CHRISTMAS SHOPPING AND PUBLIC HEALTH.
1751
and county authorities of the United Kingdomdiseases of children are crowded with the results of maternal and of those interested in the sanitary question from almostignorance and neglect. The want of knowledge displayed by every standpoint." The speakers generally insisted on the the mothers as regards the diet of infants and young children importance and necessity of legislation in some form in is astounding and can only be fully appreciated by those who order to give to the public a measure of protection from the are brought frequently and intimately into contact with the evil effects of ignorance or malpractice on the part of results of defective feeding. The general want of hygiene A meeting was held in the dwellings of the uneducated classes is also astonishthose undertaking plumbing work. at the Guildhall, London, during the week between repre- ing and greatly adds to the general death-rate. In several sentatives of district councils and the Worshipful Com- of the large provincial towns, including Birmingham and pany of Plumbers, in furtherance of some form of Sheffield, officers have been appointed to attempt to instruct the women as to the way in which their children should be legislation, The Limehouse Vestry fed and their rooms kept clean. to for a similar officer last year, permission appoint applied CHRISTMAS SHOPPING AND PUBLIC HEALTH. The Vestry of St. George-the-Martyr, but were refused. WITH the approach of Christmas an increased stress of Southwark, which published the figures already referred to, work presses heavily un shopkeepers and their assistants. appointed a lady under the somewhat cumbrous but signifiIn these days of intensified competition it is not surprising cant title of " Lady Sanitary Officer and Health Inspector." that shops are kept open late at night, but such overwork is She will be expected to visit the homes of the poor and not healthy and anything that can help to give all classes to instruct them how to get rid of bad smells and vermin, to sufficient leisure to recoup from the exhaustion of their daily point out to the mothers the prejudicial effect of insanitary avocations is of public benefit. In America some ladies have conditions of health, especially as regards children, and taken a generous initiative in this respect and have formed where sickness exists to advise as to the nursing of the what they term the Consumers’ League. The members patient, the preparation of the food, and the administration of this organisation point out the inconsistency of subscribing of remedies, also to advise as to the management of the hOllse to hospitals while at the same time the subscriber will go where a patient suffering from pulmonary tuberculosis is late to a store and "badger a saleswoman into a fit of resident, both in the interests of the patient and of the nervous prostration." Consequently the members of this others living in the house. She is also to instruct the league are expected to refrain from making any purchases women in various domestic details, such as the cleaning of after 5 o’clock in the afternoon and not to allow parcels to be the rooms, passages, and yards, and in the cooking and sent to their homes later than 6 o’clock. Nothing can be preparation of the family meals. In theory the idea of such more simple than this suggestion. If it could be carried an officer is excellent, and the late Vestry of St. Georgeout there would be an end to the shop-assistant’s grievances, the-Martyr, Southwark, deserves the warmest praise for and this without any sort of legislation or police interappointing one. No doubt a large amount of good will ference or the expense of maintaining an army of inspectors result. The lady in question will require an immense to see that the law is enforced. Unfortunately a league of amount of tact and perseverance, and we wish her this sort is only likely to be supported by a thoughtful and every success, but whether she will succeed in the unselfish minority of altruistic humanitarians. There is Herculean task of cleansing the Augean stables of slum also a material obstacle in the fact that many persons are ignorance and prejudice remains to be seen. The at work till after 5 o’clock and therefore have not time effort, however, is certainly worthy of a trial, and it is to do any shopping before that hour. Navertheless, only to be hoped that the newly-formed municipal bodies will good can result from calling attention to this question, imitate the example of Southwark and appoint similar and this is, more than any other time of the year, the officers throughout London. If only those who have the leisure to season for doing so. do their shopping before 5 o’clock made it a firm rule NEALE TESTIMONIAL FUND. never to purchase anything after that hour this alone would suffice very materially to relieve the strain on tradesmen and WE are requested to state that the Committee have decided their assistants. Then a great deal might be done by taking that the testimonial to the late Dr. R. Neale shall consist of time by the forelock instead of leaving purchases, especially (1) a life-size portrait in oils by Mr. T. B. Kennington, the Christmas purchases, to the very last moment. In a word, painter of the excellent memorial portrait of the late Professor and in defence of the health and happiness of a large section Hopkinson ; and (2) four silver bowls, suitably inscribed, of the community, we appeal to all intending purchasers to to be presented to the four members of Dr. Neale’s family. think not only of themselves and their purchases but also of As soon as possible a list of subscribers and a balance sheet the interests of those tradesmen with whom they intend to will be published. deal. It will not cost more to buy earlier in the day and somewhat sooner in the season, but it will distribute more AT a meeting of the council of the Hospital Sunday Fund, evenly the work that has to be done in satisfying the demands held under the presidency of the Lord Mayor, at the Mansion of the consumer and thus will mitigate the unhappy and unHouse, on Dec. 7th, on the motion of Dr. J. G. Glover, healthy strain that weighs so heavily on shop assistants seconded by Sir Henry Burdett, the following motion was at Christmas time. " That in to the to the
municipal
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WOMEN HEALTH OFFICERS. THE
unanimously adopted : National Hospital for
regard
grant
the Paralysed and Epileptic, Queensquare, W.C., the basis of which has been already arranged by the distribution committee for the current year, the distribution committee be empowered to pay, out of funds in hand, the award, on being satisfied of the settlement of the existing differences before May lst next."
