§ MR. J. DALY (Monaghan, S.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, if he is aware that the Carrickmacross Board of Guardians passed a Resolution requesting the Local Government Board for Ireland to sanction a reduction in the cost of stimulants from 15s. 7d. per inmate to 3s. 10d. in Carrickmacross Workhouse, which was refused by the Local Government Board for Ireland; and, whether 3s. 10d. per inmate is seven times more than is expended in either Clones or Monaghan Workhouses on stimulants?
§ MR. GERALD BALFOURA Resolution substantially to the effect stated was passed by the Carrickmacross Guardians in December, 1894. Their medical officer, however, pointed out that he prescribed stimulants only in cases where he honestly and conscientiously believed them to be the best treatment for the cure of disease, the prolongation of life, and the alleviation of suffering; and while he was prepared to carry out the order of the Guardians, the responsibility of his doing so must rest entirely with them. In consideration of this expression of the medical officer's view, the Local Government Board thought it 1373 prudent to remind the Guardians that under the Workhouse Rules the medical officer has discretionary power to order such stimulants for the sick poor under his care as he may consider necessary, and that the Guardians should not interfere with his discretion in the matter by a Resolution of the nature adopted by them, which proposed a hard-and-fast reduction without due consideration of the requirements of each particular case. The cost of stimulants per head of the inmates in the Clones and Monaghan Workhouses in 1893 was about 1d. and 6d. respectively.