DR, CAMERON (Glasgow, College)I beg to ask the Lord Advocate whether his attention has been called to a paragraph headed " Outbreak of fever in Mull," in the Scotsman, of April 6th, in which, after a description of the manner in which the relatives of a man, said to have died of typhus, were refused food, shelter, and the means of escape from the district, the following passage occurs:—
At last Craignure was reached, and one house, after a search, gave admission to the woman and girl, but the two men could find no shelter, and they seemed to have wandered about the entire night. Next morning the body of the hawker was seen lying in a sandpit, death being due either to exposure or to the fever. Here again it was found impossible to get anyone to coffin the remains;whether it is true that an outbreak of typhus has occurred in Mull; and, if so, what steps have been taken by the Board of Supervision for the purpose of dealing with it; and whether it is true that a hawker was found dead " from exposure or fever," as described; and, if so, was any inquiry made, and by whom, and on what date, into the circumstances attending his death?
§ THE LORD ADVOCATE (Mr. J. P. B. ROBERTSON, Bute)Several cases of typhus have occurred in the Island of Mull; but, so far as known, only one case has resulted fatally. The Board of Supervision have obtained a full Report from the County Medical Officer, and have called upon the Sanitary Inspectors who failed in their duty to state any reasons why the Board should not dismiss them from office. The facts about the death of a hawker appear to be substantially as stated in the Scotsman. His death, however, is attributed to exposure, and not to fever. No special inquiry seems to have been made into the death of the hawker. The Secretary for Scotland will call for a full Report from the Board of Supervision, and will also direct the attention of the County Council to the lamentable state of matters revealed by this case.
§ MR. J. P. B. ROBERTSONI understand that no special inquiry was made.
§ MR. J. P. B. ROBERTSONThe hon. Gentleman can hardly have heard the last part of my answer, namely, that " the Secretary for Scotland will call for a full Report from the Board of Supervision."