§ MR. SAMUEL YOUNG (Cavan, E.)To ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether, considering the number of deaths in the Cootehill workhouse in January, 1904, after medical operations from alleged blood poisoning, the Local Government Board have taken any steps to ascertain the cause of death in these cases; and, in view of the difference of opinion by local experts as regards the cause of these deaths, and that the Local Government inspector reported that it was difficult to assign a direct and definite cause for the outbreak in this case, he will consider the advisability of ordering a sworn inquiry before the guardians are called upon to incur heavy expenditure for structural alterations.
(Answered by Mr. Walter Long.) The Board's medical inspector has already made minute investigation into the cause of this outbreak of blood poisoning. Though he was unable to assign a definite cause for the outbreak he was strongly inclined to the opinion of the union medical officer that the source of infection was in the wards of the infirmary. In the opinion of the Board a sworn inquiry would not be likely to throw further light on the matter.