of St. George-the-Martyr, Southwark, before its existence terminated published the fact that out of a total of 1331 deaths which occurred during a certain period, 765, or nearly 60 per cent., had been among children under five years of age. To those intimately associated with the study of disease LORD ROBERTS will honour the Irish Medical Schools’ and amongst the inhabitants of the poorer parts of London this will occasion no surprise. The out-patient rooms Graduates’ Association by his presence at a banquet to be in the children’s department at our general hospitals given by the members to their distinguished fellowand in the special hospitals devoted to the treatment of the countryman on his return from South Africa. Lady Roberts
shortly
Vestry
1752
THE
OUTBREAK
and her daughters have also be present on this occasion.
accepted
OF ARSENICAL POISONING IN MANCHESTER.
an
invitation to
of health made cases
next
Workhouse
day on
an
at
appointment with Dr. Reynolds to see the Crumpsall. On visiting the Crumpsall
Nov. 21st he saw, in company with Dr.
Reynolds and Dr. H. G. Brooke, a large number of cases presenting special and fairly uniform symptoms. Dr. Brooke
THE death is announced of Mr. R. G. Glenn, the Recorder of Croydon. He was born in 1844 and was a stated that he had seen for some time a number of cases "Grecian" of Christ’s Hospital. His name should be with eruptions of a peculiar nature and such as to give rise ultimately to a suspicion of arsenical poisoning. widely known to medical men, for he was the author of The medical officer of health at once saw Mr. Rook, the "A Manual of the Laws affecting’ Medical Men" and of of the Sanitary Department, and they superintendent the Legal Abstract published in Churchill’s " Medical 12 that arranged samples of beer (sixpenny and fourpenny from each) should be obtained from six tied houses. fhese Directory." samples were accordingly obtained and submitted to the DR. D. E. ANDERSON of Paris, a graduate of the London public analyst. Meanwhile, Dr. Tattersall, the medical and Paris Universities and former physician’s and obstetric officer of health for Salford, had submitted samples of beer assistant at University College Hospital, has been elected to to Professor Delepine, who, in the absence of Professor Dixon undertook an into the nature of these the post of visiting physician to the Hertford British Mann, which had investigation rise to symptoms of samples apparently given Hospital, Paris. poisoning in Salford. Your medical officer of health could not move further in the matter until on Nov. 23rd Dr. AT a general monthly meeting of the Members of the Kelynack called to inform him that he and Dr. Kirkby had Royal Institution held on Dec. 3rd Dr. Allan Macfadyen that day discovered the arsenic present in the beer to arise On the same day Profesor Delépine informed was announced to have been appointed Fullerian Professor from glucose. medical officer of health that on Nov. 22nd he had disof Physiology for three years, the appointment dating from your covered the presence of a considerable amount of arsenic in Jan. 14tb, 1901. particular saccharine matters used in brewing, and that he at once communicated with Dr. Tattersall. IT is announced that the Queen has granted to the Royal Dr. Tattersall on Nov. 23rd went down to Liverpool (as medical officer of health was informed by a reporter) the for of a national science your Society, purposes physical to procure a sample of the sulphuric acid used in making the the House, laboratory, Bushey Bushey Park, formerly incriminated glucoses and inverts. It did not appear to residence of the Duc de Nemours. your medical officer of health necessary to obtain samples of the materials at that time from the glucose manufacturers, DURING the week ending Dec. 6th 46 fresh cases of as these had already been procured by Dr. Tattersall at the earliest time, and the results of the investigation plague were registered at Mauritius, 26 of which were fatal. which bepossible knew was being conducted by Dr. Tattersall with The total deaths from plague during the week numbered 33. equal energy and skill would be available at an,- arly date for our own procedures. It did, however, seem -ecessary THE London Gazette of Dec. llth contains new rules made to act with all possible speed administratively. On Nov. 23rd, therefore, samples of the saccharine materials employed