MANCHESTER
1
874 The body of the man who died at the Cossham Hospital was taken home and about 50 of his friends assembled to a kind of "wake," being, of course, still ignorant of the nature of his complaint. Small-pox is stated to have appeared in a neighbouring village. So much for the epidemic. To check it Dr. Davies has worked valiantly, watching and revacci- nating " contacts " and publishing vaccination propaganda. Unfortunately, on Feb. 5th the board of guardians informed the Local Government Board by resolution that they did not see their way to promote revaccination, and in spite of the really serious aspect of the later stage of the outbreak they have remained of the same mind. The Local Govern- ment Board inspector, Dr. R. D. Sweeting, who attended a guardians’ meeting on March 10th, entreated them to adopt a vigorous campaign of vaccination and revaccination, but they refused. In this situation it is interesting to record the recent vaccination statistics of the city. During 1907 8934 births were registered in Bristol and of this number 5505 were successfully vaccinated. 471 had certificates of conscientious objections and 19 were found insusceptible to vaccination. In the first six months of 1908 4543 births were registered and of these 2335 were successfully vacci- nated, 524 had certificates of conscientious objections, and 26 were found insusceptible to vaccination. Bristol General Hospital. The governors of this institution held their half-yearly general board meeting on March 8th, the sheriff of Bristol, Mr. Stanley H. Badock, presiding. The annual report shows material progress but financial embarrassment. The year past saw the nurses’ home completed, a practically new dental department begun, and an expert appointed to take charge of the department of pathology. The numbers of both in-patients and out-patients were the highest yet recorded, being 2435 and 37,844 respectively. Each patient stayed 27 days on an average, and 90 per cent. of the beds (182-5) were on an average occupied daily. 595 patients were sent to the convalescent home. The ordinary receipts, .EIO, 727 are the lowest for many years, and the expenditure, .E14,987, is the highest on record. This means a serious deficiency of .E4260. The sheriff, in moving the adoption of the report, said that the fall in income was due largely to a failure of the contributions from legacies without a corresponding increase in donations. He asked for a large increase in the subscription list, and alluded to the consider- able share taken in this by the contributions of workpeople at the various factories. The adoption was seconded by Mr. Joseph Storrs Fry, the president of the hospital, and agreed to. The University of B?’istot. The Bill for transferring the property and liabilities of University College to the University of Bristol has passed the examiners in the House of Lords and now awaits its second reading. Mr. D. Pass, son of the late Mr. Alfred Capper Pass, who contributed .E4000 to the University scheme, has added E6000 to this, providing E10,000 for the endowment of a chair of chemistry. The Bristol Hair- dressers’ Association has recently decided to grant .E20 to University College for a research into the nature and means of prevention of sycosis barbse. This, it is hoped, will con- stitute an example to other industries of the help they may expect from the University as a centre of scientific investigation. March 16th. __________ MANCHESTER. (FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.) Infantile Death-rates. Dr. A. Kershaw in his thirty-fourth annual report on the health of Farnworth states that he was disappointed to find that while the infantile death-rate for 1907 was 110 per 1000, that for 1908 was 206, the increase being due to an epidemic of infantile diarrhoea. On the other hand, the neighbouring township of Worsley was more fortunate, Dr. R. Sayers stating that the infant death-rate there was 102 per 1000, as against an average for 13 years of 135, and was the lowest recorded. A Dangerozcs Cugtom. A recent inquest held on the 11-year old son of a Middle- wich salt worker revealed a risk to life, new probably to many, and illustrated the fact that every calling has its own attendant dangers. This boy and a younger brother went to the salt works whilst the men were away and began to cook pbtatoes in a brine pan, " a habit with boys in those =parts." The elder one fell into the almost boiling hot brine. He was rescued after some delay but died in a few days. The. verdict was, of course, "Accidental death," and the coroner hoped that the case would prove a warning to others. It cannot be imagined, however, that the warning will long be remembered by the boys of the neighbourhood, who are- evidently very much like the human boy " in general-fond of doing something unusual and out of the ordinary routine- and it would be better if the brine-pits were made’ less- accessible to them. Lead Poisoning at Stalybridge. A somewhat unusual case of lead poisoning has recently occupied the attention of the Stalybridge town council. The patient was a girl who had an intense craving for water- from what cause is not stated-and drank large quantities from both hot and cold water taps. On analysis only a "faint trace " of lead was found in the water from the cold water tap, but a "decided trace " in that from the hot water tap, so that the girl would have been comparatively safe if she had been content with the cold water. Smoke Abatement. A smoke abatement