868 REPORT OF CHIEF INSPECTOR OF FACTORIES AND WORKSHOPS FOR 1900.

volume of the edition of Celsus brought out by Dr.:Salvatore de Renzi of Naples (vol. i., Latin, in 1851 ;vol. ii., Italian, in 1852), where they fill 82 large pages.BianconFs theory is discountenanced by Orelli, the com-mentator on Horace, but is upheld by Targa, the com-

mentator on Celsus, and by Sprengel in his "History’Of Medicine." Bianconi’s "Dissertatio de Celsi Aetate " iscontained in the editions of Celsus by Targa published inLeyden in 1785 and in Cologne in 1806. In a Germanversion of the Epistles of Horace by Carl Passow (Leipsic,1833) Celsus Albinovanus is translated " Celsus of Albinova," "

a rendering which Dr. Cordell considers to be at least

plausible, although Albinova is not known as a geographicalname.

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DANYZ’S VIRUS AS A DESTROYER OF RATS.

AN investigation has recently been undertaken under thedirection of Dr. M. J. Rosenau, assistant surgeon U. S. MarineHospital Service, at the Hygienic Laboratory, Washington,D.C., of which he is director, to test the efficacy of thecultures of bacillus typhi-murium which Danyz recommendedfor the destruction of rats. An article by Danyz descriptiveof his method appeared in the Annales de l’Institut Pasteurfor April, 1900. Dr. Rosenau found out that a large primarydose of the virus proves fatal but that a small dose is

uncertain. The virus as a destructive agent, like a

chemical poison, depends for its effect upon the amount

ingested. A rapid deterioration in virulence occurs whenit is exposed to the action of air and light or when it

becomes dry, as is very apt to happen when laid out for ratsin the wild state. Against this the virus has a very decidedadvantage over the usual chemical agents used to kill ratsthat in so far as is known it is harmless for man anddomestic animals. On the whole, the investigations con-

ducted by Dr. Rosenau do not appear to have shown thatthis virus is likely to prove of any special value as a ratdestroyer on a wholesale scale.

THE DISPOSAL OF POULTICES AND OLD

DRESSINGS AT THE LONDON

HOSPITALS.

ON Sept. 10th a letter appeared in the St. James’sgazette from an anonymous correspondent on the subject.of the use of pigs’ flesh as food being the means of spreadingdisease, especially cancer. The writer stated: "I was

recently told by a friend of mine, who personally inquiredof some bargemen on the Thames what the substance waswhich filled the barges, that they told him it was composedof poultices from London hospitals, which went by bargedown the Thames to the Medway to feed the pigs, whicheventually became what is known as dairy-fed’ pork I "

This is a grave accusation to make against the

London hospitals, and seems to be another phase of thescare started by an evening contemporary in August last,,and commented on in the City Press of the 21st of that

.month. It was then stated that there was a great risk

of typhoid fever being spread owing to the fact that St.Bartholomew’s Hospital dressings were carted promiscuouslythrough the streets of the City on the way to Letts’ Wharf,where they are destroyed in the furnace. This chargehas been refuted, and as a proof of the precautions taken it isstated that not one of the men engaged in the work has eversuffered from disease. We have made inquiries at the

great London general hospitals, and have received what ispractically the same reply from all. We are informed, as welknew that we should be, that the invariable practice is tocollect the used poultices and dressings and to take themdirect to a destructor, where they are completely consumed,being reduced to dust and clinker which are taken away

. eventually by the parish authorities. It seems to us a great

; pity that benevolent institutions should be libelled in the, press by anonymous correspondents.

-

THE opening of the new Pathological Laboratory of theUniversity of Oxford will take place on Saturday, Oct. 12th,at 3.30 P.M. Sir William Church, Bart., President of the

Royal College of Physicians of London, Dr. G. Sims Wood.head, Professor of Pathology in the University of Cambridge,

, and others will take part in the proceedings.

THE annual meeting of the Continental Anglo-AmericanMedical Society will be held at Paris on Tuesday, Oct. 8th,at 5 P.M., at the residence of Dr. Bull, 4, Rue de la Paix.The annual dinner of the society will be given at the HotelRitz on the same evening at eight o’clock, when Sir JamesCrichton-Browne will preside.

