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WALES.
1176 from his own pocket for assistance. The guardians decided to allow a fee of 10s. 6d. subject to the Local Government
WALES. (FROM
OUR OWN
Board’s
CORRESPONDENT. )
approval. Pnntypnol Water-supply.
Phthisis in Cardiganshire. At the last meeting of the Pontypool urban district council THE high death-rate from phthisis prevailing in Cardigan- the medical officer of health (Mr. S. B. Mason) reported that shire has frequently been commented upon. In the last owing to the large number of cases of diarrhoea and enteritis published annual report of the Registrar-General, that for he had had a sample of the water examined and with not 1907, it is stated that in the five years ending 1907, of the very satisfactory results. Two years ago a serious epidemic 14 counties in England and Wales suffering the highest of typhoid fever in Pontypool and the adjoining districts was fatality from phthisis not fewer than seven were Welsh, and attributed to the water-supply. Oct. l2th. among these, Cardiganshire experienced a death-rate nearly double the average for England and Wales. The actual rates were 117 per 1000 in the whole country and 2 -30 per SCOTLAND. 1000 in Cardiganshire. In the summary of the reports of the medical officers of health, which has just been presented to (FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENTS.) the Cardigan county council by Mr. Walter Ll. Davies, it is stated that in 1908 the phthisis death-rate in Edinburgh Post- Graduate Course. the whole county was 2 -03 per 1000. Contrary to what the WITH last week of September the Edinburgh Postis found elsewhere, the death-rate in the urban districts (1’ 7) Graduate was completed, and the senior members of Course was lower than that in the rural (2 1). In Newquay urban and Lampeter rural districts the rate was 0 -8per 1000. In the medical school who had not shared in the work of the no other district was it below 1 per 1000. In five districts it course begin to return from holiday and to take up their official duties. The course was again a gratifying success. was over 2 per 1000 and in the town of Cardigan it was as It was attended by about 90 doctors of both sexes drawn high as 3.1 per 1000. This deplorable death-rate from a from of is attributed some the medical many parts of the world, who had received their disease by preventable officers of health to the dietary of the people, by others to the student training in many different schools. The entrants dampness and dilapidated conditions of many of the dwelling- worked with extraordinary zeal from morning to night and houses, while one considers that the high fatality is influenced were pleased at the provision supplied by many classes. to please them especially was the number of by the return home of persons infected elsewhere. The West What seemedcould do in the small number of weeks embraced Wales Sanatorium at Alltymynydd is thought to be doing things they something in the way of reducing the incidence of in the course. the disease, but Mr. Davies considers that the first Opening of the Winter Session at the University of Edinburgh. step to take in fighting the scourge is to adopt a The winter session of the medical faculty of the Unisystem of compulsory notification, together with adequate versity of Edinburgh began officially on Oct. 1st, and, as was arrangements for the free bacteriological examination anticipated, the attendance of students was not large. The of sputum. There is ample evidence in the reports new professor of anatomy, Professor Arther Robinson, howof the district medical officers of health that the ever, delivered his introductory lecture on that day in the housing conditions in the county are responsible for a large McEwan Hall and got a very hearty reception. He spoke amount of ill-health among the inhabitants. In Aberayron, of "Anatomy from 1705 till 1909." On Oct. 4th, for example, there are damp houses built up against the live Professor Alexis Thomson delivered his introductory lecture earth, without ceilings, without rain-water gutters or damp as professor of systematic surgery. This address was also In three delivered in the McEwan courses, and insufficiently lighted and ventilated. Hall, and the new professor was localities in the Aberystwyth rural district the houses are accorded a welcome. He dealt with the history of hearty described as being in a dilapidated condition and hardly fit for human habitation. In many of the houses in Tregaron surgery. Changes in the Edinburgh Extramural School of Medicine. the only fresh-air inlet is said to be the door, and after a house-to-house the The main changes in the extramural school of medicine making inspection sanitary inspector found that among 720 dwellings there was no bedroom fire- have been in the department of surgery. Mr. James place in 260, while at 230 there was no privy accommodation. Hodsdon, F. R. C S. Edin., has resigned the lectureship in systematic surgery at Surgeons’ Hall and has been succeeded Medaeal Officers’ Feeg. At the last meeting of the Aberystwyth board of guardians by Mr. Henry Wade, F.R.C.S. Edin. ; Mr. A. Miles, F.R.C.S. has resigned his lectureship at the New School and has (Cardiganshire) on Monday objection was made to the pay- Edin., succeeded been by Mr. J. W. Struthers, F R C.S. Edin. It is ment of £2s. 6d. to the district medical officer, Mr. G. R. E. a fact worthy of note that at the present time not a single Bonsall, for the quarterly visit of nine imbeciles under his ordinary