conference has been, quite appro- priately, held in Sheffield, under the presidency of Sir John Bingham. A paper was read by Mr. J. B. C. Ker on the work of the Hamburg Manufacturers’ Smoke Abatement Society, which from small beginnings in 1902 has now 258 members and 717 steam boilers under its control. Regular examinations of the boilers‘and of the methods of working are undertaken by the staff and suggestions made for improvement when required. The education and control are undertaken by firemen instructors. Methods for smoke prevention are being adopted more generally than they were. In most cases the use of an apparatus for automatically regulating the admission of secondary air is found sufficient. A mechanical stoking apparatus is not generally used because English and Scotch unscreened coal can be got in Hamburg at very low prices and gives very good results with simple hand firing. The general conclusion from the Hamburg inquiries seems to be that manufacturing smoke can be greatly reduced by (1) proper supervision of the furnaces and boilers by chemical engineers who have studied the practical side of fuel combustion ; and (2) the employment of properly trained stokers for firing the heating appliances. March 16th. __________________ LIVERPOOL. (FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.) Nem Matergiity Hospital for Liverpool: the 1levaifi,cence cf Sir Witliam Hartley. THE fortieth annual meeting of the Liverpool Maternity Hospital and Ladies’ Charity was held at the town-hall last week under the presidency of the Lord Mayor. There was a very large attendance in anticipation of a generous contribu- tion by Sir William Hartley towards the deficit on the year’s working. So well had the real nature of the secret been kept that among the earliest arrivals it was. actuallv believed that Sir William Hartley’s generous inten- tion did not extend beyond a contribution of .E500. His own announcement of a gift of ,15,D00 towards the erection of a new hospital came therefore as a joyous surprise to the friends of the charity. The report of the board of manage- ment showed that the present small hospital was totally inadequate to the crying needs of the numerous applicants for admission. The number of patients attended in the hos- pital during 1908 was 515, as against 357 in the previous- year, 12 being single girls (first cases) admitted for treat- ment. During the past year the hospital has been so full’ that cases have had to be refused almost daily. To meet this pressure upon the accommodation four extra beds were added in June, making a total of 23, all of which have been kept in constant use. In the school of midwifery 63 pupils were trained during the year ; 34 of these pupils were, in addition, trained in the hospital as monthly nurses and received certificates of competency. The committee will
Transcript of MANCHESTER
874
The body of the man who died at the Cossham Hospital wastaken home and about 50 of his friends assembled to a kindof "wake," being, of course, still ignorant of the nature ofhis complaint. Small-pox is stated to have appeared in aneighbouring village. So much for the epidemic. To checkit Dr. Davies has worked valiantly, watching and revacci-nating " contacts " and publishing vaccination propaganda.Unfortunately, on Feb. 5th the board of guardians informedthe Local Government Board by resolution that they did notsee their way to promote revaccination, and in spite ofthe really serious aspect of the later stage of the outbreakthey have remained of the same mind. The Local Govern-ment Board inspector, Dr. R. D. Sweeting, who attended aguardians’ meeting on March 10th, entreated them to adopta vigorous campaign of vaccination and revaccination, butthey refused. In this situation it is interesting to recordthe recent vaccination statistics of the city. During 19078934 births were registered in Bristol and of this number5505 were successfully vaccinated. 471 had certificates ofconscientious objections and 19 were found insusceptible tovaccination. In the first six months of 1908 4543 birthswere registered and of these 2335 were successfully vacci-nated, 524 had certificates of conscientious objections, and26 were found insusceptible to vaccination.
Bristol General Hospital.The governors of this institution held their half-yearly
general board meeting on March 8th, the sheriff ofBristol, Mr. Stanley H. Badock, presiding. The annualreport shows material progress but financial embarrassment.The year past saw the nurses’ home completed, a practicallynew dental department begun, and an expert appointed totake charge of the department of pathology. The numbersof both in-patients and out-patients were the highest yetrecorded, being 2435 and 37,844 respectively. Each patientstayed 27 days on an average, and 90 per cent. of the beds(182-5) were on an average occupied daily. 595 patientswere sent to the convalescent home. The ordinary receipts,.EIO, 727 are the lowest for many years, and the expenditure,.E14,987, is the highest on record. This means a serious
deficiency of .E4260. The sheriff, in moving the adoption ofthe report, said that the fall in income was due largelyto a failure of the contributions from legacies without acorresponding increase in donations. He asked for a largeincrease in the subscription list, and alluded to the consider-able share taken in this by the contributions of workpeopleat the various factories. The adoption was seconded by Mr.Joseph Storrs Fry, the president of the hospital, and agreedto.