by the Home Secretary for retreats licensed under the were obtained from two breweries implicated by the patients. Inebriates Act. On Nov. 24th your medical officer of health improvised a laboratory in his room, aided by the assistant medical officers Mr. W. H. BATTLE, F.R.O.S. Eng., has been elected sur- of health, Dr. Coates and Dr. McCleary, and by Mr. R. M. geon to St. Thomas’s Hospital in the room of the late Mr. Rowe of the Sanitary Department, a gentleman of consirlerable chemical experience, whose services have been most W. Anderson. valuable. Two samples of beer and one of stout were procured and examined on Nov. 24th. A trace of arsenic was believed to be found in a samp e of beer, and the same REPORT TO THE material was believed to have been found in one of the HOSPITALS SUB-COMMITTEE OF THE saccharine matters. Your medical officer of health then consulted Professor Delepine who, with his usual courtesy MANCHESTER SANITARY COMMITTEE and kindness, showed him the methods which he had ON THE OUTBREAK OF ARSENICAL employed and the quantities of the materials used in the analyses. On Nov. 26th the examinations were POISONING NOW IN PROGRESS in the methods renewed at the office, and, being IN MANCHESTER. which we adopted for the Marsh test, on the 27th we were in a position to proceed. Samples of the saccharine DR. JAMES NiVEN, Medical Officer of Health of Man- matters stated to have been used by the brewers were rapidly chester, has presented the following report to the Hospitals obtained by the medical officers and we commenced an Sub-committee of the city on the outbreak of arsenical examination of all the saccharine matters furnished to us as being those in use by 23 Manchester breweries visited, poisoning in Manchester :— as well as of three glucoses used in the manufacture of cheap The medical officer of health begs to present to this sub- sweets and jams. As regards the latter it may at once be committee a report on the outbreak of arsenical poisoning said that not a trace of arsenic was found in them. As now running its course. On Nov. 20th Dr. Reynolds called regards the saccharine matters which were furnished to us at the Health Office and informed the medical officer of by the brewers as being used by them, and which included health that he had obtained well-marked reactions of arsenic Home and American glucoses and inverts, we examined them in a sample of beer which he had examined. For some all to the number of 46 specimens from 20 breweries. In months there had been a large number of patients coming not one did we find a trace of arsenic except in the glucoses into the Union Infirmary with well-marked and fairly and inverts emanating from one firm, in which it was present uniform symptoms, and there were at present a very large apparently in considerable amount. Unfortunately, five number of these cases in the wards. They were all beer- out of the 20 breweries were using this material to our drinkers and drank the cheaper kinds of beer and stout. For knowledge, or had just discontinued it, while in another some time he had suspected the presence of some deleterious .nstance its use had been discontinued for two months. It agant in the beer and latterly the symptoms had suggested .s possible that there are other breweries in which it has been arsenic. He had therefore procured a sample of a beer which lsed where we have not been informed of the fact. As soon was pointed to by many of the cases, tested it, and found as we knew that the examination of a saccharine material arsenic. He also informed your medical officer of health :evealed the presence of arsenic, information was sent to the that another sample of beer submitted to Professor Dixon nanager of the brewery concerned with a request that all Mann had been found to contain arsenic, thus confirming his )eer now on the market in which the incriminated sugar Previous to Dr. Reynolds’s intimation on lad been used should be immediately recalled. observation. Nov. 20th your medical officer of health was aware of nothing Meantime on Nov. 27th a circular letter was sent to all indicating either an outbreak of a fresh form of disease or the practitioners in the city asking for certain information, the existence of impurities in the beer. The medical officer pased on the symptoms of the cases at Crumpsall. The -
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