full surgeon to the Royal Infirmary is lecturing on charge, on the ground that one of the paupers included in the systematic surgery ; all the lecturers are assistant surgeons list was examined by another medical officer (Dr. J. A. Rees), either at the Royal Infirmary or at Leith Hospital, and are who had failed to satisfy himself that the woman referred to classed as juniors. This seems to be an unpreThe clerk explained that there was un- consequently was a lunatic. cedented state of affairs. distinction between and a lunatics imbeciles, doubtedly and before any of them could be sent to the asylum The Medical Staff of the Eastern Hospital, Dundee. or workhouse an order must be obtained adjudicating The question of the medical staffing of the East Poorhouse them lunatics under the Act. The second medical Hospital was discussed at a recent meeting of the Dundee officer was called in for the purpose of certifying whether council. Various proposals were brought forward, but parish It the woman could be removed into the workhouse. it was unanimously decided that the matter eventually was agreed to pay the bill. Objection was also made to the should be referred back to the poorhouse committee. A payment of a fee of Zl Is. charged by Dr. A. Bassett Jones letter was read from Dr. Eric A. Thomson tendering his for assisting Mr. Bonsall in administering chloroform in the resignation of the post of resident medical officer at the workhouse. During the discussion it was stated that the East Poorhouse Hospital. guardians had decided that all communications between Dundee Town Council and the Treatment of Phthisis. them and Mr. Bonsall, who is also the workhouse medical The Dundee town council on Oct. 8th had the question of officer, should be made in writing. The fee was objected to on the ground that the guardians had agreed, after ascerphthisis again under discussion. A subcommittee of the taining the fees allowed in other unions, to allow a fee of public health committee recommended compulsory notifica10s. 6d. only for extra medical attendance. On being tion, isolation of advanced cases, and negotiation with the allowed to speak, Mr. Bonsall said he would like to know sanatorium authorities for the acquisition of 20 beds in the what his position would be, as he did not think any medical institution. In support of these proposals it was pointed out men in Aberystwyth, or elsewhere, would give him assistance that voluntary notification and the dispensary had been for less than £1 1s. He positively declined to administer failures. The former had failed because of the inadequacy of chloroform alone in instrumental cases, and it was unreason- the means available for securing complete and perfect notificaable to expect him, when his fee was only 15s., to pay tion, and the dispensary had failed because it was altogether _______________
£1 1s.
WALES. (FROM
OUR OWN
Board’s
CORRESPONDENT. )
approval. Pnntypnol Water-supply.
Phthisis in Cardiganshire. At the last meeting of the Pontypool urban district council THE high death-rate from phthisis prevailing in Cardigan- the medical officer of health (Mr. S. B. Mason) reported that shire has frequently been commented upon. In the last owing to the large number of cases of diarrhoea and enteritis published annual report of the Registrar-General, that for he had had a sample of the water examined and with not 1907, it is stated that in the five years ending 1907, of the very satisfactory results. Two years ago a serious epidemic 14 counties in England and Wales suffering the highest of typhoid fever in Pontypool and the adjoining districts was fatality from phthisis not fewer than seven were Welsh, and attributed to the water-supply. Oct. l2th. among these, Cardiganshire experienced a death-rate nearly double the average for England and Wales. The actual rates were 117 per 1000 in the whole country and 2 -30 per SCOTLAND. 1000 in Cardiganshire. In the summary of the reports of the medical officers of health, which has just been presented to (FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENTS.) the Cardigan county council by Mr. Walter Ll. Davies, it is stated that in 1908 the phthisis death-rate in Edinburgh Post- Graduate Course. the whole county was 2 -03 per 1000. Contrary to what the WITH last week of September the Edinburgh Postis found elsewhere, the death-rate in the urban districts (1’ 7) Graduate was completed, and the senior members of Course was lower than that in the rural (2 1). In Newquay urban and Lampeter rural districts the rate was 0 -8per 1000. In the medical school who had not shared in the work of the no other district was it below 1 per 1000. In five districts it course begin to return from holiday and to take up their official duties. The course was again a gratifying success. was over 2 per 1000 and in the town of Cardigan it was as It was attended by about 90 doctors of both sexes drawn high as 3.1 per 1000. This deplorable death-rate from a from of is attributed some the medical many parts of the world, who had received their disease by preventable officers of health to the dietary of the people, by others to the student training in many different schools. The entrants dampness and dilapidated conditions of many of the dwelling- worked with extraordinary zeal from morning to night and houses, while one considers that the high fatality is influenced were pleased at the provision supplied by many classes. to please them especially was the number of by the return home of persons infected elsewhere. The West What