§ Mr. WILKIEasked the Lord Advocate whether his attention has been drawn to the case of attempted suicide in the Dundee Eastern Poorhouse some five months ago; whether he is aware that the committee appointed by the Dundee Parish Council to inquire into this case expressed dissatisfaction with the investigation of the medical inspector of the Local Government Board; and whether, in view of the above facts and the assertions which have been made against certain officials in the Dundee Eastern Poor-house Hospital as to the treatment of patients, he will institute a public inquiry, under the Local Government Board, to investigate into the assertions made?
§ The LORD ADVOCATE (Mr. A. Ure)In April last the case of attempted suicide referred to was formally reported to the Local Government Board. The circumstances were at once inquired into by the Board's medical inspector, who, in view of the facts then elicited, formed the opinion that the accident was such as might have occurred in any institution, however well managed. The Board was not able to attach blame to any of the poorhouse staff. Two months after the accident, and a month after the death of the inmate, a subcommittee of the parish council was appointed to inquire into certain allegations affecting the poorhouse administration, and, in particular, the actions of the resident medical officer. It is the case that the sub-committee, in their report of 11th August, expressed the view that the investigation made by the medical inspector into the suicide was not so full as the seriousness of the case required, and held that the resident medical officer was to blame. The facts elicited by the medical inspector and by the evidence taken before the sub-committee leave ground in the opinion of the Local Government Board for a legitimate difference of opinion; but, on the 24th of August last the Local Government Board expressed their satisfaction with the adequacy of the sub-committee's inquiry into the various complaints, and, as the resident medical officer had resigned in June, intimated that they did not propose to hold any supplementary inquiry. As the subcommittee has advanced good reasons for 1829 considering that the complaints, so far as substantiated, were all directly or indirectly due to the conduct of the resident medical officer, and, as he has long ago ceased to be a member of the poorhouse staff, the Local Government Board does not propose to reopen the inquiry.