LIVERPOOL.
1
978 would have been quite sufficient for the purpose in view, but it cannot be obtained alone, for the estate is to be sold as it stands. Possibly if the council determines to buy it it may prove eventually to be a good investment, though the present return from the rental of the farm and cottages is not great. An Instructive Exhibition. In the National Trades Exhibition which is being held in the Bingley Hall a most instructive section is devoted to "sweated industries." The work is monotonous and suffi- ciently depressing as it is done in the comparatively large space devoted to it at the exhibition, but that is not its chief defect, for looked at from a medical point of view it suggests great possibilities of danger and disaster, when it is remem- bered that much of the work is done in the workers’ own homes amidst what must be in many cases most insanitary surroundings. It matters not whether we who buy pay much or little, the danger is there, though it may be greater the less we pay; but how many of us ever inquire whether the things we use were made in a healthy workroom or amidst such surroundings as a worker can secure who can only earn from 16s. to 18s. a week after working from 10 to 12 hours a day ? The danger of infection with diseases we would avoid lies in the clothes we and our wives and children wear, the hooks, the safety pin, and buttons with which we fasten the clothes ; in our artificial flowers, in our umbrella bands, in the embroidery on ladies’ slippers, in the pill boxes we sometimes use, in the metal boxes which are more frequently in our hands, and even the Bibles we read, for their pages may have been folded under insanitary conditions, at the rate of ld. per 100 sheets. Looked at from a purely sanitary point of view it is quite clear that manufacturers should not be allowed to give out work to be done in the workers’ homes, and we must be prepared to face the fact that the stopping of such home-done work will make still harder the lot of some of those whose lives are at present almost unbearable and that we shall have to pay a little more for our necessaries. Reafforestation. The transformation of the ugly heaps of refuse and pit mounds which abound around Birmingham into tree-clad country is proceeding not very rapidly perhaps but still I steadily and satisfactorily, and no one can doubt that the final result will be an increase in the physical and mental health of the surrounding population. The experimental stage has been passed and the Midland Reafforestation Society is con- tinually gaining adherents. On March 23rd at a public meeting held in the Wolverhampton town hall a new local branch was formed, one of its objects being the reclamation of the at present hideous ground which lies between Wolverhampton and Birmingham. Speaking at the meeting Sir Oliver Lodge gave some interesting details of the work. He stated that the cost of planting was L5 per acre for large plots and a little more for small areas, and he pointed out that the association was not seeking for profit and could not expect any for 15 years, but after 20 years the profit on the planting would probably amount to 2-2L per cent. compound interest from the time of planting. The long time which must elapse before any return is gained is one of the main difficulties which stands in the way of the association and retards most useful work. April 2nd. ___________________ LIVERPOOL. (FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.) Livervool Consumption Hospital: 1. uberculin in PtÛmonary Tuberculosis. THE annual report of the Liverpool Consumption Hospital contains the announcement that "the committee, acting on the advice of their medical board, have thought it their duty to equip a laboratory and appoint a pathologist in order that the patients of the institution may reap the full advantage of recent advances in medical science. These advances point to the possibility of estimating from hour to hour the patient’s resistance to the tubercle bacillus and of raising or lowering this resistance at will." The medical board, in its report, states that there are at present 30 patients under treatment and that the results so far are distinctly encouraging. It emphasises the fact that the treatment is still in the experimental stage but adds, " Should the treat- ment ultimately prove successful, it must undoubtedly revolutionise the treatment of consumption among the working class, as it would appear to render it possible to treat a working man without depriving his family of their livelihood." Whether this attempt of the Liverpool Con- sumption Hospital be successful or not, it will be agreed that it should be made and it is right to wish it every success. The benefit derived from the use of tuberculin in cases of surgical tuberculosis being well known, why should it not also succeed in pulmonary phthisis ? So far only partial success has attended its administration. The question arises, Is a different tuberculin required in the latter case, or has it yet to be learnt when to give it and in what doses ? These facts can only be obtained by experience, slowly acquired with the help of a well-equipped laboratory. Certainly no effort should be spared to acquire that knowledge. Anyone with practical experience of the treatment of pulmonary tubercu- losis amongst the poorer classes must admit that in their case the sanatorium treatment is not satisfactory, for the simple reason that, to them, it becomes impossible. A patient cannot be maintained in a sanatorium for less than 30s. a week or thereabouts. This amount must be found by the individual or by philanthropic agency. Obviously, only a favoured few can find so much. Nor is this all. Whilst under treatment in the sanatorium the patient earns nothing and his family is compelled to go " on the parish." "- The knowledge of this dread fact deters many from going to the sanatorium until the last possible moment,’ when it becomes too