A MEETING in support of Dr. J. G. Glover’s candidaturefor election to the General Medical Council has been calledfor Friday, Oct. 4th, at 8.15 P. M. It will be held at theresidence of Dr. E. A. White, 1, Highbury-place, N. Dr.Glover will make a statement and Sir Thomas Barlow,Dr. Danford Thomas, and others will take part in the

proceedings. -

AT the introductory lecture at the opening of the WinterSession at the Royal Veterinary College, which will bedelivered by Dr. E. M. Crookshank on Tuesday, Oct. lst, at12 noon, Mr. Albert Brassey, M.P., will occupy the chair.

WE have received the report for the year ending Dec. 31st,1900, of the Principal Medical Officer of the Uganda Pro.tectorate. The report is of great interest.

THE ANNUAL REPORT OF THE CHIEFINSPECTOR OF FACTORIES AND

WORKSHOPS FOR THEYEAR 1900.

[FIRST NOTICE. JTHE annual report of Dr. Arthur Whitelegge, the Chief

Inspector of Factories and Workshops, is published in theform of a Blue-book consisting of over 660 pages. It

contains a large amount of interesting information, and showsvery clearly the magnitude of the work which is entailed incarrying out the inspections necessitated by recent laws

passed chiefly in the interests of the industrial classes.The arrangement of the items of information given in the

report is the same as that which was adopted last year. The

body of the report is divided into three parts. There isin the first place a general summary of the work done. Thisis written by the chief inspector. It consists of about20 pages, including tables, and is followed by 22 voluminousappendices (pp. 25-153). The second part consists ofsectional reports made respectively by the. superintendinginspectors, the principal lady inspector, the examinerof particulars, the inspector under the Cotton ClothFactories Acts, the engineering adviser, and themedical inspector (pp. 154-506). The third part con-

sists of tables (pp. 507-664). There is a table of contents,consisting of one page only, but there is no index.This omission very much diminishes the value of the

report as a work of reference and must necessarily causegreat loss of time to anyone who may wish to investigate oneparticular subject dealt with in the report, for the informa-tion in many instances will be found scattered through thebook, and it requires diligent search and the expenditure ofmuch time to collect it. The staff of inspectors of factoriesand assistants consists of a chief inspector, a deputy chiefinspector, five superintending inspectors, a medical inspector,

869REPORT OF CHIEF INSPECTOR OF FACTORIES AND WORKSHOPS FOR 1900.

an engineering adviser, over 70 inspectors, and a largenumber of assistant inspectors. The cost of the travellingexpenses alone of these officers amounted to over £ 10,000for the year 1900. In these circumstances it seems wastefulthat the valuable results obtained by this large staff shouldnot be published in a readily useful form, that is to say witha full index.

During the year 1900 the number of factories on thedistrict registers amounted to 95,664, showing an increase of4093 for the year. The number of workshops had also in-creased to the extent of 3463, and amounted to 137.648. It

is interesting to note that there has been an increase in thenumber of laundries in which power is used to the extent of237, whilst the number of those without power has beendiminished by 536. But, still, at the end of the year 1900it appears that the number of hand laundries was con-

siderably more than double that of those of newer fashion,(the exact figures being 1804 and 4972).The number of places at which inspections had to be made

under special rules was 7529. There are altogether at thepresent time 23 branches of industry for which special ruleshave been drawn up for the protection of the workers. Theworks which are carried on under these rules are as follows :(1) white lead ; (2) red and orange lead ; (3) yellow lead ;(4) lead smelting ; (5) paints, colours, &c. ; (6) enamellingiron plates ; (7) turning and enamelling iron hollow ware ;(8) turning and enamelling metal hollow ware ; (9) lucifermatches ; (10) earthenware and china ; (11) making oftransfers for earthenware and china ; (12) explosives (wherenitro-benzole is used) ; (13) chemicals ; (14) bichromate ; (15)electric accumulator ; (16) yellow chromate of lead ; (17)brass ; (18) aerated water ; (19) wool-sorting ; (20) wool-combing ; (21) vulcanising of indiarubber by means of

bisulphide of carbon; (22) flax working; and (23) humidi-fying textile factories.The public attention which was directed some time ago to

the disastrous effects of phosphorus poisoning amongst thepeople engaged in the manufacture of lucifer matches

appears to have been the indirect means of causing a fallingoff in the trade. Amended special rules were drawn up forthe regulation of the works in which yellow phosphorus wasuse d. These rules were established as the result of arbitrationin the case of the London factories, and were afterwardsadopted in the case of 18 other works. Of these factories

