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THE PROTECTION OF PUBLIC WATER-SUPPLIES.
1231
publishing incentives to crime conspicuous. When the secure public water-supplies from outrage of this diabolical prosecution of advertising tricksters at last takes place the kind. There are instances of mimicry in the annals evidence usually opens with the story of how the victim was of crime which should serve to put our water authorities on attracted by an advertisement appearing in a newspaper and their guard in the strictest sense. In the present case we then at last the proprietor of the sheet named realises that venture to think that a clue as to the perpetrator of the he has been making a profit by assisting a trade in quack outrage might possibly be furnished from the nature of the compounds. To come to the same conclusion without the poisonous material thrown in. Naphthalene in association publicity of police-court revelations is a course which with carbolic acid suggests the crude tar of the gasworks. It is appalling to think what might have happened if the prudence, if not a sense of decency, should recommend. miscreant had used a poison which did not betray its presence ROYAL COLLEGE OF PHYSICIANS OF LONDON. by a strong smell. THE following lectures will be delivered at the College on THE UNIVERSITY OF LONDON. the days mentioned below at five o’clock P.M. The FitzPatrick Lectures will bb delivered by Dr. J. F. Payne on WE are requested to draw the attention of members of the Tuesday, Nov. 8th, and Thursday, No 7. 10th. The subject Faculty of Medicine of the University of London to the of the first lecture is English Medicine in the Anglo- fact that while the meeting summoned by the ViceNorman Period; Gilbertus Al4!’1iCUS; and of the second Chancellor for the election of a dean is fixed for 5.30 P.M. lecture Ricardus Anglicus and the Teaching of Anatomy an ordinary meeting for the transaction of other important in the Middle Ages. The Bradshaw Lecture will be business will commence at 5 o’clock. Both meetings are to delivered by Dr. F. Foord Caiger on Tuesday, Nov. 15th, be held on Tuesday, Nov. 1st, in the Jehangir Hall of the the subject being the Treatment of Enteric Fever ; and the University Buildings, South Kensington. Horace Dobell Lecture will be delivered on Tuesday, Nov. 22nd, by Dr. E. Klein, F.R.S., the subject being the Life History of Saprophytic and Parasitic Bacteria and their INSTRUCTION IN SCHOOLS ON THE LAWS OF HEALTH. from
-
Mutual Relation.
____
THE
PROTECTION
OF PUBLIC WATERSUPPLIES.
I
DIABOLICAL outrages take many forms but it is difficult to a more execrable deed than the casting of poison into the reservoirs of a public water-supply. So long as there exist a few maniacs amongst us whose unbalanced minds find occupation in placing obstructions on railway lines or in hurling infernal machines in places of public resort, so must every conceivable precaution be taken to minimise such possibilities, remote though their occurrence may appear to be. We have more than once been struck with the unguarded state of many of the reservoirs containing the public water-supply in this country. In many instances the reservoir is situated within a few yards of the public road and in country districts there is seldom any person stationed on the spot to maintain a jealous watch over the water and to keep out inIt is truders or persons who have no business there. an opportunity for the individual with a depraved and unstable mind, though deliberate attempts to poison a public water-supply are, happily, rare in peaceful times. The approaches to a water-supply should be strictly guarded and the reservoir itself should be bounded by an unnegotiable fencing. The remarkable occurrence at Kingsbridge at any rate shows that it is not altogether absurd to suggest ’such measures. At this place a new supply has recently been established and it appears that while the surveyor was satisfying himself that the pumping machinery was in order and that the cement work was sound he was met with a powerful smell resembling carbolic acid. Subsequent investigation showed that the water was strongly alkaline from the presence of caustic soda and that there were present traces of carbolic acid and naphthalene. It is said that there was evidence of previous attempts having been made to contaminate the water, though they were not so serious. At a special meeting of the water committee of the Kingsbridge urban district council held recently it was decided to issue notices with the view of discovering the miscreant and a reward was offered to any person leading to the conviction of the guilty party. It is sincerely to be hoped that this step will succeed in bringing the perpetrator of this wicked act to book. Meantime it would be well if our water authorities would take severer measures to
imagine
