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"PTOMAINE" POISONING.
881 admitted to the asylums at Hanwell, Colney Hatch, Banstead, Cane Hill, Claybury, Bexley Heath, and the Manor (Epsom) was 3621, which number comprised 1549 males and 2072 females. Of these 3226 were first admissions. The total number of cases discharged as recovered during the year amounted to 1054-viz., 426 males and 628 females, or 7’2 per cent. of the average number resident. The deaths during the year amounted to 1270, or 8’6per cent., as calculated on the same basis. Of the deaths 334, or 27 per cent., were due to general paralysis of the insane, and 160, or 12’6per cent., were due to pulmonary and other forms of tuberculosis. From a comparison with the returns of the previous year it appears that the recovery rate has fallen slightly-viz., from 9 per cent. in 1900 to 8’6 6 per cent. in 1901, while the death-rate has also fallen from 9’3per cent. to 8’6 per cent. for the corresponding years. Among the causes of insanity in patients admitted, hereditary predisposition played the most important part, as it accounted for 987 cases, or 27 per cent. of the admissions, while alcoholic intemperance was responsible for 608 cases, or 17 per cent. The weekly maintenance rate for patients was lls. 8d. per head, and in view of the continued high prices for provisions and stores the committee considers that there is no likelihood of a reduction of this rate. A report is appended by Dr. F. W. Mott, pathologist to the asylums, giving a summary of the work done and of the researches in progress at the pathological laboratory at Claybury Asylum, a full account of which will be included in the second volume of the Archives which the committee hopes will shortly be in the hands of the publishers. Various interesting charts and tables are included in the committee’s report, one of the most important of these being a graphic chart in colours showing the steady rise in the proportion of lunatics to population in the County of London since the year 1889, the curves being drawn to scale on the basis of the census returns and the annual returns received by the
Asylums Committee.
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"PTOMAINE" POISONING.
opened up the whole question of the managAment of such places of business and lie intended to make important The jury recommendations to the Derby town council. returned a verdict to the effect that Joseph Swinson died the effects of eating pork pie which had been accidentcontaminated ally by the presence of bacilli, but that, so far as the evidence went, no blame could be attached to any person engaged in the preparation of the pies. It seems to us that this case is one more argument in favour of the total abolition of private slaughterPrivate blaughter-houses in a large town are houses. but an anachronism and are always liable to lead to nothing infection of food, cruelty to animals, and, in many cases, to the sale of diseased or unwholesome meat. The public abattoir which is open at all times to the inspection of the sanitary authorities, which can be properly drained, and which should be situated at a distance from other buildings, is the only method of ensuring that our meat-supply shall be provided with as little suffering to the animals who afford it and with as great safeguards of the purity of the meat and of the health of those who consume it as is case
from
possible. ,
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" DUTY AND DEATH." A
with the above heading which of the Manchester papers on Sept. 13th appeared seems worthy of notice. It states that Samuel Short, aged 50 years, an engineer, whilst lowering 24 men down a coal-, pit at Tyldesley "had an apoplectic seizure, but with great He died almost presence of mind stopped the engines. It is for difficult immediately. anyone to put himself mentally in this poor fellow’s place, but whatever his sensations may have been his first thought was to secure the safety of the 24 men whose lives he held in his hands. He must have felt that what had to be done must be done quickly, and his action, taken at once, showed that in his last moments of consciousness his movements were directed by his care for the safety of his fellow-men and not for his cw:L :ï,:. SHORT
in
paragraph one
"
_
IN our issue of Sept. 20th, p. 825, we referred to the recent cases of poisoning by food which have been popularly attributed to the action of ptomaines. On Sept. 23rd the inquest into the circumstances attending the death of Joseph Swinson, who died at Uttoxeter after eating one of the pork pies purchased at Derby, was concluded. Professor Sheridan Delepine, who gave evidence, said that he had discovered, both in the pies and in the bodies of those who had died after eating them, a bacillus belonging to the colon group, known as bacillus enteritidis Gaertner. There was no evidence to show that the meat of the pies was contaminated but the jelly was full of bacilli and he presumed that it had become infected whilst exposed in the course of the preparation of the pies. The person who sold the pies, however careful he might be, could not possibly tell that there was anything wrong with them. Food contaminated by this particular bacillus did not alter in either taste or smell. Professor Delepine added that he had inspected the building in which the pies were made and that there was every indication of careful management, but there were, nevertheless, several sources of possible contamination. Dr. W. J. Howarth, medical officer of health of Derby, agreed with Professor Delepine that Mr. Cope, the butcher from whom the pies were obtained, managed his business carefully. He went on to give several sources of possible contamination, such as a privy and ash pit a few yards away from the slaughter-house. He could not say that Mr. Cope had been guilty of culpable negligence, for he had not received any complaints concerning Mr. Cope’s premises from any of his inspectors. However, the
A
REMARKABLE CASE OF FAMILY DEGENERACY RESULTING FROM ALCOHOLISM.