eight have since been closed and two have discontinued theuse of yellow phosphorus. During the year 1900 it appearsthat only three cases of phosphorus poisoning were reportedand none of them proved fatal.A very great benefit has of late years been conferred on

the workers in textile fabrics by the enforcement of what isusually called the "particulars clause," a statutory provisionmade to secure for the workpeople full and correct par-ticulars of the work which they were required to do and astatement of the amount to be paid for such work. Beforethis simple act of justice was made a legal obligation, it wasa common practice in some places for the employers todefraud their workpeople to the extent of from 12 to 18 percent. "Previous to the passing of this section," according tothe report of Mr. T. Birtwistle, Her Majesty’s Examinerof Particulars, "it was very common in certain parts ofLancashire for 36’s and even 38’s twist to be delivered to thewinders and described as 32’s and paid for as such ; hencethe winders (females) in such cases were performing morework than they were paid for. This," he adds, ’’ two someextent applied to almost every branch of the textile trade,but not in the same degree as in the case of the winders,except it may be said that the weavers in a certain districtof Yorkshire were almost as badly off."

" There are now

6227 textile factories in the United Kingdom and 1083 textileworkshops in which piece-work rates are wholly or partiallypaid. During the year 1900 4787 visits were made to textilefactories and 1619 to textile workshops, but the Examiner ofParticulars found it necessary to lay no more than 20 inf orma- tions against the employers for neglect in carrying out the Iregulations which it was his duty to supervise. A convictionwas secured in every case in which proceedings were taken,but the average amount of the penalty inflicted amounted tono more than 7s. 9-6d.-a fact explained by Mr. Birtwistleas probably being due to the fact that the offences werechiefly those of omission and due to carelessness. Thenumber of cases in which legal proceedings have been insti-tuted for offences under the particulars " section has graduallydiminished ; in 1898 it was 47, in 1899 it was 30. Theexaminer concludes his extremely lucid and satisfactory

report by saying, "Now we rarely find the particulars ofthe work deliberately omitted or supplied incorrectly."

"

It is perhaps not generally known that the manufacture ofaerated water is attended by considerable risk to those

engaged in the process. During the year 1900 159 accidentswere reported, and in one case death was caused. The

danger arises from the bursting of the glass vessels intowhich carbonic acid gas is introduced at a high pressure,and serious accidents frequently occur from this cause. Ithas long been the practice in some factories to insist that theworkers engaged should adopt some protection for their eyes,and " goggles or masks have in some places been ingeneral use. Some of the workers, however, stronglyobjected to the use of the instruments of protection whichwere provided for them. The objection to the use of theguards proceeded entirely from those for whose benefit theywere ordered. They alleged that injurious effects on the

sight were induced by their use. A special inquiry wasundertaken to investigate this question, and Mr. SimeonSnell, ophthalmic surgeon to the Sheffield Royal Infirmary,was engaged to make a report on the matter. In thecourse of his inquiry he visited 17 factories, at which

something like 3500 men were in the aggregate employed.It seemed that in the factories in which discipline wasgenerally good there was no difficulty in enforcing thewearing of protectors. In large factories a knowledgeof the danger of their occupation was usually appreciatedby the workers, for accidents were not of infrequentoccurrence. At one large factory, however, although pro-tectors had "in a way" been in use for from 20 to 30years, it happened that when the Home Office issued specialrules making their use compulsory the men declined to wearthem. Dr. T. M. Legge and Mr. Snell made in this case avery complete inquiry into the reasons which led the work-men to object to the use of the protectors. They found, inthe first place, that a fair trial had not been given to them,but that in many instances their use had been rejected afterthey had been worn for such short periods as one and a halfhours, one hour, or even half an hour. Amongst the com-plaints were that a heated sensation over the eyes " wasproduced and several men complained of headache. Onefound that when he took off the covering "things dancedbefore his eyes." More than one complained of aching ofthe eyes and one that after removal of the mask he noticed’’ a mist before his eyes." No defects of vision were foundand it became evident, as a result of the inquiry, that thesymptoms complained of were subjective. Careful investiga-tion also proved that in the present conditions of the tradeboth glass bottles and syphons are liable to burst. Newbottles are more liable to burst than those which have beenpreviously used. As a result of a careful enumerationspecially made at a large factory Mr. Snell was informedthat out of a total quantity of 222,520 bottles filled 1608 hadburst. The amount per cent. of bottles which burst is,it is true, a small one, but the inquiry showed that itamounts to something like 1 per cent. The only means bywhich a workman can be protected from the risk of injuryis by wearing a mask or shield, and the following summarygives the results of Mr. Snell’s investigations :-1. There isan absence of evidence of injury to eyesight from the use ofprotectors ; on the contrary, there are numerous instancesof operatives making no complaint after using protectorsfor 20, 30, or even 40 years. 2. At the factory at whichmost complaints had arisen as to the protectors it was foundthat no real use had been made of them in the way that was