The University of B?’istot.The Bill for transferring the property and liabilities of
University College to the University of Bristol has passedthe examiners in the House of Lords and now awaits itssecond reading. Mr. D. Pass, son of the late Mr. Alfred
Capper Pass, who contributed .E4000 to the Universityscheme, has added E6000 to this, providing E10,000 for theendowment of a chair of chemistry. The Bristol Hair-dressers’ Association has recently decided to grant .E20 toUniversity College for a research into the nature and meansof prevention of sycosis barbse. This, it is hoped, will con-stitute an example to other industries of the help theymay expect from the University as a centre of scientific
investigation.March 16th.
__________
MANCHESTER.(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)
Infantile Death-rates.Dr. A. Kershaw in his thirty-fourth annual report on the
health of Farnworth states that he was disappointed to findthat while the infantile death-rate for 1907 was 110 per1000, that for 1908 was 206, the increase being due to anepidemic of infantile diarrhoea. On the other hand, theneighbouring township of Worsley was more fortunate, Dr.R. Sayers stating that the infant death-rate there was 102per 1000, as against an average for 13 years of 135, and wasthe lowest recorded.
A Dangerozcs Cugtom.A recent inquest held on the 11-year old son of a Middle-
wich salt worker revealed a risk to life, new probably to
many, and illustrated the fact that every calling has its ownattendant dangers. This boy and a younger brother wentto the salt works whilst the men were away and began to cookpbtatoes in a brine pan, " a habit with boys in those =parts."The elder one fell into the almost boiling hot brine. He wasrescued after some delay but died in a few days. The.verdict was, of course, "Accidental death," and the coronerhoped that the case would prove a warning to others. Itcannot be imagined, however, that the warning will long beremembered by the boys of the neighbourhood, who are-
evidently very much like the human boy " in general-fondof doing something unusual and out of the ordinary routine-and it would be better if the brine-pits were made’ less-accessible to them.
Lead Poisoning at Stalybridge.A somewhat unusual case of lead poisoning has recently
occupied the attention of the Stalybridge town council. Thepatient was a girl who had an intense craving for water-from what cause is not stated-and drank large quantitiesfrom both hot and cold water taps. On analysis only a"faint trace " of lead was found in the water from the coldwater tap, but a "decided trace " in that from the hot watertap, so that the girl would have been comparatively safe ifshe had been content with the cold water.
Smoke Abatement.A smoke abatement conference has been, quite appro-
priately, held in Sheffield, under the presidency of Sir JohnBingham. A paper was read by Mr. J. B. C. Ker on thework of the Hamburg Manufacturers’ Smoke AbatementSociety, which from small beginnings in 1902 has now 258members and 717 steam boilers under its control. Regularexaminations of the boilers‘and of the methods of working areundertaken by the staff and suggestions made for improvementwhen required. The education and control are undertakenby firemen instructors. Methods for smoke prevention arebeing adopted more generally than they were. In mostcases the use of an apparatus for automatically regulatingthe admission of secondary air is found sufficient. Amechanical stoking apparatus is not generally used becauseEnglish and Scotch unscreened coal can be got in Hamburgat very low prices and gives very good results with simplehand firing. The general conclusion from the Hamburginquiries seems to be that manufacturing smoke can begreatly reduced by (1) proper supervision of the furnacesand boilers by chemical engineers who have studied thepractical side of fuel combustion ; and (2) the employmentof properly trained stokers for firing the heating appliances.March 16th.
__________________
LIVERPOOL.(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)
Nem Matergiity Hospital for Liverpool: the 1levaifi,cence cfSir Witliam Hartley.
THE fortieth annual meeting of the Liverpool MaternityHospital and Ladies’ Charity was held at the town-hall lastweek under the presidency of the Lord Mayor. There was a
very large attendance in anticipation of a generous contribu-tion by Sir William Hartley towards the deficit on
the year’s working. So well had the real nature of thesecret been kept that among the earliest arrivals it was.actuallv believed that Sir William Hartley’s generous inten-tion did not extend beyond a contribution of .E500. His ownannouncement of a gift of ,15,D00 towards the erection of anew hospital came therefore as a joyous surprise to thefriends of the charity. The report of the board of manage-ment showed that the present small hospital was totallyinadequate to the crying needs of the numerous applicantsfor admission. The number of patients attended in the hos-pital during 1908 was 515, as against 357 in the previous-year, 12 being single girls (first cases) admitted for treat-ment. During the past year the hospital has been so full’that cases have had to be refused almost daily. To meetthis pressure upon the accommodation four extra beds wereadded in June, making a total of 23, all of which have beenkept in constant use. In the school of midwifery 63 pupilswere trained during the year ; 34 of these pupils were, inaddition, trained in the hospital as monthly nurses andreceived certificates of competency. The committee will