IN the Quarterly Journal of Inebriety for July last Dr. A. MacNicholl of New York publishes an account, together with a genealogical table, of a family in which the results of degeneracy and disease, arising mainly from alcoholism, have been traced and studied for four generations. The investigations of the various members which comprised this family tree were carried out with great fulness of detail and the facts ascertained constitute a striking illustration of hereditary sequelse of alcoholic intemperance. The first generation comprised a married couple of good social position in the United States. The man was a well-to-do and respectable merchant of English parentage while his wife was of Huguenot descent. Both indulged in social gaieties, lived well, and took wine habitually and daily. They had two daughters, each of whom developed in early life a fondness The elder of the two gave herself for wine and spirits. up to alcoholic and sexual excesses of the wildest description, became the mistress of various men, and contracted loathsome venereal diseases. She died a raving alcoholic maniac at the age of 40 years. The second daughter married a wealthy banker and indulged in a very gay life full of excesses which led to a temporary mental breakdown at the age of 35 years. She bore eight The two males children, two males and six females. grew up to be drunkards and were at the date of publication of the above article alive and aged respectively Of the six daughters five died from 50 and 60 years. phthisis between the ages of 20 and 35 years. The
Asylums Committee.
-
"PTOMAINE" POISONING.
opened up the whole question of the managAment of such places of business and lie intended to make important The jury recommendations to the Derby town council. returned a verdict to the effect that Joseph Swinson died the effects of eating pork pie which had been accidentcontaminated ally by the presence of bacilli, but that, so far as the evidence went, no blame could be attached to any person engaged in the preparation of the pies. It seems to us that this case is one more argument in favour of the total abolition of private slaughterPrivate blaughter-houses in a large town are houses. but an anachronism and are always liable to lead to nothing infection of food, cruelty to animals, and, in many cases, to the sale of diseased or unwholesome meat. The public abattoir which is open at all times to the inspection of the sanitary authorities, which can be properly drained, and which should be situated at a distance from other buildings, is the only method of ensuring that our meat-supply shall be provided with as little suffering to the animals who afford it and with as great safeguards of the purity of the meat and of the health of those who consume it as is case
from
possible. ,
-
" DUTY AND DEATH." A
with the above heading which of the Manchester papers on Sept. 13th appeared seems worthy of notice. It states that Samuel Short, aged 50 years, an engineer, whilst lowering 24 men down a coal-, pit at Tyldesley "had an apoplectic seizure, but with great He died almost presence of mind stopped the engines. It is for difficult immediately. anyone to put himself mentally in this poor fellow’s place, but whatever his sensations may have been his first thought was to secure the safety of the 24 men whose lives he held in his hands. He must have felt that what had to be done must be done quickly, and his action, taken at once, showed that in his last moments of consciousness his movements were directed by his care for the safety of his fellow-men and not for his cw:L :ï,:. SHORT
in
paragraph one
"
_
IN our issue of Sept. 20th, p. 825, we referred to the recent cases of poisoning by food which have been popularly attributed to the action of ptomaines. On Sept. 23rd the inquest into the circumstances attending the death of Joseph Swinson, who died at Uttoxeter after eating one of the pork pies purchased at Derby, was concluded. Professor Sheridan Delepine, who gave evidence, said that he had discovered, both in the pies and in the bodies of those who had died after eating them, a bacillus belonging to the colon group, known as bacillus enteritidis Gaertner. There was no evidence to show that the meat of the pies was contaminated but the jelly was full of bacilli and he presumed that it had become infected whilst exposed in the course of the preparation of the pies. The person who sold the pies, however careful he might be, could not possibly tell that there was anything wrong with them. Food contaminated by this particular bacillus did not alter in either taste or smell. Professor Delepine added that he had inspected the building in which the pies were made and that there was every indication of careful management, but there were, nevertheless, several sources of possible contamination. Dr. W. J. Howarth, medical officer of health of Derby, agreed with Professor Delepine that Mr. Cope, the butcher from whom the pies were obtained, managed his business carefully. He went on to give several sources of possible contamination, such as a privy and ash pit a few yards away from the slaughter-house. He could not say that Mr. Cope had been guilty of culpable negligence, for he had not received any complaints concerning Mr. Cope’s premises from any of his inspectors. However, the
A
REMARKABLE CASE OF FAMILY DEGENERACY RESULTING FROM ALCOHOLISM.
IN the Quarterly Journal of Inebriety for July last Dr. A. MacNicholl of New York publishes an account, together with a genealogical table, of a family in which the results of degeneracy and disease, arising mainly from alcoholism, have been traced and studied for four generations. The investigations of the various members which comprised this family tree were carried out with great fulness of detail and the facts ascertained constitute a striking illustration of hereditary sequelse of alcoholic intemperance. The first generation comprised a married couple of good social position in the United States. The man was a well-to-do and respectable merchant of English parentage while his wife was of Huguenot descent. Both indulged in social gaieties, lived well, and took wine habitually and daily. They had two daughters, each of whom developed in early life a fondness The elder of the two gave herself for wine and spirits. up to alcoholic and sexual excesses of the wildest description, became the mistress of various men, and contracted loathsome venereal diseases. She died a raving alcoholic maniac at the age of 40 years. The second daughter married a wealthy banker and indulged in a very gay life full of excesses which led to a temporary mental breakdown at the age of 35 years. She bore eight The two males children, two males and six females. grew up to be drunkards and were at the date of publication of the above article alive and aged respectively Of the six daughters five died from 50 and 60 years. phthisis between the ages of 20 and 35 years. The