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SANITATION AT BELGRADE.

(FROM A SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.)

(Concluded from p. 1500.)

THERE is a difficulty in respect to the drainage of Belgrade which we do not encounter in England. I was taken to see the City Civil Hospital, and here I found that the urinals andsinks were not trapped. On my expostulating it was ex-

plained that there had been syphon traps, but these bad allburst in the winter. Though it is very warm in summer the

temperature in winter often descends to 200 C. below zero.This suggests the necessity for some sort of patent trap thatwill act efficiently even during a hard frost. Indeed, thewhole question of drainage in very cold climates has still

to be carefully studied. In any case this is no excusefor leaving pipes untrapped, for traps that screw on and offcould be easily obtained, and these might be removed duringan intense frost, particularly as at that time the danger fromsewer air is not so great. But the condition of the hospitalthroughout was in absolute discord with the sanitaryprinciples that should govern the building of such institutions.’.Che plan of the hospital is more than thirty-six years old,and is like that of the Jews’ hospital at Berlin. For instance,in the operating-room not only are there numerous anglesand corners, but there are actually huge bare rafters acrossthe ceiling. At the hospital there is a sewer, which was builtsome thirty years ago, by which the sewage is conveyeddirectly to the Danube ; but there is no attempt made to pre-vent the sewer air entering the hospital. Thus, even in thehospital kitchen there is a large, open, untrapped drain. Thefree admission of sewer air into the hospital is all the morelikely to be dangerous as the closet and urinals are in a fitthycondition, and the flushing apparatus in several closets didnot work when I tested them. In the garden of the hospitalthere are some huts that are in a far better sanitary con-dition ; but these cannot be used in frosty weather, for evenwhen the stoves are heated to their full capacity the tem-perature cannot be raised to more than 42° F. The worstpart of the hospital is the portion allotted to prisoners. Here,presumably to avoid danger of escape, there are no windows.The outer rooms, which have windows, are occupied by thegendarmes, while the prisoners lie in the inner, dark, unventi-lated basement cells. One prisoner-a brigand who hadkilled a gendarme and was wounded in the struggle-hadchains riveted to his ankles weighing twenty-five kilogrammes.What with the chains and the dark, noisome place in whichthese ruffians were imprisoned, the impression produced onmy mind was very unpleasant. This is not the sort of

hospital prison that I had expected to find in a civilisedcountry. Dr. Soubotich and the other medical men whom Imet at the hospital very readily recognised all these defects ;but, as they pointed out to me, the hospital is really apalatial construction compared to the huts and cottagesin which a great portion of the Servian people live. This

essentially agricultural population have no experience what-soever of sanitation, though they have the right to vote andsometimes elect simple agricultural peasants to be Membersof Parliament. These deputies had often no other know-ledge of drainage than that of a hole dug in the earth and afew planks put over it to constitute a closet. It is true thatthere was a compulsory Education Act adopted in 1873, butthe war interfered with its application, and it cannot be saidto have come into operation before 1882. Thus we mustwait some years longer before its effect can be felt. In themeanwhile it is very difficult to obtain from representativeiof rural districts votes in favour of expenditure for purposesof drainage, &c., as they have no experience whatsoever irsuch matters.

It was not necessary to go far to see how the poorer peoplElive in Servia. Immediately opposite the hospital there isthe poorest slum of Belgrade. Round an open space, o:

irregular shape and absolutely unpaved, there are a numbeof small cottages. Of these I selected the cottage for whic1the lowest rent is paid, and I was able to take a photograplof this dwelling. (Fig. 1.) The cottage consists of one singlroom, measuring ten feet by sixteen. It has a door and twwindows. The room is absolutely devoid of any pretence oa floor. The earth is bare and uncovered. The womansitting at the door and the man standing close by inhabi

this cottage. They have no bed. In a corner of the oneroom there is a piece of straw matting, and they lie down onthis to sleep. They are only separated from the bare earth.by this very thin layer of matted straw, which is not a.

quarter of an inch thick. As there is no bedding they must.of necessity sleep with their clothes on. The most important.article of furniture in the place-in fact, the only object that.had any sort of value-was a small iron stove, which serves forcooking purposes and to keep the place warm. The rent paid

FIG. 1.

