HC Deb 01 March 1901 vol 90 cc188-9
MR. COGHILL (Stoke-upon-Trent)

I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether his attention has been called to the evidence given before the Arsenical Poisoning Commission as to the similarity of the symptoms of poisoning from arsenicised beer and from plumbism, and that Professors Oliver and Thorpe have reported that beer is largely taken in the Staffordshire Potteries as an antidote to plumbism; and whether many of the reported cases of plumbism in the four last months of 1900 were cases of arsenical poisoning.

*THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE HOME DEPARTMENT (Mr. RITCHIE,) Croydon

Having made in quiry into this matter I find that during the last four months of 1900 three cases reported as cases of plumbism were considered by the Medical Inspector of Factories and Workshops to be really cases of arsenical poisoning, and were excluded from the Returns of lead-poisoning. The cases are always carefully scrutinised for mistakes in reporting, and there is no reason to think there were any other such cases not detected.

MR. COGHILL

Has the right hon. Gentleman received any complaint as to the character of the beer supplied by the local breweries?

*MR. RITCHIE

No, Sir.