SOME time ago we drew attention in our columns to the memorial signed by 14,718 medical men which was presented by an influential deputation to the President of the Board of Education. The President, in his reply, spoke of the, sympathetic attitude of the Board towards the question then raised and it was hoped that some positive effort might be made to insure teaching in hygiene, especially in regard to such matters as ventilation, cleanliness, food, and drink, or that, at any rate, no obstruction would be put in the way of local authorities who might desire to make arrangements for such teaching. At there seems to be little of the fulfilment present prospect of such a hope. In 1890 an attempt was made in Lancashire and Cheshire to fill up one of the gaps in the training of children and the services of a number of trained certificated teachers with special science qualifications were retained to give illustrated object lessons on "alcohol and its effects upon the human body." These lessons given " strictly in accordance with school requirements and in conformity with the code have always been illustrated by charts, diagrams, and experiments," and in all cases have been kept free from such terms as "pledge," "drunkenness," "public house," and the like. That this work was done thoroughly is evident from the fact that throughout Lancashire, Cheshire, and North-West Derbyshire the visits of these teachers to the various schools were welcomed alike by inspectors, teachers, and children. The lessons were arranged to be given to the children of Standards IV. and V. and upwards and, of course, were always given by permission of Under the old rég’i1ne no class of the school authorities. school refused these lessons, permission being given by the various school boards in the case of board schools and by the managers or head teachers in the case of voluntary schools. Under the new Education Act, however, the managers of certain non-provided schools have objected to the county authorities’ instruction that this teaching shall be treated as part of the secular instruction given in schools and have written to the Board of Education pointing out that the lessons were not provided for on the time-tables signed by His Majesty’s inspectors of schools. Without consulting the county education authority on the matter the Board of Education immediately sent down to the county officers a communication that is looked upon as being tantamount to a refusal to permit his teaching to be given and it suggests, although it
publishing incentives to crime conspicuous. When the secure public water-supplies from outrage of this diabolical prosecution of advertising tricksters at last takes place the kind. There are instances of mimicry in the annals evidence usually opens with the story of how the victim was of crime which should serve to put our water authorities on attracted by an advertisement appearing in a newspaper and their guard in the strictest sense. In the present case we then at last the proprietor of the sheet named realises that venture to think that a clue as to the perpetrator of the he has been making a profit by assisting a trade in quack outrage might possibly be furnished from the nature of the compounds. To come to the same conclusion without the poisonous material thrown in. Naphthalene in association publicity of police-court revelations is a course which with carbolic acid suggests the crude tar of the gasworks. It is appalling to think what might have happened if the prudence, if not a sense of decency, should recommend. miscreant had used a poison which did not betray its presence ROYAL COLLEGE OF PHYSICIANS OF LONDON. by a strong smell. THE following lectures will be delivered at the College on THE UNIVERSITY OF LONDON. the days mentioned below at five o’clock P.M. The FitzPatrick Lectures will bb delivered by Dr. J. F. Payne on WE are requested to draw the attention of members of the Tuesday, Nov. 8th, and Thursday, No 7. 10th. The subject Faculty of Medicine of the University of London to the of the first lecture is English Medicine in the Anglo- fact that while the meeting summoned by the ViceNorman Period; Gilbertus Al4!’1iCUS; and of the second Chancellor for the election of a dean is fixed for 5.30 P.M. lecture Ricardus Anglicus and the Teaching of Anatomy an ordinary meeting for the transaction of other important in the Middle Ages. The Bradshaw Lecture will be business will commence at 5 o’clock. Both meetings are to delivered by Dr. F. Foord Caiger on Tuesday, Nov. 15th, be held on Tuesday, Nov. 1st, in the Jehangir Hall of the the subject being the Treatment of Enteric Fever ; and the University Buildings, South Kensington. Horace Dobell Lecture will be delivered on Tuesday, Nov. 22nd, by Dr. E. Klein, F.R.S., the subject being the Life History of Saprophytic and Parasitic Bacteria and their INSTRUCTION IN SCHOOLS ON THE LAWS OF HEALTH. from
-
Mutual Relation.
