1566

Committee. Since the last meeting of the board the com-mittee had visited seven sites, only one of which was con-sidered suitable-that situated at Whalley. A discussionarose on the necessity of providing further asylum accom-modation in the county palatine. The subject was not con-sidered as urgent by some members who argued that therewas room now at all the four asylums and at Winwick for600 or 700. The chairman, however, pointed out that thecommittee must not lose sight of the fact that it took five orsix years to build an asylum. The difficulty of obtaining Isites was a growing one. The committee had had such out- Iside pressure put upon it that he should be sorry if it was

Ito relax its efforts. It was not at all probable that the Ismall county boroughs would construct asylums. If Liverpoolintended to do so it would require one on as large a scale asthat at Winwick. Mr. Shelmerdine said that a strong feelingexisted in Liverpool with respect to the cost to the city of itslunatics. Many members of the city council felt that theywere being unjustly mulcted. It had just been discoveredthat they would have to pay an extra charge of .E6000, andit was not improbable that the corporation of Liverpoolwould eventually provide an asylum for that city, in whichcase the asylums board would find that it had too muchinstead of too little room.

Liverpool and Small-pox.At the weekly meeting of the Health Committee held on

May 22nd, the medical officer of health reported that thedeath-rate for the past week was 39 per 1000 of the

population, as against 20’1 per 1000 in the previous year.In the hospitals there were now only 19 cases of small-pox.There were 432 cases of scarlet fever, 47 cases of typhoidfever, and 53 cases of diphtheria. During the week only onecase of small pox had been reported and that case referredto a woman who had arrived from London. However,on the day following that of the meeting of the HealthCommittee a fresh case was reported to the medical officer,that of a dock-gate man employed at one of the North-enddocks. He was promptly removed to hospital and measureswere at once taken to prevent the disease spreading.May 27th.

WALES AND WESTERN COUNTIES NOTES.

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENTS.)

Bridgend Workkoitse.IT is now some years since the attention of the Bridgend

Board of Guardians was first directed to the inadequateaccommodation at the workhouse and to the necessity forextensive alterations. As long ago as 1895 the medicalofficer to the workhouse (Mr. Wyndham Randall) made certainrecommendations and advised specific structural additions,and he has from time to time repeated the advice whichhe then gave. Upon every favourable opportunity, too, thePoor-law inspector for Wales and Monmouthshire (Mr. F. T.Bircham) has pressed the matter upon the board of guardiansas one of great urgency. The extensions required are

estimated to cost about .B13,OOO, and as the rateable value ishigh and is rapidly increasing, for within the area of theunion there are extensive collieries, the expenditure of thissum would only involve an increased rate equal to 1/2d. in theL for 30 years. In spite of this comparatively small sum themajority of the members of the Bridgend Board of Guardianshave persistently refused to carry out the recommendationsof their medical officer and to follow the advice of theLocal Government Board inspector. A year ago when adefinite motion upon the matter was before the board it wasdecided by 37 votes to seven to postpone the consideration ofthe question for a year. Subsequently a committee wasappointed to report as to what were the most urgent altera-tions and additions required and this committee recommendedthe building of a kitchen and a laundry at a cost of £3500.The Local Government Board, however, refused to sanctionthe borrowing of this sum except on condition that theerection of an infirmary should be proceeded with, but theguardians declined to accept this condition. At a meet-

ing of the board of guardians held on May 17th Mr.Bircham again referred to the subject and said that

upon a recent visit to the workhouse he found in thesick wards 31 beds and 38 patients and that the wardsswarmed with bugs. He also stated that there were

no women’s receiving ward, no proper lying-in ward,

and no proper vagrant wards. At this same meeting Mr.Wyndham Randall presented a report from which it appearsthat the one nurse employed has sometimes had as many as 50or 60 patients under her care, several of the cases being thoseof extremely severe and often fatal illnesses necessitatingcontinuous watchful observation and long and careful attend-ance. Mr. Randall recommends the construction of a

properly equipped hospital to contain at least 60 beds withaccommodation for eight nurses, a lying-in ward, a conva-

lescent room, detached wards for infectious and venerealcases, a separate ward for imbeciles with a paid attendant,and a cheerful day-room and dormitory for the children, witha paid nurse to look after them. It has been argued by someof the guardians that these extensions are unnecessarybecause in the future old age pensions will probably reducethe number of inmates in the workhouses, but, as Mr.Randall very properly points out in his report, therewill still be a large amount of illness and of injuries withwhich the proposed hospital would have to deal, andwith the rapid increase in the population of the districtthere has been, as might be expected, a correspondingincrease in the number of sick persons treated in the work-house, where only 14 deaths occurred in 1894, while therewere 41 in 1901. It is difficult to believe that the conditionsdescribed, which are little short of a scandal, can be allowedto continue, and if the Local Government Board does notpossess the power to alter them it is high time that suchpower was conceded.