Cottages in the poorest quarter of Belgrade.

for this cottage was seven dinars, or 5s. 7d., per month. Incontract with the denuded condition of this very poordomicile I noted the cleanly and tidy appearance of both theman and the woman, and I found that they we] e cooking a,fairly go)d dirner. There were three Eaucelai3s cnthe stove.One saucepan contained a large quantity of rice, which wasbeing prepared with a skill and care that w< uld rejoice‘lovers of good curries ; another saucepan was full ofharicot beans; and in the tbird there was a savoury muttonstew, which filled the little cottage with an appetising-

FiG. 2.

View of the Town Ilospital and of some Tramps.

odour. I could but express my surprise at the contrastpresented by such a good dinner in such a poor place-It appears, howevtr, that the Servian people are all heartyeaters ; they live rough, hardy lives, can sleep in almostany corner, know little or nothicg of the soft luxuries ofWestern civilisation; bat, whatever happens, they will have a;good solid meal. Thus I noticed on all sides a healthyvigour, even among the poorest people. The group in the

photograph is a fair specimen of the poorest class. It will

1578

be noted that they do not wear rags, but that their clothesare neat and clean. There are also a natural gracefulnessand courtesy about these people that produce a very favour-able impression. Thus it had no sooner been decided thatone of the oldest women in the court should form partof the group than a chair was at once secured so thatshe should be spared the fatigue of standing. It will be<seen also that one of these very poor cottages ha,s a

brave show of flowers at the window and white curtains,;and when, by the side of these signs of refinement, we,look at the beautiful embroidery work and the artistichand loom weaving done in the poorest cottages of the

peasantry, it will be admitted that the Servian peopleare well able to appreciate a high civilisation. My other.photograph gives a view of the front of the hospital as seen"from the poor court in question. (Fig 2.) I tried to persuade’four tramps, who were passing by, to stand and form the fore-ground of the picture, but the woman was absolutely deaf,<and could not be made to understand that she should not<move. None of these tramps wore boots. They had skins,fastened under their feet. One of the men had a magnificent<brown sheepskin cap of great weight, and it was perhaps to.counterbalance the excessive warmth of his headgear that hewalked in his shirt sleeves. The ragged appearance of thetallest of these men may convey an idea of great poverty.Yet extreme poverty in Servia is rare, and this has an im-portant bearing, not only on the health of the people, but;also on the possibility of executing public works to improvethe sanitation of the town. The law does not allow theseizure for debt of the peasant’s land, cattle, forage, im- plements of labour, &’1., unless he possesses more than is

necessary for him to live in a fair degree of comfort. Then,whatever is taken from him, enough must be left for him to"earn his living with ease. There are similar laws protectingsmall tradesmen, workmen, and others. Thus whatever"debts may be incurred no one can be reduced to absolutepenury, and this protective measure extends even to criminalsand others, so that the imposition of fines by courts of justiceshall not produce beggary. In this manner the hydra ofpauperism has been almost excluded from the happy littlenkingdom of Servia. It is not necessary to expatiate on thefar-reaching influence that this must have in the pre-,servation of the health of the people. My object israther to call attention to this legislation in its financialbearings upon the country. It means, I take it, thatthough there is no great wealth in Servia and no largefortunes, such taxes as are imposed can be paid. Therefore,:a municipal or State guarantee for a loan to carry out sani-tary works rests on a surer foundation than in countries where

.,:;he great mass of the people are not so well able to meet theliabilities imposed by the State. Consequently there is good{reason to hope that the town of Belgrade and the State of Servia,generally will be able to obtain on satisfactory terms the’1inancial assistance required to carry out those public workswhich are indispensable if Servia is really determined to takeher stand among the most civilised nations of the world. In,some respects Servia already holds this proud rank. Forinstance, I visited a magnificent primary school at Belgrade,which compares very favourably with the best Board schools of(London. In the class-rooms there were no angles, the- corners of the rooms being rounded off. Then perfect uni-(lateral light is supplied. This is a subject which has beentstrangely neglected in England. At Belgrade there arewindows only on one side of the class rooms; these are largeand reach to the ceiling. Thus there are no conflictirg- jays of light to play havoc with the children’s eyesight.Again, instead of warming where warmth is least re-

