§ MR. T. M. HEALYI beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if his attention has been called to the inquest on a prisoner named M'Grath, said to have been convicted in 1881 on a dynamite charge; how long was M'Grath ill; how often had he been in hospital, for what periods, and for what complaints; why was he not released before death, as other dynamite prisoners were, and as was stated, by the Home Department to be the settled practice; and had the prisoner any friends, and were they informed that he was dying?
§ MR. MATTHEWSI am informed by the Prison Commissioners that M'Grath was ill from the 17th of March, 1891, to the 28th April, 1891. He had only once been in hospital before this illness, namely, from the 27th of August, 1885, to the 1st of September, 1885. He then suffered from bronchial catarrh. He was reported dangerously ill on the 21st of April, but he was at the same time reported as being unfit for removal. His 287 friends were at once informed of his condition, and visited him on the 23rd of April. The prisoner informed them that he had the best of treatment. The cause of death was acute tuberculosis of the lungs.
§ MR. SEXTONIs it possible that the medical man did not discover this disease in time for the man to be discharged from prison?
§ MR. MATTHEWSWhen he was reported dangerously ill on April 21 he was reported unfit for removal. Removal from prison is ordered when further imprisonment would be dangerous to life?
§ MR. T. M. HEALYIt seems strange if the doctor diagnosed the case when the man was sent into hospital that he did not report there was danger of death. The right hon. Gentleman or his predecessor at the Home Office, the right hon. Member for Derby, instituted the practice in English prisons, in Ireland the treatment is less humane, of releasing a prisoner when in danger of death; why was this course not followed, and the man sent home to his friends when it was discovered his illness was likely to be mortal?
§ MR. MATTHEWSThe hon. Member has mistaken the practice. The practice is to release a prisoner before the completion of his term of imprisonment if it is shown that continued imprisonment will endanger his life. Of course, to detain a prisoner after that is reported would be to substitute the punishment of death for imprisonment.
§ DR. TANNERCan the right hon. Gentleman say when the tuberculosis from which the prisoner died entered on the acute phase? When was he diagnosed by the medical man?
§ MR. MATTHEWSI will read the Report from the doctor.
§ [The right hon. Gentleman read the Report at length.]
§ MR. T. M. HEALYWere the prisoner's friends English, Irish, or American?
§ MR. MATTHEWSI have not ascertained. I will do so if the hon. Member desires it.
§ MR. PARNELL (Cork)Was the 17th of March the first date when the medical officer detected that the prisoner was suffering from tuberculosis of the 288 lungs? The Report the right hon. Gentleman has just read states that he was found on that date to be suffering from the disease. I imagine there were precedent stages which might have been detected.
§ MR. MATTHEWSI do not understand the Report quite in the same way as the hon. Member. The Report states that on the date of the Report, namely, 26th April, M'Grath was then suffering from the disease. He was admitted to hospital 17th March this year. Then the disease made rapid progress, and late in April entered upon an acute stage.
§ DR. TANNERThe date given is March 17, when the man had several cavities in the lungs, and there must have been precedent stages.
§ MR. MATTHEWSThe Report does not say that.
§ MR. T. M. HEALYIn view of the Report made by the Commission appointed by the right hon. Gentleman some year and a half ago, when this man was reported sound—and tuberculosis is, I understand, a lingering disease—and having regard to the Blue Book, will the right hon. Gentleman cause further inquiry to be made on this point?
§ MR. MATTHEWSI will make any further inquiry the hon. Member desires.