The Wiltshire Medical Officer of Health.There was a great deal of acrimony displayed at the

meetings of the Wiltshire County Council three years agowhen the question of appointing a medical officer of healthfor the county was discussed, but even those who opposedthe appointment must by this time have become convinced ofits necessity, for at the quarterly meeting of the council heldon May 20th the salary of Mr. J. Tubb-Thomas (the medicalofficer of health) was increased from .6500 to .6600 per annumand it was decided to provide him with a clerk.

British Dental Association.At the annual meeting of the British Dental Association,

which was held at Shrewsbury on May 22nd, Mr. W. E.

Harding, in his presidential address, said that the associationhad for many years been pressing on the Government theimportance of attention to the teeth of our soldiers andsailors. and the breakdown of so many men in South Africathrough preventable disease of the teeth at length inducedthe War Office to send out some dentists but the number wasfar too few to cope with the immense amount of work

required. Mr. Harding also deplored the neglect to whichthe teeth of children attending public elementary schoolsare subjected and expressed the opinion that a question ofsuch national importance ought to be dealt with by theState.

The Ne7v Factory Act and Sanitary Inspectors.The Swansea Corporation has appointed an additional

sanitary inspector whose duties will be specially connectedwith factories and workshops.-The Health Committee ofthe Rhondda Urban District Council has recommended the

appointment of two additional sanitary inspectors, one ofwhom will be concerned with factories and workshops. Evenwith this additional staff there will be only seven inspectorsfor a population of 120, 000 persons in this densely populatedcolliery district, although for years the Local GovernmentBoard has urged the desirability of adding to the numberand in 1900 went so far as to refuse to sanction the appoint-ment of one inspector, thus entailing on the district the lossof one half of his salary. The following year, although theconditions were unaltered, not only was sanction given to there-appointment of the same inspector, but the Board.refusal of the previous year was withdrawn.

A Rate-supported General Hospital.The Barry Urban District Council has already obtained the

sanction of the Local Government Board to the expenditurefrom the rates of f.14,000 upon the erection of a generalhospital and the project has only been delayed on account ofwhat it is hoped is only a temporary check in the growth ofthe town and therefore of its resources. It was thought,however, that in the present year an effort might be made toproceed with the building to commemorate the coronationand a plebiscite has been taken which has resulted in 1135votes being given in favour of the scheme and 876 against it.The district council has decided, however, in view of the

1567

small majority not to build the hospital for the present butto clear off a debt, amounting to .61000, of the nursinginstitution, in favour of which 1560 votes were cast and only412 against.

Vaccination Expenditure.At the meeting of the Bodmin (Cornwall) Board of

Guardians held on April 26th it was reported that the feespaid to the public vaccinators for the past three monthsamounted to £80, being £50 more than for the correspondingquarter of 1901. The- chairman commented on the numberof persons in good positions who were revaccinated by thepublic vaccinators and it was suggested that a list of suchpersons should be made and scrutinised by the guardians inthe same way as those cases receiving out-door relief.-TheHoniton (Devon) Board of Guardians at its meeting heldon April 26th reported that the vaccination fees for the pastquarter amounted to .6104 more than for the corre-

sponding quarter of 1901 and the opinion was expressedthat the law should be amended in so far as itallowed persons to be revaccinated at their own housesat a considerable extra expense to the ratepayers.-At the meeting of the Totnes (Devon) Board of Guardiansheld on May 17th it was reported that the cost of vaccina-tion for the past quarter amounted to .6285, against £57 inthe corresponding three months of 1901.-At the meeting ofthe Cardiff Board of Guardians held on May 17th attentionwas called to the increase in the amount paid for vaccination.In 1896 the sum was .6796, whereas in 1901 it had increased Ito .61858. One of the guardians suggested that one publicvaccinator should be appointed at a fixed salary, but theclerk remarked that even if the Local Government Boardsanctioned such an appointment the fees would be the sameas at present.

The Walter Collection of Antiquities.Taunton Castle is now used as a museum by the Somerset-

shire Arohasological Society and on May 21st the LordLieutenant of Somerset (the Earl of Cork and Orrery)formally opened the great hall of the castle, in whichextensive restorations have been made. Lord Cork alsopresided at the formal throwing open of the fine collection ofarchaeological remains of the stone, the bronze, the earlyBritish, and other periods presented to the society by Mr.Walter Winter Walter, M.R.C.S. Eng., L.S.A., of Stoke-sub-Hambden, Somerset, and in the course of his speech heremarked that through the liberality of Mr. Walter they hadthe most valuable and best local museum in Great Britain.Mr. E. J. Stanley, M.P., proposed a vote of thanks to Mr.Walter for his munificent gift, which was seconded by theRev. Prebendary Askwith and carried unanimously. Mr.Richard Hensleigh Walter, M.B., C.M. Edin., suitablyresponded for his father.May 26th.

IRELAND.

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENTS.)

Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland.A MEETING will be held at the Royal College of Surgeons

in Ireland on June 2nd to elect a President, a vice-president,a council, and a secretary of the College for the ensuing year.The voting paper has been issued and it shows that Mr.Lambert Hepenstal Ormsby is the only candidate for the

presidency. For the vice-presidency there are two applicants,Mr. Arthur Chance of the Mater Misericordias Hospital andMr. John J. Cranny of Jervis-street Hospital. For the officeof secretary there is only one candidate, Sir Charles A.Cameron, C. B. For the council eight Fellows have comeforward for the vacancies caused by the retirement forvarious reasons of six members of the council of last year.The new candidates, in the order of their Fellowshipseniority, as their names appear on the voting paper, areas follows :-Mr. John D. Hillis. Mr. Thomas Donnelly,Mr. Newell F. T. Porter, Mr. Joseph D. McFeely, Mr.Alexander J. McA. Blaney, Mr. William Taylor, Mr. HenryW.Oulton, and Mr. Thomas O’Connell Redmond. The elec-tion of examiners for the next year has recently taken placewith the result that most of those who were examinersduring last year have retained their places. In the subjectof surgery, however, the choice of examiners has been post-poned and it is understood that instead of two as at presentfour examiners will be appointed for the coming year.

There are manv applicants for the positions and some of thevacancies in the council are caused by the resignation ofmembers who would prefer to be examiners in surgery.

D.S. O. for an Irish Army Medical Officer.Lieutenant Williams, B.A. T.C.D., of the Indian Medical

Service was last April at Singapore presented with theriband and cross of the Distinguished Service Order" "

for his services with the China Expeditionary Force. Heis a graduate of Dublin University and was well knownin Dublin as a prominent member of the "Wanderers" "

football club.

Otological Society of the United Kingdom.By permission of the Rev. the Provost a meeting of the

Otological Society of the United Kingdom will take place inthe Anatomical Department of the Medical School of

Trinity College on May 31st. The agenda include papersby Professor D. J. Cunningham, Professor Coffey, ProfessorA. Birmingham, and Dr. Dempsey, all of Dublin.

Prevention of Consumption.The annual meeting of the Ulster branch of the National

Association for the Prevention of Consumption and OtherForms of Tuberculosis was held in Belfast on May 20th.Dr. James Niven of Manchester, who was announced to

speak, was not able to be present, but he sent a written state-ment as to the means used in Manchester to combat tuber-culosis, and his assistant, Dr. James Beattie, deliveredan address. Belfast needs to be thoroughly aroused on

this question and it is all the more urgent considering thefact that the North of Ireland occupies a deplorable positionwith regard to the disease, the death-rate from consumptionbeing half as much again per 1000 as that of Lancashirewhere the population is so much more dense, and it is fourtimes as great as that of the best English county.

County Antrim, Infirmary, Lisburn.A three-days’ bazaar in aid of the funds of the County

Antrim Infirmary was opened on May 22nd and was in everyrespect a great success. In 1887, in honour of the first

’ Jubilee of the late Queen Victoria, the town and neighbour-hood of Lisburn presented an ambulance and in remembrance

’

of the Diamond Jubilee the town of Lisburn purchased theadjoining house which was formed into nurses’ quarters and

’

private wards. The object of the bazaar was to raise £1000to make necessary changes in the infirmary so as to bring itmore up to date.

’

Death of Mr. William Thomson, M.D. R. U.I., J. P.; Dr. Thomson died on May 21st from acute pneumonia at,

his residence, Anahilt House, Hillsborough, co. Down.r Educated at Queen’s College, Belfast, Dr. Thomson graduated

as M.D. of the Queen’s University in 1864. Starting practicein Lisburn he was afterwards selected as medical officer ofAnahilt Dispensary District, and as late as May 20th alocum-tenent was appointed to act in his place duiing theillness which has unhappily ended in his death. Dr.Thomson, who was a magistrate for the county of Down,was greatly respected by his friends and patients. He hasleft a widow and a young family.

Armagh Sewerage Scheme.s The Armagh Urban Council proposes to borrow .E.5000 to, carry out a sewerage scheme and new disposal works, but. before agreeing to the loan the Local Government Board has

decided that an inquiry must be held by its inspector.May 27th.

W u W

PARIS.

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

Glycosuria of Muscular Origin.AT the meeting of the Academy of Sciences held on

April 28th M. Cadeac and M. Maignon reported that theyhad observed in guinea-pigs and dogs that the ligature ofa paw or the extensive crushing of muscles always had theeffect of causing the appearance of glycuronic compounds inthe urine, either alone or associated with glucose, and theywere thereupon induced to extend their observations to thehuman subject. They were thus led to the discoverythat every complete fracture of the limbs was followed,both in the infant and in the adult, by the eliminationof glycuronic compounds (and sometimes also of glucose),commencing in general two or three days after the accident,