.-quired. which is the general practice. the hot steam coilsare placed under the window, just where the coldest"surfaces exist. Ventilators admit the outer air upon.these coils, so that it is partially warmed before it- enters the room. In a word, the best methods of main-

staining the healthiness of the class rooms are applied<in the primary schools of Belgrade. There is no reason why,,,he same scientific and progressive spirit should not bemanifest in dealing with the water-supply and drainage ofthis town. Servia has but recently been emancipated from"-foreign oppression. Since then the nation has developedwith remarkable energy. The country possesses many as yetuncultivated sources of wealth. It has coal, is rich in’minerals, and nearly all the Servian women know how toweave in an artistic manner. Then there is a very highbirth-rate, so that the population is increasing rapidly ; andthis increase would be still greater if sanitary works such as

I have indicated were carried out, for such measures would,there can be but little doubt, reduce the death-rate by atleast one-third. A brilliant future, therefore, seems near athand to reward the efforts of this valiant people ; and, if intheir progress towards a healthier and happier condition theexperience acquired in England can serve to light the way,then English sanitary reformers will have the pride and thegratification of having indirectly contributed to impart astronger vitality and a higher civilisation to a people whoare well worthy of our best sympathies.

THE CIVIL RIGHTS DEFENCECOMMITTEE.

THE CASE OF MR. R. B. ANDERSON, F.R.C.S.

WE have received from the executive of the Civil RightsDefence Committee an interim report dealing with the twoseparate matters which constitute Mr. Anderson’s case. Weare thoroughly in accord with the committee’s proceed-ings, and, as we hava before now expressed, hold moststrongly that Mr. Anderson is a gravely wronged man. Wetherefore desire to recapitulate for our readers’ benefit quitebriefly the present position in which the case stands, feelingthat the comprehension of the position will most surely leadthem to appreciate the efforts that are being made on behalfof a fellow-citizen who is also a fellow-practitioner.

Mr. Anderson’s case is as follows :-Certain suits in formapauperis were illegally permitted to be brought against himin Trinidad and Tobago, and illegal judgments were givenand illegal orders were made by the Courts against him, ruin-ing him in his practice as a medical man and in his estate,the Court attempting to crush his resistance by the exactionof excessive bail and by malicious false imprisonment. Wedo not intend to give detailed proof here of our accuracy indescribing these actions and their results in such strenuousterms. The words of the Royal Commissioners appointed toinquire into the administration of justice in Trinidad andTobago in themselves are sufficient justification for stronglanguage. They speak of Mr. Anderson as having gonethrough "a judicial persecution," and hold that the actiontaken by the colonial courts in his affairs constitute " a pnblicdanger." The circular of the Civil Rights Defence Com-mittee, which can be obtained from the Honorary Secretaries,Civil Rights Defence Committee, 5, Mitre-court, Temple, E.C.,on application, sets out fully and clearly all that has hap-pened, giving chapter, verse, and date for all the deduc-tiors. These illegal judgments are still in force. The imme-diate and urgent object of the committee is to raisefunds to enable appeals to be taken to the Privy Councilfrom these decisions of the courts of Trinidad and Tobago,which, being in force, prevent him from returning to Tobagoto carry on his practice, collect his debts, dispose of his pro-perty, or in any way satisfactorily settle his Eiffiirs. Thereis no other course open to Mr. Anderson save to appeal tothe Privy Council. The judgments have been upheld in anappeal court at Trinidad and leave to appeal thence to theQueen in Council has been refused. If this refusal cannctbe rescinded this section of his case, the only section we areat present dealing with, will be at an end. To enable Mr.Anderson and his advisers to act with a free hand a sum ofat least &pound;1000 is required. Towards this sum we have hadthe pleasure of subscribing &pound;10, and we shall be happy toacknowledge any contributions ; and we urge upon ourreaders that, though times be hard, Mr. Anderson’s case isstill harder. ,

h will be remembered that an action was tried before thelate Lord Chief Justice Coleridge and a Middlesex specialjury in April last, brought by Mr. Anderson against theTrinidad judge for the above-mentioned illegal acts andorders. This action rf suited, after a seven days’ trial, in thefollowing verdict for Mr. Anderson : 11 The jury find that thedefendant Cook oppressively and with malice overstrained hisjudicial powers to the prejudice of the plaintiff and the wilfulperversion of justice, and found a verdict for the plaintiff for;E500." Notwithstanding this verdict, Lord Coleridge enteredjudgment for the defendant on the ground that even underthe circumstances mentioned by the jury no action will lieagainst a judge. We mention this because Mr. Anderson’scase is an intricate one, and we desire that our readers