§ MR. PICTON (Leicester)asked the President of the Local Government Board, Whether he is now able to communicate to the House any Report or other result of the Departmental inquiry undertaken six years ago in reference to the large amount of infant mortality caused at many centres of population by summer and autumnal diarrhœa; whether he is aware that several Local Authorities have for six years been incurring expense for meteorological observations made at the request of the Department, and for the special purpose of the Departmental inquiry; and, whether, if he cannot now state the result of the inquiry, he will take means to have it completed shortly, and to lay a Report upon the Table of the House, or to issue it during the Recess?
§ THE PRESIDENT (Mr. RITCHIE) (Tower Hamlets, St. George's)The inquiry the hon. Member refers to is a general one, relating not only to the cases of infant mortality from summer diarrhœa in some 30 large towns and cities in various parts of England and Wales, but also to the relations which this disease bears to choleraic outbreaks. The investigations are, to an important extent, limited to some six weeks in the year during which the disease is most fatal, and as they have progressed it has become necessary to initiate fresh lines of research. The magnitude of the interests involved may be judged of from the fact that during the third quarter of last year no less than 15,396 deaths were registered as due to diarrhœa in England and Wales, and that 6,171 of these were in 10 of the great towns. During the prevalence of cholera in Europe in the last two years the services of the Inspector supervizing this inquiry had to be, to a large extent, superseded; but the work is now actively progressing, and the Board hope that when the results obtained during the present summer have been received and examined the preparation of a summary Report on the whole inquiry may be proceeded with.