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THE ADULTERATION BILL.
354 which had been successfully resisted for many years by the obstructive members of his staff, and he has inaugurated others which will bear important fruit hereafter. He found the proposal to form dispensaries in the metropolis had been allowed to drop, and we have to acknowledge that it is to his perseverance that the progress since made is to be attributed. Unhappily for the medical profession, he seems to have found the formation of a medical department, and the inauguration of a sanitary and preventive policy in the treatment of pauperism, impossible in the face of the traditions prevalent at the Board over which he wascalled upon to preside. But we are of opinion that he gave indications of a desire to pursue that policy, as he has shown also his willingness to put a stronger pressure upon the able-bodied labourer. Altogether we cannot but feel regret at the removal of a minister who was evidently prepared to support the recommendations of the Sanitary Commissioners, and to assume the fresh responsibilities it was proposed to entrust to him. In Mr. Stansfeld the Poor-law Board will, we trust, find an honest and independent reformer. He has already displayed abilities of no mean kind, and with the warning that he will have need of all his firmness in managing the incongruous and obstinately feeble personnel of which the Poor-law staff consists, and all his judgment in dealing with the peculiar elements of which boards of guardians are composed, we hope very heartily that he will not fall below the success attained by his honourable predecessor, now promoted to the office of First Lord of the Admiralty.
and again reiterate that, if the Thames Conservators are too careless to initiate a reform, or the Home Office too supine to compel them to do so, the sub. ject should form a first and important item in any action that may be taken on the report of the Sanitary Commission.
frequent the river;
THE ADULTERATION
BILL.
that the Pall may Gazette not only glad Mr. Muntz in his renewed attack upon cordially supports adulteration, but even suggests that the provisions of his Bill might with advantage be made more stringent than they are, and that the adulteration of food, like that of drugs, should be severely punishable without reference to the noxious character of the adulterating material. We would also suggest that the retail dealer should be protected against the rascalities of wholesale houses. We believe that great firms are often the chief offenders in this matter ; and that what is well described by the Pall]ialZ Gazette as a middleclass delinquency which demoralises one half of the nation while it defrauds the other, is really traceable to the large rather than to the small operations of commerce. It is quite right to punish small shopkeepers for their own sins, which are doubtless grievous enough; but we must not make them scapegoats for the sins of others. We shall never really extinguish adulteration until we get a 11 merchant prince" on the treadmill. A Bill that has been repeatedly pressed upon the attention of the Legislature by a persevering member will in time almost certainly become law; and we cannot look forward to the enactment of such a measure as that of Mr. Muntz THE PROPAGATION OF SMALL-POX BY THE without feelings of gratification at the part taken by this SHIPPING. in calling public attention to the want. We stood journal THERE are refinements as well as rough-and-ready alone when Dr. Hassall, as THE LANCET analyst, conducted methods in most matters, sanitary precautions included, thousand examinations of suspected articles. On many and it is said that on this head we are like, nowadays, to the faith of his work we published the names of the strain at the gnat and swallow the camel. And hence dealers in adulterated goods, and first made known the we recur, once and again, to a very rough-and-ready extent and magnitude of the evil. The dealers watched method of propagating contagious and infectious diseases, us with extreme solicitude; and a single mistake, a single that exists in this country without let or hindrance. erroneous charge, would have been made the basis of a lawThe floating population of Great Britain, whether located suit urged on with all the power of money, and with all the in the ports of London, Liverpool, or elsewhere, are mostly rancour of exposed dishonesty. The present Adulteration recruited from the unsavoury quarters of both urban and Act has failed to effect all that was required; but it asserts rural districts. They live, move, and have their being on a principle, and will serve as a foundation for a better the water, undisturbed by any doubts or fears as to the air and more comprehensive superstructure. that they breathe, or the cleanliness of the quarters that they inhabit. The tendencies of their work are migratory, THE VACANT EXAMINERSHIP AT THE and their daily habits are eminently insanitary. And thus COLLEGE OF SURGEONS. it requires very little sophistry to show the importance of THE not the value of cleanliness. them in But this matter unexpected resignation of Mr. Solly last week teaching once more the question of the appointment of has been whatever done. We were the warned opens up nothing by It will be relast epidemic of cholera in 1866 that our ships were the examiners at the College of Surgeons. membered that last October three vacancies in the Court means of spreading the disease, and that it was imported into this city directly by their agency. It may be difficult were filled up by the election of Messrs. Hancock, Le Gros to account for the origin of the present epidemic, but we Clark, and Savory, the last gentleman being the first inknow positively that vessels have been, during the past few stance of a Fellow not on the Council being elected an weeks,lying at moorings in the Thames and the docks with examiner. Mr. Curling, who stood next in seniority to Mr. cases of small-pox on board; that some of these vessels Hancock, declined to be put in nomination until the exhave gone to sea with members of the crew" down" aminers in Surgery were separated from those in Anatomy with the disease; that Shields is declared to have been and Physiology, and was rewarded for his public spirit by infected in this way, and that the inhabitants of having Mr. Clark put over his head. ’ The election of Mr. Queenstown have to thank Liverpool for an abundant Savory was carried by a small body of councillors who were supply of the material. The evil is as patent as the ubi- determinad to put into effect the recent resolution of the quity of our merchant vessels, and it is folly to talk aboutI Council itself, that one-half the examiners should be outstamping-out the disease in any place wherepersons are side the Council. We hope to see another move in the suffered to come and go over whom no authority, central, same direction made on the 15th inst., when the election local, or parochial, has any sanitary jurisdintion what- will take place. The names of three Fellows not on the Council, but all ever. We dare to say that the port of London has had a large share in disseminating small-pox throughout the eminently fitted to hold the office of examiner, were brought United Kingdom by means of the coasting vessels that forward on the announcement of the vacancy last week, and
WE
.