daily the practice in other similar factories. 3. The occupa-tion, in consequence of the frequency of bottles bursting, isone very prone to accident, the danger not being confined tothe fillers. All the workers and visitors to the place wherebottles are being filled, labeled, or stacked are liable to

injury. Bottles placed in boxes, stacked, or being movedon trolleys should be covered with cloth or sacking. 4. Eye" goggles " do not afford sufficient protection. The masksat present in use admit of improvement; the meshes shouldbe fine so as to prevent fragments of glass passing through,and in view of the possibility of injury to the vessels of theneck they should be connected with a leather collar or becontinued downwards to afford protection to the neck andits vessels. They should be as light as possible and fitwithout undue pressure. A recently devised shield which,resting on the shoulders, leaves the face free behind it isbeing brought into use and appears to be in some ways animprovement on those generally in use.

Miss Anderson, the chief lady inspector, very justly gives

870 THE GLASGOW INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITION

fullythe report of Miss Squire on the accidents and applica-- ’tion of special rules in aerated water works. Her observationswere exhaustively and cleverly carried out and she has

(brought to light some things which appear to have escapedthe vigilance of other observers. The total number of reported- accidents does not, she avers, conectly represent the numberof accidents which occur, and this for more than one reason.In the first place, according to the regulations an accident,

‘to be ’’ reportable " must cause an injury which preverrts the

. sufferer from carrying on his work for five hours on any oneof the three working days following the accident. "Acomprehensive view of the meaning of ordinary work’ is,"Miss Squire believes, "frequently taken in aerated water

’works, where it is commonly said that the worker must’do as the foreman tells her. Such a case," she continues,"I brought before the magistrates who said that inasmuch

-as the injured person’s occupation was altered by heraccident it was reportable.

"

Again, many painful accidentshappen which are not sufficiently serious to prevent thevictim from shortly resuming work and the hands ofbottlers and wirers usually show cuts and scars in all direc-

- tions. Miss Squire thinks that a perfectly satisfactory: gauntlet has not yet been invented. The face-guards sup-plied to girls have often been entirely unsuitable ; when

- those provided are light in weight and clean she hasfound little opposition to their use by the workers. Some

’ of the guards supplied have been either heavy fencingmasks, men’s size," or have had no proper means for fixingthem on the head. In one case Miss Squire found all thegirls wearing them on the tops of their heads. The managershowed the special rule notice as to wearing the protectorsbut pointed out that there were no directions as to where they’were to be worn. The protectors were old and dirty, theycould not be worn on the face without flattening the nose,and no self-respecting woman would put her face into one " ; ’,moreover, even a self-respecting woman would be unable tosee if she did put her face into one, such was the faultiness oftheir construction. Fortunately, in the case of this factory’matters were subsequently improved and every girl wasfound on a future visit to be wearing a protector in a propermanner. It cannot be too strongly insisted on that glassbottles charged with carbonic acid at a high pressure are aconstant source of danger to all those who are brought nearto them.

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THE GLASGOW INTERNATIONALEXHIBITION.

(FROM ’OUR SPECIAL COMMISSIONER )

AFTER the great International Exposition held at Paris lastyear the small exhibition t Glasgow this year affords atleast this advantage-namely, that it is possible to see thewhole of the exhibits at the latter place, while in the formersuch a task was beyond the strength of any human being.Indeed, the gJ.’owth in size of international exhibitions-andin this matter Glasgow follows the general rule--is a seriousobstacle to the holding of such exhibitions of the world’s

produce. In 1889 the total admissions to the Paris UniversalExhibition amounted to 30,350,297 and in 1900 to 50,859,955.At the Glasgow International Exhibition of 1888 the totaladmissions were 3,975,904 ; this year the admissions up to