____
THE
PROTECTION
OF PUBLIC WATERSUPPLIES.
I
DIABOLICAL outrages take many forms but it is difficult to a more execrable deed than the casting of poison into the reservoirs of a public water-supply. So long as there exist a few maniacs amongst us whose unbalanced minds find occupation in placing obstructions on railway lines or in hurling infernal machines in places of public resort, so must every conceivable precaution be taken to minimise such possibilities, remote though their occurrence may appear to be. We have more than once been struck with the unguarded state of many of the reservoirs containing the public water-supply in this country. In many instances the reservoir is situated within a few yards of the public road and in country districts there is seldom any person stationed on the spot to maintain a jealous watch over the water and to keep out inIt is truders or persons who have no business there. an opportunity for the individual with a depraved and unstable mind, though deliberate attempts to poison a public water-supply are, happily, rare in peaceful times. The approaches to a water-supply should be strictly guarded and the reservoir itself should be bounded by an unnegotiable fencing. The remarkable occurrence at Kingsbridge at any rate shows that it is not altogether absurd to suggest ’such measures. At this place a new supply has recently been established and it appears that while the surveyor was satisfying himself that the pumping machinery was in order and that the cement work was sound he was met with a powerful smell resembling carbolic acid. Subsequent investigation showed that the water was strongly alkaline from the presence of caustic soda and that there were present traces of carbolic acid and naphthalene. It is said that there was evidence of previous attempts having been made to contaminate the water, though they were not so serious. At a special meeting of the water committee of the Kingsbridge urban district council held recently it was decided to issue notices with the view of discovering the miscreant and a reward was offered to any person leading to the conviction of the guilty party. It is sincerely to be hoped that this step will succeed in bringing the perpetrator of this wicked act to book. Meantime it would be well if our water authorities would take severer measures to
imagine
SOME time ago we drew attention in our columns to the memorial signed by 14,718 medical men which was presented by an influential deputation to the President of the Board of Education. The President, in his reply, spoke of the, sympathetic attitude of the Board towards the question then raised and it was hoped that some positive effort might be made to insure teaching in hygiene, especially in regard to such matters as ventilation, cleanliness, food, and drink, or that, at any rate, no obstruction would be put in the way of local authorities who might desire to make arrangements for such teaching. At there seems to be little of the fulfilment present prospect of such a hope. In 1890 an attempt was made in Lancashire and Cheshire to fill up one of the gaps in the training of children and the services of a number of trained certificated teachers with special science qualifications were retained to give illustrated object lessons on "alcohol and its effects upon the human body." These lessons given " strictly in accordance with school requirements and in conformity with the code have always been illustrated by charts, diagrams, and experiments," and in all cases have been kept free from such terms as "pledge," "drunkenness," "public house," and the like. That this work was done thoroughly is evident from the fact that throughout Lancashire, Cheshire, and North-West Derbyshire the visits of these teachers to the various schools were welcomed alike by inspectors, teachers, and children. The lessons were arranged to be given to the children of Standards IV. and V. and upwards and, of course, were always given by permission of Under the old rég’i1ne no class of the school authorities. school refused these lessons, permission being given by the various school boards in the case of board schools and by the managers or head teachers in the case of voluntary schools. Under the new Education Act, however, the managers of certain non-provided schools have objected to the county authorities’ instruction that this teaching shall be treated as part of the secular instruction given in schools and have written to the Board of Education pointing out that the lessons were not provided for on the time-tables signed by His Majesty’s inspectors of schools. Without consulting the county education authority on the matter the Board of Education immediately sent down to the county officers a communication that is looked upon as being tantamount to a refusal to permit his teaching to be given and it suggests, although it