are
to
see
and again reiterate that, if the Thames Conservators are too careless to initiate a reform, or the Home Office too supine to compel them to do so, the sub. ject should form a first and important item in any action that may be taken on the report of the Sanitary Commission.
frequent the river;
THE ADULTERATION
BILL.
that the Pall may Gazette not only glad Mr. Muntz in his renewed attack upon cordially supports adulteration, but even suggests that the provisions of his Bill might with advantage be made more stringent than they are, and that the adulteration of food, like that of drugs, should be severely punishable without reference to the noxious character of the adulterating material. We would also suggest that the retail dealer should be protected against the rascalities of wholesale houses. We believe that great firms are often the chief offenders in this matter ; and that what is well described by the Pall]ialZ Gazette as a middleclass delinquency which demoralises one half of the nation while it defrauds the other, is really traceable to the large rather than to the small operations of commerce. It is quite right to punish small shopkeepers for their own sins, which are doubtless grievous enough; but we must not make them scapegoats for the sins of others. We shall never really extinguish adulteration until we get a 11 merchant prince" on the treadmill. A Bill that has been repeatedly pressed upon the attention of the Legislature by a persevering member will in time almost certainly become law; and we cannot look forward to the enactment of such a measure as that of Mr. Muntz THE PROPAGATION OF SMALL-POX BY THE without feelings of gratification at the part taken by this SHIPPING. in calling public attention to the want. We stood journal THERE are refinements as well as rough-and-ready alone when Dr. Hassall, as THE LANCET analyst, conducted methods in most matters, sanitary precautions included, thousand examinations of suspected articles. On many and it is said that on this head we are like, nowadays, to the faith of his work we published the names of the strain at the gnat and swallow the camel. And hence dealers in adulterated goods, and first made known the we recur, once and again, to a very rough-and-ready extent and magnitude of the evil. The dealers watched method of propagating contagious and infectious diseases, us with extreme solicitude; and a single mistake, a single that exists in this country without let or hindrance. erroneous charge, would have been made the basis of a lawThe floating population of Great Britain, whether located suit urged on with all the power of money, and with all the in the ports of London, Liverpool, or elsewhere, are mostly rancour of exposed dishonesty. The present Adulteration recruited from the unsavoury quarters of both urban and Act has failed to effect all that was required; but it asserts rural districts. They live, move, and have their being on a principle, and will serve as a foundation for a better the water, undisturbed by any doubts or fears as to the air and more comprehensive superstructure. that they breathe, or the cleanliness of the quarters that they inhabit. The tendencies of their work are migratory, THE VACANT EXAMINERSHIP AT THE and their daily habits are eminently insanitary. And thus COLLEGE OF SURGEONS. it requires very little sophistry to show the importance of THE not the value of cleanliness. them in But this matter unexpected resignation of Mr. Solly last week teaching once more the question of the appointment of has been whatever done. We were the warned opens up nothing by It will be relast epidemic of cholera in 1866 that our ships were the examiners at the College of Surgeons. membered that last October three vacancies in the Court means of spreading the disease, and that it was imported into this city directly by their agency. It may be difficult were filled up by the election of Messrs. Hancock, Le Gros to account for the origin of the present epidemic, but we Clark, and Savory, the last gentleman being the first inknow positively that vessels have been, during the past few stance of a Fellow not on the Council being elected an weeks,lying at moorings in the Thames and the docks with examiner. Mr. Curling, who stood next in seniority to Mr. cases of small-pox on board; that some of these vessels Hancock, declined to be put in nomination until the exhave gone to sea with members of the crew" down" aminers in Surgery were separated from those in Anatomy with the disease; that Shields is declared to have been and Physiology, and was rewarded for his public spirit by infected in this way, and that the inhabitants of having Mr. Clark put over his head. ’ The election of Mr. Queenstown have to thank Liverpool for an abundant Savory was carried by a small body of councillors who were supply of the material. The evil is as patent as the ubi- determinad to put into effect the recent resolution of the quity of our merchant vessels, and it is folly to talk aboutI Council itself, that one-half the examiners should be outstamping-out the disease in any place wherepersons are side the Council. We hope to see another move in the suffered to come and go over whom no authority, central, same direction made on the 15th inst., when the election local, or parochial, has any sanitary jurisdintion what- will take place. The names of three Fellows not on the Council, but all ever. We dare to say that the port of London has had a large share in disseminating small-pox throughout the eminently fitted to hold the office of examiner, were brought United Kingdom by means of the coasting vessels that forward on the announcement of the vacancy last week, and
WE
.
are
to
see