Sept. 20th have been 7.815,675 and they may reach9,000,000 before ’fhe exhibition closes. Thus the propor-tionate increase is even greater in Glasgow than it was inParis. From both the moral and the health point of view thegathering together of so many people in the Exhibition

grounds is an important factor. In the evening the admissionis only 6d. and a large number of the poorer classes aredrawn from the public-houses to the Exhibition. Herethere is less drinking, for they are enjoying the bands, theilluminations, and the fireworks. There are also a greatnumber of bungalows with sheltered terraces where tea,excellent French pastry, and other light refreshments areprovided at moderate cost. Great crowds thus sitout in the open air, and being exposed to publicview they are more inclined to behave themselves. Thisis much better from the moral and the health point of

’ view than the comparative privacy of a public-housebar, while intellectually the exhibits themselves are object-lessons. The-’great increase in the number of visitors as

I- compared with the last exhibition held in Glasgow demon.s strates that these advantages have been widelv appreciated.s In the softening of the manners of the rougher sections of:1 the population, in the reduction of the amount of whiskyj. drunk, and in providing more elevating and refining meansr of relaxation and enjoyment, the Exhibition has been an. unalloyed benefit to many hundreds of thousands of poort, people.e In regard to the educational influence of the Exhibition,3 however, it is to be regretted that its international character

has not been well supported. It does seem as if the’ Exhibition has suffered from a tacit boycott. Russia andr France alone make a respectable show, Japan comes nextt with some very beautiful art objects, and there is a

, very small Austrian section ; but German art, science,i and industry, which were so very prominent at Parisrlast year, are unrepresented. There are a few isolated! individual exhibits from various nationalities, such as

the ever-present Van Houten’s cocoa from Holland,far a few rugs and curios from Persia and Morocco, and aIlittle furniture and art pottery from Denmark, but

practically speaking, there are only two foreign sections. worthy of the name, those of France and Russia. Neither of. these contains anything of special interest from the medicalor sanitary point of view. There are perhaps half a dozen

, chemical exhibitors in the French section, but perfumery,, such as that of the celebrated firm of J. Simon, is more

prominent than pharmaceutical products. La CompagnieGeneral d’Eaux Minerales, 13, rue Taitbout, Paris, exhibitssome of the best known mineral medical waters ofFrance, but the surgical instruments for which Frenchmanufacturers have acquired a reputation were missing.On the other hand. there are a good many French wines,alcohols, and preserved fruits, vegetables, that are ofinterest from a health point of view.What attracts visitors most in the Russian section is

the large and original pavilion containing the exhibits of theRussian department of woods and forests. The develop.ment of the wood industry in Scotland would be ofgreat benefit. Close to Glasgow the barren hills thatslope down to the numerous lochs and tributaries ofthe Clyde might well be planted with trees. These,in the course of time, could be cut and slid down tothe water below, tied together into rafts, and towed to thegreat neighbouring centres of industry. This would supplyvery healthy winter outdoor work and help to reconstitutephysically a race that is being seriously deteriorated by townlife and work in factories.

On entering the Exhibition by the main entrance theRussian and French sections are immediately to the

right. Passing the Russian furs, bronzes, and furniture,we come to the sanitary section. The exhibits here arenot numerous, but they are good as far as they go.The first reached are those of Messrs. Twyford, Limited,who, among many other things, show a new hospitalbed-pan and urinal bottle-sink. There are flushing-pipes onwhich the bottle and pan are placed upside down, and bypressing on a pedal below the sink they are scoured out. Athird pedal flushes out the entire sink. This obviates anysoiling of the hands. In regard to baths most of the manu-facturers seem to have been impressed with the danger ofscalding the patients. Such an accident did occur recently.The idea is that the protests or complaints of a patient,especially if of unsound mind, may be attributed to his

unwillingness to take the bath, while in reality they are dueto the over-heated condition of the water. Hence there arevarious attempts to provide a bath where the heat of thewater shall be automatically regulated and the risk ofaccident through the carelessness of attendants obviated.Messrs. Twyford’s patent asylum bath fitting has no handier.A key is employed to turn on the tap, but the aperture forinserting the key to turn on the hot water is covered over,and this cover can only be removed by turning on the coldwater. The hot water must therefore be mixed with cold asit enters the bath. The Stockport surgical lavatory shownby this firm differs from other lavatories, inasmuch as itstands independently and free from support four inchesaway from the wall. It can thus be washed andkept clean behind as well as in front. The detach-able metal screw cone employed by this firm to joincloset-pans to soilpipes is a very useful contrivance.Being of gun-metal it cannot wear out and may be usedover and over again. It joins pipes together in a momentand it may be as rapidly undone. No cement is employed