Smallpox outbreak

PUBLIC HEALTH.

I9~3.

c a r r i e d it will i n v o l v e a n i n c r e a s e d liability on t h e m i n e s of m o r e t h a n £_'2,500,000. T h i s p r o p o s e d n e w l a w raises a g a i n t h e w h o l e q u e s t i o n of t h e h u g e b u r d e n w h i c h r e s t s on ind u s t r y on a c c o u n t of phthisis. The present outs t a n d i n g liability of t h e T r a n s v a a l mine.g f o r a w a r d s g r a n t e d to d a t e , i n c l u d i n g p e n s i o n s , is £8,500,000. T h i s e n o r m o u s liability b e c o m e s d u e in c o n n e c t i o n w i t h p e n s i o n s paid t o t h e w i d o w s and c h i l d r e n , a n d o t h e r d e p e n d e n t s of d e c e a s e d beneficiaries.

SMALLPOX

OUTBREAK,

Smallpox has again become prevalent in the North and Midlands and in other areas. The following table shows the growth of the outbreak : Week ending.

SMALLPOX. No. of cases Notified.

Jan. 6th, 1923

...

12 ...

Jan. lath, 1923

...

4~8 ...

Jan. 20th, 1923

...

46

...

Jan. 27th, 19:a3

...

4,8 ...

Feb. 3rd, 1923

...

37

...

Feb. 10th, 192a

...

27 ...

Feb. 17th, 1923

...

4,1 ...

Areas (Shires).

Derbyshire ...... Nottinghamshire .,. Staffs . . . . . . . . . York ......... Derby . . . . . . . . . Durham ...... Lincoln ...... Nottinghamshire ... Staffs . . . . . . . . . York ......... Derby . . . . . . . . . Lincoln ...... Nottingham . . . . . . Staffs . . . . . . . . . York ......... Derby . . . . . . . . . Durham ...... Nottingham . . . . . . Yorks . . . . . . . . . Derby . . . . . . . . . Hertford ...... Lancaster ...... Nottingham . . . . . . Soke of Peterborough... York ......... Derby . . . . . . . . . Lancaster ...... Nottingham . . . . . . Yorks . . . . . . . . . Derby . . . . . . . . . Durham ...... Nottingham . . . . . . Yorks . . . . . . . . .

4 3 1 4~

22 1 2 7 1

15 13 1 7 2 23 26 3 2 17 13 1

2 2 1 18 10 1 ~, 12 15 2 9

15

The chief centres in these areas are Derby, Heanor and Clowne; Durham, Stockton-on-Tees; Nottingham, Stapleford ; Yorks, Middlcsbrough and Doneaster.

183 BIRTH

CONTROL.

A recent c a s e has d e m o n s t r a t e d t h e f a c t t h a t a c e r t a i n section of t h e c o m m u n i t y is a n x i o u s t o p r e v e n t an e x a c t k n o w l e d g e of scientific t r u t h s c o n c e r n i n g b i r t h c o n t r o l b e i n g a c q u i r e d by t h e g e n e r a l public. S u c h p e o p l e t a k e an e x t r a o r d i n a r y stand. W i t h o u t e x p r e s s i n g it in so m a n y w o r d s , t h e y in f a c t s a y : " T h e s e f a c t s a r e k n o w n to us, b u t t h e y do us no h a r m b e c a u s e w e are of a s u p e r i o r t y p e i n t e l l e c t u a l l y and m o r a l l y , b u t if t h e s e f a c t s g o t i n t o t h e h a n d s of t h e ordin a r y l o w e r class p e r s o n t h e c o n s e q u e n c e s w o u l d be t e r r i b l e . " \ V e h a v e n o s y m p a t h y w i t h s u c h a f r a m e of m i n d , a n d w e b e l i e v e i m p l i c i t l y in t h e d o c t r i n e t h a t t h e s p r e a d of e x a c t scientific k n o w l e d g e will n e v e r be a d i s a d v a n t a g e to any race. W r i t i n g upon this s u b j e c t t h e o t h e r day, D e a n I n g e e x p r e s s e d w i t h his u s u a l s t r a i g h t f o r w a r d n e s s t h e o p i n i o n s of m a n y w h e n he said : - " T h e s u b j e c t is an u n p l e a s a n t one. T h e t e r r i b l e p r e v a l e n c e of a c e r t a i n c r i m e in all t h e l a r g e t o w n s is d e m o n s t r a t e d by a b u n d a n t f a c t s a n d f i g u r e s , a n d c o n f i r m e d by n u m e r o u s p e r s o n a l confessions. T i l e effect of w i t h h o l d i n g k n o w l e d g e is simply to i n c r e a s e c r i m e . " A p a r t f r o m this, in a d e m o c r a t i c s o c i e t y w h e r e e v e r y a d u l t is c o n s i d e r e d c a p a b l e of h e l p i n g to g o v e r n t h e c o u n t r y , it is i n c o n s i s t e n t to k e e p t h e w a g e - e a r n e r in i g n o r a n c e of t h i n g s w h i c h he w i s h e s to k n o w . love m a y e x p e c t t h a t in m a n y c a s e s he will t h i n k it w r o n g to use his k n o w l e d g e , a s m a n y p e o p l e in t h e u p p e r a n d m i d d l e c l a s s e s t h i n k i t w r o n g to do so. C o n s c i e n c e is n o t a m o n o p o l y of t h e w e l t - t o - d o . T h e w o r k i n g m a n a n d his w i f e h a v e a r i g h t to j u d g e for t h e m s e l v e s , like o t h e r peopl e . " W h a t e v e r o u r v i e w s m a y be u p o n c o n t r o v e r s i a l s u b j e c t s such as birth c o n t r o l , w e m u s t all a g r e e t h a t it is t i m e t h a t an e n d w e r e p u t to t h e d e f a m a , t o r y m e t h o d of c r i t i c i s m . In c o n n e c t i o n w i t h t h o s e scientific d i s c o v e r i e s w h i c h affect m o r a l a n d social p r o b l e m s it is c o m m o n f o r c e r t a i n p e o p l e t o g o to v i o l e n t e x t r e m e s in t h e i r v i e w s , a n d s u c h p e o p l e a r e p r o n e , u n f o r t u n a t e l y , to s l a n d e r t h o s e w h o differ f r o m t h e m . It is t h e r e f o r e g r a t i f y i n g to learn t h a t t h e j u r y i n t h e r e c e n t c a s e f o u n d that the words used, though true, were d e f a m a t o r y in c h a r a c t e r a n d n o t f a i r c o m m e n t . F o r t u n a t e l y , t h e n u m b e r of p e o p l e a l l o w i n g t h e i r p r e j u d i c e s to g o to t h e e x t e n t of p e r s o n a i s l a n d e r is b e c o m i n g s m a l l e r . It w a s o w i n g to p e r s o n a l s l a n d e r t h a t t h e l a t e Mr. C h a r l e s B r a d l e i g h w a s f o r y e a r s d e p r i v e d of his s e a t in t h e H o u s e of Commons, and the change which has come-over