for the existenceof defective schools at present was the failure to completethe reorganisation, and the only answer to that was topress on with reorganisation. In the case of schools

which could be slightly altered, where reorganisationwould not affect the problem, the answer was to do awaywith the obvious difficulties, and that work was beingproceeded with.

Medical Education in West Africa

Mr. SORENSEN asked the Secretary of State for theColonies whether, with a view to the more rapid develop.ment of an African medical service, he would make aninquiry into the possibility of creating a medical schoolin West Africa.-Mr. MALCOLM MACDONALD replied : Aschool of medicine has been established in Nigeria for anumber of years and is making good progress. The wholequestion of the future development of higher education,including medical education, in West Africa is to bediscussed at the conference of West African governorswhich is to be held in August.

OBITUARY

HENRY HAVELOCK ELLIS

L.S.A., F.R.C.P.

THE nineteenth century is often regarded as anage of unquestioning and self-satisfied complacency.This is not the whole truth, but it accounts forthe battles that had to be fought by thoseoriginal spirits who challenged the confidentopinions of the majority. Among the foremost ofthese disturbers of tradition was Henry Havelock

Ellis, who died

in London atthe age of 80.Born a few

months beforethe publicationof the " Originof Species,"Havelock Ellisgrew up in

surroundingswhere sex was

regarded as

somethingshameful and

apart from

ordinary life.Its mentionwas scarcelypermitted, andas the obverseto this reti-cence there

existed an underworld which Havelock Ellis himselfdescribed in his own private diary at the age of 15,after an appreciation of the artistic merits of thestatue of the nude Lesbia at Milan:

" But it is the form and the anatomy which principallystruck me for their truth and naturalness. I will not

specify instances of this because in our present fastidiousand decorous age it would be considered a most indecentbreach of propriety. Why so, I know not; perhaps Imight be told that it would corrupt youth. Though howthat can be I know not when it is that same youth whogloats and revels in that which in his hands is transformedinto filthiness. Oh ! the vistas of disgusting filthiness ina schoolboy’s mind which is ever creeping out of hismouth ; which he scribbles everywhere ; which he mustcommit to paper, which he must turn into filthy doggerel."*It is clear that at that early age Havelock Ellis

already had that impulse to examine and challenge* Quoted from Houston Peterson’s Havelock Ellis, Philo-

opher of Love, London, 1928, p. 28.

accepted beliefs which dooms its owner to a struggleagainst one of our strongest social forces.

’

A few words about his upbringing may illustrate,if they do not explain, this habit of mind. Elliscame of East Anglian stock. The son of a seamanhe spent his youth largely at sea, crossing the Pacific.His education was sporadic and discontinuous and hishome life, although affectionate and intimate, waslived in circumstances which enabled him afterwardsto say that absence makes conjugal hearts growfonder. At the age of 16 he found himself in NewSouth Wales teaching in remote schools, writingpoetry, reading Shelley and James Hinton, and

becoming convinced of the basic identity of scienceand mysticism which remained his creed. The innerstory of these days remains to be revealed, but hemight have become another Edward Carpenter hadhe not made up his mind that a study of medicinewas essential to him in clearing up the problems ofsex. After four years he returned to London andstudied at St Thomas’s where he qualified in 1889at the age of 30. He practised medicine only for afew months and two years later he met Edith MaryLees who shared his work for 25 years and washerself an essayist and novelist. Even in studentdays his output of literary work was extensive andvaried; he then edited the Mermaid series of " OldDramatists " and planned the " Contemporary ScienceSeries " which ran usefully until 1914. In the yearhe qualified appeared " The New Spirit," the firstserious challenge to complacency. It was almostuniversally condemned by reviewers and the reactionwas a foretaste of the storm which burst in 1898over the first volume of " Studies in the Psychologyof Sex." One Bedborough, who had sold a few

copies of the book, appeared at the Central CriminalCourt; by pleading guilty he escaped punishmenthimself and prevented the presentation of a defenceagainst the indictment which ran thus :" a certain lewd, wicked, bawdy, scandalous, and obscenelibel, in the form of a book entitled ’ Studies in thePsychology of Sex : Vol. I. Sexual Inversion, byHavelock Ellis,’ in which said book are contained amongother things, divers wicked, lewd, impure, scandalousand obscene libels, and matters, which said book is,pursuant to the provisions in that behalf, of the Law ofLibel Amendment Act, 1888, deposited with thisindictment, ..."

This description of the book expressed the spiritof the times and provides us with a measure of ourchange of outlook when we compare it with therespect now shown to the memory of HavelockEllis. Perhaps we are too close to it to consider