Lord HENRY BENTINCKasked the President of the Local Government Board if his attention has been called to the fact that nearly 100 children out of the 500 maintained in the Bethnal Green Poor Law School have been suffering from what appeared to be ptomaine poisoning; whether the cause of the illness has been discovered; and what steps, if any, have been taken to prevent a recurrence of the outbreak?
§ Mr. BURNSI have received reports with reference to this matter, and one of my medical inspectors has made personal inquiries into the circumstances. I understand that 124 of the children suffered from what appeared to be slight ptomaine poisoning. It has been suggested that the cause may have been a fish dinner. All the children have recovered. There is no evidence of any want of vigilance on the part of the officers of the school, and I understand that there was nothing to suggest that there was anything suspicious about the fish when it was received.
§ Major ANSTRUTHER-GRAYWas it tinned fish?