§ MR. J. PINKERTON (Galway)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, whether he is aware that, in the case of the late suicide in Derry Prison, the doctor of the accused wrote to Sir William Millar, medical superintendent of the prison, stating that the prisoner had been for some time previous predisposed to melancholia, and requesting that he should be given active employment and allowed the use of tobacco; and, if he can explain why, under the circumstances, the request was not complied with?
§ MR. GERALD BALFOURSir William Millar received from the private medical attendant on the prisoner referred to a letter simply stating that the prisoner had been used to an open-air life, and that he smoked. He made no mention of the prisoner being predisposed to melancholia, nor did he allude to his mental state, but only asked the prison doctor to see whether a moderate use of tobacco would help to keep the prisoner in health. His health being perfectly good, the prison doctor did not consider it necessary to give him tobacco.