seemedcould do in the small number of weeks embraced Wales Sanatorium at Alltymynydd is thought to be doing things they something in the way of reducing the incidence of in the course. the disease, but Mr. Davies considers that the first Opening of the Winter Session at the University of Edinburgh. step to take in fighting the scourge is to adopt a The winter session of the medical faculty of the Unisystem of compulsory notification, together with adequate versity of Edinburgh began officially on Oct. 1st, and, as was arrangements for the free bacteriological examination anticipated, the attendance of students was not large. The of sputum. There is ample evidence in the reports new professor of anatomy, Professor Arther Robinson, howof the district medical officers of health that the ever, delivered his introductory lecture on that day in the housing conditions in the county are responsible for a large McEwan Hall and got a very hearty reception. He spoke amount of ill-health among the inhabitants. In Aberayron, of "Anatomy from 1705 till 1909." On Oct. 4th, for example, there are damp houses built up against the live Professor Alexis Thomson delivered his introductory lecture earth, without ceilings, without rain-water gutters or damp as professor of systematic surgery. This address was also In three delivered in the McEwan courses, and insufficiently lighted and ventilated. Hall, and the new professor was localities in the Aberystwyth rural district the houses are accorded a welcome. He dealt with the history of hearty described as being in a dilapidated condition and hardly fit for human habitation. In many of the houses in Tregaron surgery. Changes in the Edinburgh Extramural School of Medicine. the only fresh-air inlet is said to be the door, and after a house-to-house the The main changes in the extramural school of medicine making inspection sanitary inspector found that among 720 dwellings there was no bedroom fire- have been in the department of surgery. Mr. James place in 260, while at 230 there was no privy accommodation. Hodsdon, F. R. C S. Edin., has resigned the lectureship in systematic surgery at Surgeons’ Hall and has been succeeded Medaeal Officers’ Feeg. At the last meeting of the Aberystwyth board of guardians by Mr. Henry Wade, F.R.C.S. Edin. ; Mr. A. Miles, F.R.C.S. has resigned his lectureship at the New School and has (Cardiganshire) on Monday objection was made to the pay- Edin., succeeded been by Mr. J. W. Struthers, F R C.S. Edin. It is ment of £2s. 6d. to the district medical officer, Mr. G. R. E. a fact worthy of note that at the present time not a single Bonsall, for the quarterly visit of nine imbeciles under his ordinary full surgeon to the Royal Infirmary is lecturing on charge, on the ground that one of the paupers included in the systematic surgery ; all the lecturers are assistant surgeons list was examined by another medical officer (Dr. J. A. Rees), either at the Royal Infirmary or at Leith Hospital, and are who had failed to satisfy himself that the woman referred to classed as juniors. This seems to be an unpreThe clerk explained that there was un- consequently was a lunatic. cedented state of affairs. distinction between and a lunatics imbeciles, doubtedly and before any of them could be sent to the asylum The Medical Staff of the Eastern Hospital, Dundee. or workhouse an order must be obtained adjudicating The question of the medical staffing of the East Poorhouse them lunatics under the Act. The second medical Hospital was discussed at a recent meeting of the Dundee officer was called in for the purpose of certifying whether council. Various proposals were brought forward, but parish It the woman could be removed into the workhouse. it was unanimously decided that the matter eventually was agreed to pay the bill. Objection was also made to the should be referred back to the poorhouse committee. A payment of a fee of Zl Is. charged by Dr. A. Bassett Jones letter was read from Dr. Eric A. Thomson tendering his for assisting Mr. Bonsall in administering chloroform in the resignation of the post of resident medical officer at the workhouse. During the discussion it was stated that the East Poorhouse Hospital. guardians had decided that all communications between Dundee Town Council and the Treatment of Phthisis. them and Mr. Bonsall, who is also the workhouse medical The Dundee town council on Oct. 8th had the question of officer, should be made in writing. The fee was objected to on the ground that the guardians had agreed, after ascerphthisis again under discussion. A subcommittee of the taining the fees allowed in other unions, to allow a fee of public health committee recommended compulsory notifica10s. 6d. only for extra medical attendance. On being tion, isolation of advanced cases, and negotiation with the allowed to speak, Mr. Bonsall said he would like to know sanatorium authorities for the acquisition of 20 beds in the what his position would be, as he did not think any medical institution. In support of these proposals it was pointed out men in Aberystwyth, or elsewhere, would give him assistance that voluntary notification and the dispensary had been for less than £1 1s. He positively declined to administer failures. The former had failed because of the inadequacy of chloroform alone in instrumental cases, and it was unreason- the means available for securing complete and perfect notificaable to expect him, when his fee was only 15s., to pay tion, and the dispensary had failed because it was altogether _______________
£1 1s.