986 MANCHESTER.-WALES AND WESTERN COUNTIES NOTES. places, and (2) by the dangers to the public health from The conclusion arrived at from this extended examination of burial-places. The objection that it was a continuation of a, school children is in accordance with Dr. Davies’s previously pagan custom was met by the statement that no objection expressed opinion that in every class of 50 boys there are to cremation was raised in the Scriptures and that there! probably two or three who are colour blind, five or six who was no annihilation, only a change of condition as to, are defective in acuteness of vision, and seven or eight who the constituents of the body, as there was after ordi- are more or less deaf. The that the number of the nary interment. prediction The Problem in South Wales and Monmouthshire. cases of would increase had not come to Housing poisoning greatly The accommodation in the pass and, moreover, this danger is guarded against by the inadequate housing colliery Cremation Act of 1902. Either the did not districts of South Wales and Monmouthshire has already subject greatly been commented in THE LANCET and details have interest the members or cremation had, in their opinion, upon been of the which have been taken some obtained:an impregnable position, for the paper was not given steps by followed,,by much discussion. sanitary authorities to lessen the overcrowding of houses within their districts. On Sept. 24th there was held at New Sewage Works at Chorlton-cum-Hardy. Merthyr Tydvil an important conference of nearly 300 Withington’s new sewage works at Chorlton-cum-Hardy members of trade unions and other labour organisations in were formally opened on Sept. 21st. The Chorlton works are South Wales and Monmouthshire when a discussion took part’of a large system of sewage disposal which the council place as to the best method of dealing with the housing was obliged to undertake some years ago at an estimated problem. Mr. Keir Hardie, M.P., presided over the meeting cost of £165,000. At first land filtration was thought of and in the course of his remarks he condemned the building but objected to and an experimental tank for bacterial of houses by a sanitary authority for the very poor ; he treatment was constructed with the result that the system maintained that the class to be catered for was the well- of bacterial treatment was decided on. The capacity of the to-do and well-paid workman when the class below them works will allow of the treatment of the sewage of the large would take a step up and so on. The most practical district of the Withington council to the satisfaction of the suggestion made to the conference was that of Mr. Mersey and Irwell joint committee. The work is expected to D. J. Thomas, the medical officer of health of be completed for a little over £164,000-a rare instance of Merthyr Tydvil, who considered that if the lodger dif- the cost not exceeding the estimate. ficulty could be successfully dealt with a very great step would be and he advocated the establishment Anthrax in Cheshire. gained of municipal lodging-houses. There is no doubt that in Anthrax has become a serious in Cheshire. Four scourge many places these houses would be a great boon and as died on a farm at Sutton and sheep suddenly Mr. Ferguson, they could easily be made to pay their way in the districts certified that death was due veterinary surgeon, Warrington, where single colliers are earning good wages no subsidy from to anthrax. The carcasses were burnt and the farm premises the local rates would be required. The practical outcome of were It is are thoroughly disinfected." rarely that sheep the meeting was a formal protest against the bad. housing attacked by this disease. conditions prevailing generally in industrial and rural Tke Dronght. districts. It was also decided to form local committees which should authorities the The people of Manchester, no less than the members of impress upon sanitary necessity and for the fullest use of their the waterworks committee of the city council, have for some urgency making existing time feared that the supply of water to the would have powers not only for the abatement of nuisances and the city destruction of but also for the erection to be curtailed in consequence of the continuance of dry insanitary property of comfortable houses for all those who are at weather. The rate of consumption for some time has been present without them. It was further resolved to to the at 35,000,000 gallons daily and a week ago the Longendale represent Government the for more extended reservoirs only had a supply for 37 days, while yesterday it necessity granting powers had sunk to enough for 31 days only. On Sunday night to sanitary authorities for these purposes. both in Manchester and Salford it was turned off at 7 o’clock Glamorgan County Asylum. until 6 o’clock on with the estimated Monday morning, When the Glamorgan County Asylum was established at of 6,000,000 to the saving gallons. Exceptions turning- in the year 1864 it was intended to serve not only off are allowed in the case the infirmaries Bridgend regulation of the administrative but also the and and are taken to for county municipal boroughs hospitals precautions provide of Cardiff and Swansea. The was controlled the of the Fire if fires should break asylum by requirements Brigade a committee these three areas until This restriction of water has not been needed since joint representing out. 1899 when the Cardiff withdrew from the three when it had to be continued for four corporation July years ago, and took to a months to November. In that the in partnership steps provide separate asylum. right up year supply This institution is now in course of erection. Some months reservoirs fell to sufficient for 18 This the days only. year the council notice to the has come later and not last so ago Glamorgan county gave the’drought may long. Swansea of its desire to be relieved from the Sept. 27th. corporation ________________ obligation to receive patients from that borough and from Sept. 29th the Bridgend Asylum will be administered WALES AND WESTERN COUNTIES NOTES. entirely by the county council, although the Swansea corporation may if it desires send in patients during the (FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENTS.) next five years at a fixed rate of payment. The amount which the county council has to pay to the Swansea the termination of the control was Colour Blindness Swansea School Children. corporation upon joint among settled by arbitration and the corporation is to receive THE Swansea school board has only just been dissolved, £44,200, but it has to contribute a proportion of the been held on the last meeting of the board having Sept. 23rd. pensions now being paid as well as those which are due to In the administrative work of this body there is no part the present officials. which the members can look back with satis- upon greater in faction than that which has been carried out by its medical Small-pox Caerphilly. South Wales has been free from outbreaks of officer (Dr. Rhys Davies) who has recently issued a report remarkably giving the results of his examination of the colour vision of small-pox during the present year, only a few isolated cases occurred in localities distant from each some of the boys and girls in the higher standards of having other. the public elementary schools within the borough. Of During the second week in September a navvy who was district in the boys examined 3’8 per cent. were found to be tramping through Caerphilly-a colliery found to be from the disease colour blind but in none of the girls was the defect Glamorganshire-was suffering apparent. In 1901, when 1500 boys from 30 different and he was isolated in the district council’s hospital. Eight later two more cases were and the schools were examined, colour blindness was detected in days reported patients were removed to the 5’ 4 per cent. Dr. Davies points out that colour blindness is hospital. almost invariably a congenital defect and not therefore Isolation Hospital for Falmouth and Truro Port a sign of neglect on the part either of parents or of teachers Sanitary Authority. nor is it an indication of dulness on the of the child. part The Falmouth and Falmouth and Truro He states that in more than one school he found several corporation port who had been for several boys taught painting years, 1 THE LANCET, Nov. 30th, 1901, p. 1537. though they were unable to distinguish red from green. 2 THE LANCET, July 30th, 1904, p. 331. IRELAND.-PARIS. 987 sanitary authority on Sept. 23rd decided to erect an The Constabulary Medical Officers. isolation hospital at Budock. Dr. B. O’Brien has been appointed medical officer of the InfamtUe Mortality in Glamorganshire. district in Belfast rendered vacant through the resignation At the last meeting of the Swansea corporation attention of Dr. W. B. McQuitty. was drawn to the high rate of infantile mortality which Royal Victoria Hospital, Belfast. In and in the ten prevailed in the borough. 1903 previous A Belfast gentleman, much interested in this rate was to 164 1000 births and in the the Royal years equal per Victoria Hospital, has written to the local press pointing ten weeks 10th last the rate was to 207 ending Sept.