late. Whatever its absolute merits may consist in, the sanatorium is practically closed to the poorer classes for purely economic reasons. The solution of the problem may possibly be found in the use of some such vaccine as tuberculin. Mr. Arthiir J. Evans. Mr. Arthur Evans, the medical officer of the steamer Port Kingston, who distinguished himself in connexion with the Jamaican disaster, had the honour of being presented to the Prince and Princess of Wales at Knowsley by the Earl of Derby on the evening of the Grand National day. His Royal Highness warmly congratulated Mr. Evans on his arduous and humane work during the great disaster and spent a long time in inquiring of him the particulars of the catastrophe. Mr. Evans was also introduced to Lord Roberts, who recognised in him a member of the medical staff who served with him in the South African war. April 2nd. WALES AND WESTERN COUNTIES NOTES. (FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENTS.) I Typhoid Fever at Pontypool. DURING the epidemic of typhoid fever which prevailed in Pontypool and the adjoining districts in the autumn of 1906 there occurred in Pontypool 169 cases and 12 terminated fatally. Commenting upon the outbreak in his annual report the medical officer of health (Mr. S. B, Mason) states that he found that the water company had been supplying water from a well the water of which was alleged to be impure and that the iron pipes leading from the well were laid alongside a brook which re- ceived the sewage from several houses and from a slaughter- house. In flood time the pipes were covered with water, so that there was the possibility of secondary pollution. The Pontypool district council is advised by its medical officer of health to provide an isolation hospital, a steam dis- infector, a dust destructor, and a public slaughter-house, and to consider the desirability of providing a common lodging- house and efficient sewerage for the district. Conapensation for Ttlberculous Cattle purchased by Butchers. Some four years ago a form of mutual insurance was established in the Cardiff and Newport districts for the payment of compensation to butchers who at the public auctions purchased cattle which were subsequently found to be tuberculous and were destroyed. The contributions to the fund. by the farmers, auctioneers, and butchers were very small and although only two-thirds of the value of the animal was paid to the purchaser the scheme has been found to work well. It is to be regretted therefore that the Newport butchers are desirous of withdrawing from the fund. They assert, as a reason for withdrawal, that the full
Transcript of LIVERPOOL.
978
would have been quite sufficient for the purpose in view, butit cannot be obtained alone, for the estate is to be sold as itstands. Possibly if the council determines to buy it it mayprove eventually to be a good investment, though thepresent return from the rental of the farm and cottages isnot great.
An Instructive Exhibition.In the National Trades Exhibition which is being held in
the Bingley Hall a most instructive section is devoted to"sweated industries." The work is monotonous and suffi-
ciently depressing as it is done in the comparatively largespace devoted to it at the exhibition, but that is not its chiefdefect, for looked at from a medical point of view it suggestsgreat possibilities of danger and disaster, when it is remem-bered that much of the work is done in the workers’ ownhomes amidst what must be in many cases most insanitarysurroundings. It matters not whether we who buy pay muchor little, the danger is there, though it may be greater theless we pay; but how many of us ever inquire whether thethings we use were made in a healthy workroom or amidstsuch surroundings as a worker can secure who can only earnfrom 16s. to 18s. a week after working from 10 to 12 hours aday ? The danger of infection with diseases we would avoidlies in the clothes we and our wives and children wear, thehooks, the safety pin, and buttons with which we fastenthe clothes ; in our artificial flowers, in our umbrella bands,in the embroidery on ladies’ slippers, in the pill boxes wesometimes use, in the metal boxes which are more frequentlyin our hands, and even the Bibles we read, for their pagesmay have been folded under insanitary conditions, at therate of ld. per 100 sheets. Looked at from a purely sanitarypoint of view it is quite clear that manufacturers should notbe allowed to give out work to be done in the workers’ homes,and we must be prepared to face the fact that the stoppingof such home-done work will make still harder the lot ofsome of those whose lives are at present almost unbearableand that we shall have to pay a little more for our
necessaries.Reafforestation.
The transformation of the ugly heaps of refuse and pitmounds which abound around Birmingham into tree-cladcountry is proceeding not very rapidly perhaps but still Isteadily and satisfactorily, and no one can doubt that the finalresult will be an increase in the physical and mental healthof the surrounding population. The experimental stage hasbeen passed and the Midland Reafforestation Society is con-tinually gaining adherents. On March 23rd at a publicmeeting held in the Wolverhampton town hall a new localbranch was formed, one of its objects being the reclamationof the at present hideous ground which lies between
Wolverhampton and Birmingham. Speaking at the meetingSir Oliver Lodge gave some interesting details of the work.He stated that the cost of planting was L5 per acre for largeplots and a little more for small areas, and he pointed outthat the association was not seeking for profit and could notexpect any for 15 years, but after 20 years the profit on theplanting would probably amount to 2-2L per cent. compoundinterest from the time of planting. The long time whichmust elapse before any return is gained is one of the maindifficulties which stands in the way of the association andretards most useful work.
April 2nd. ___________________
LIVERPOOL.(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)
Livervool Consumption Hospital: 1. uberculin in PtÛmonaryTuberculosis.
THE annual report of the Liverpool Consumption Hospitalcontains the announcement that "the committee, acting onthe advice of their medical board, have thought it their dutyto equip a laboratory and appoint a pathologist in order thatthe patients of the institution may reap the full advantage ofrecent advances in medical science. These advances pointto the possibility of estimating from hour to hour thepatient’s resistance to the tubercle bacillus and of raisingor lowering this resistance at will." The medical board,in its report, states that there are at present 30 patientsunder treatment and that the results so far are distinctlyencouraging. It emphasises the fact that the treatment isstill in the experimental stage but adds, " Should the treat-ment ultimately prove successful, it must undoubtedly
revolutionise the treatment of consumption among theworking class, as it would appear to render it possible totreat a working man without depriving his family of theirlivelihood." Whether this attempt of the Liverpool Con-sumption Hospital be successful or not, it will be agreed that itshould be made and it is right to wish it every success. Thebenefit derived from the use of tuberculin in cases of surgicaltuberculosis being well known, why should it not also succeedin pulmonary phthisis ? So far only partial success hasattended its administration. The question arises, Is a
different tuberculin required in the latter case, or has it yetto be learnt when to give it and in what doses ? These factscan only be obtained by experience, slowly acquired withthe help of a well-equipped laboratory. Certainly no effortshould be spared to acquire that knowledge. Anyone withpractical experience of the treatment of pulmonary tubercu-losis amongst the poorer classes must admit that in theircase the sanatorium treatment is not satisfactory, for thesimple reason that, to them, it becomes impossible. A
patient cannot be maintained in a sanatorium for less than30s. a week or thereabouts. This amount must be foundby the individual or by philanthropic agency. Obviously,only a favoured few can find so much. Nor is this all.Whilst under treatment in the sanatorium the patient earnsnothing and his family is compelled to go " on the parish." "-The knowledge of this dread fact deters many from going tothe sanatorium until the last possible moment,’ when itbecomes too late. Whatever its absolute merits may consistin, the sanatorium is practically closed to the poorer classesfor purely economic reasons. The solution of the problemmay possibly be found in the use of some such vaccine astuberculin.
Mr. Arthiir J. Evans.
Mr. Arthur Evans, the medical officer of the steamer PortKingston, who distinguished himself in connexion with theJamaican disaster, had the honour of being presented to thePrince and Princess of Wales at Knowsley by the Earl ofDerby on the evening of the Grand National day. His RoyalHighness warmly congratulated Mr. Evans on his arduousand humane work during the great disaster and spent a longtime in inquiring of him the particulars of the catastrophe.Mr. Evans was also introduced to Lord Roberts, whorecognised in him a member of the medical staff who servedwith him in the South African war.
April 2nd.
WALES AND WESTERN COUNTIES NOTES.(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENTS.)
I Typhoid Fever at Pontypool.DURING the epidemic of typhoid fever which prevailed in
Pontypool and the adjoining districts in the autumn of 1906there occurred in Pontypool 169 cases and 12 terminatedfatally. Commenting upon the outbreak in his annual
report the medical officer of health (Mr. S. B, Mason)states that he found that the water company had beensupplying water from a well the water of which was
alleged to be impure and that the iron pipes leadingfrom the well were laid alongside a brook which re-
ceived the sewage from several houses and from a slaughter-house. In flood time the pipes were covered with water, sothat there was the possibility of secondary pollution. ThePontypool district council is advised by its medical officerof health to provide an isolation hospital, a steam dis-infector, a dust destructor, and a public slaughter-house, andto consider the desirability of providing a common lodging-house and efficient sewerage for the district.
Conapensation for Ttlberculous Cattle purchased byButchers.
Some four years ago a form of mutual insurance wasestablished in the Cardiff and Newport districts for thepayment of compensation to butchers who at the publicauctions purchased cattle which were subsequently found tobe tuberculous and were destroyed. The contributions to thefund. by the farmers, auctioneers, and butchers were verysmall and although only two-thirds of the value of theanimal was paid to the purchaser the scheme has beenfound to work well. It is to be regretted therefore that theNewport butchers are desirous of withdrawing from thefund. They assert, as a reason for withdrawal, that the full
