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tell the House that the medical man-power position is verysevere.-Commander 0. S. LOCKER-LAMPSON: Why do wenot use some of the foreign doctors who are interned ?-Nofurther answer was given.

M.R.C. Investigation into BagessosisDr. H. B. MORGAN asked the Home Secretary whether

medical officers of his department were investigating an indus-trial lung disease described as bagessosis caused by the inhala-tion of dust from cane fibre or bagesse ; and whether it wasbeing considered as one of those suitable for inclusion in ageneral scheme of industrial lung diseases eligible for work-men’s compensation.-Mr. H. MoRRisoN replied : I havereceived reports on this condition from the medical inspectorsof factories, and I understand that it is now being speciallyinvestigated by the Medical Research Council. Pending thisinvestigation, appropriate action cannot usefully be considered.I am advised, however, that the inquiries so far made suggestthat the condition is not of such a character as to make it suit-able for inclusion in a scheme of compensation on the linesof the schemes for silicosis and other forms of pneumoconiosis.

Nurses RegisterMr. F. MESSER asked the Minister of Health if he would

consider taking steps to reopen the register of nurses to entitlethose nurses who were qualified and had obtained their hos-pital certificates, but were for various reasons not placed onthis register when it was first opened, to the status of a state-registered nurse.-Mr. E. BRowN replied : Legislation wouldbe required to vary the conditions on which nurses can beadmitted to the state register. I will bear the suggestion inmind when occasion arises.

Mr. MESSEB. asked the Minister if, in view of the fact thatmale nurses underwent the same period of training as femalenurses and of the increased scope the profession offered to theright type of man, he would consider their inclusion on thegeneral part of the register.-Mr. Bftowrr replied : This is amatter for the General Nursing Council. An amendment oftheir rules would be required to give effect to the suggestion.

GNC Examinations

Mr.RHYs DAVIES asked the Minister whether he had nowcompleted his inquiry into the decision of the General NursingCouncil to prevent persons from sitting for examinationsunder the auspices of the council without giving any reasonfor refusal; and with what result ?—Mr. BROWN replied : I

regret I have not yet received the observations of the councilon the matter.

In answer to a question, Mr. R. S. HUDSON said: The extentof the increase in the demand for milk may be gauged fromthe fact that the consumption in July last was 40% greater .

than in July, 1939. An increase of this dimension far outstrips the prewar margin between consumption and winter supplies, ,

which can be put at about 20%. A large number of people ’

in this country who before the war were not in a financial :

position to buy milk are now taking their supply. Diet for Tuberculous Patients

Mr. W. S. CLUSE asked the Minister of Health whether hewas satisfied that adequate diet was provided for persons ;suffering from tuberculosis and their contacts ; and would he

’

take measures to assure that these persons should be providedwith extra rations of milk and eggs.-Mr. BROWN replied -: The special dietary needs of tuberculous persons have beencarefully considered by the medical committee, including medical officers of my department, which advises the Minister of Food. Persons with active tuberculosis have a priority right to an extra allowance of milk : but I regret that limita- ..

tions of supply and the necessities of others which have alsoto be considered do not at present permit an extra ration of

(

eggs to tuberculous persons, nor provision of extra milk for their contacts. -

Cost of Vaccination in Glasgow °

TThe amount paid by Glasgow corporation to doctors and 1

medical students for vaccinations performed at the special vaccination stations was £3316. The doctors and medicalstudents were paid by fees on a sessional basis, doctors receiv- ,ing a fee of 31s. 6d., and medical students 10s. 6d. per sessionof 2t hours. (Mr. T. JORNSTON replying to Mr. A. EDWARDS.)

Regulation 33B 1Mr. PETHicK LAWRENCE asked the Minister of Health 1

whether, under paragraph (3) of regulation 33B, a special

medical practitioner could give a direction to a contact toattend a particular hospital.—Mr. BROWN replied : Yes. Itis however open to a contact, on giving due notice, to transferto another special practitioner at any time before the courseof treatment is completed.

Supply of Liver ExtractsMr. ROBERT MORGAN asked the Minister what steps were

taken to ensure the continued manufacture of medicinal com-

pounds such as those involving the use of liver which wereessential for maladies such as pernicious anaemia and stomachictroubles, especially in view of the announcements by normallymanufacturing firms that they could no longer be provided.-Miss F. HORSBRUGH replied : I understand that liver extractis being manufactured in sufficient quantities for the purposesfor which its use is permitted, that is the treatment of per-nicious and other megalocytic anaemias by injections.

MEDICINE AND THE LAW

Metals in a Table Jelly

THE disagreements of expert witnesses have not beenso well concealed from the public that there need be anyhesitation to mention another example. British Fer-mentation Products Ltd. were summoned at Slough forselling a table cream to which substances injurious tohealth had been added. Another charge, namely, sellinga table cream containing zinc sulphate as an added pre-servative, was dismissed without calling upon the defence,the plea being successfully put forward that the prosecu-tion had not proved that the zinc sulphate was added forthe purpose of its being a preservative. The dispute wasover the question of injuriousness to health. The publicanalyst’s findings were scarcely disputed. The samplesubmitted to him contained ten parts per million of lead,28 parts per million of copper, 0-2 part per million ofarsenic, and 1020 parts per million of zinc sulphate. Hethought the proportions of arsenic, copper and lead exces-sive ; as, moreover, the presence of zinc sulphate pre-servative in foodstuffs is prohibited, he considered theproduct injurious to public health. Dr. G. W. H. Town-send and Dr. V. A. T. Spong, medical officers of healthfor Bucks and for Slough, thought the poison ’contentstoo high. Dr. Spong spoke of food-poisoning casesamong children in Slough which might-though there wasno proof of it-be due to eating this table cream. Threeby no means negligible witnessses, therefore, regarded thesubstance as iniurious to health. Dr. Roche Lvnch. onthe contrary, thought that there was not the slightestdanger ; the metallic impurities were trivial and atpresent unavoidable. He agreed that zinc ought not bein food ; here the percentage was high and should bereduced. Dr. John Guthrie Clothier, also for the defence,said the food was not injurious to health in any shape orform, whether consumed by adults or by children. Themanaging director of the company said that only onecomplaint had been received in respect of five millionpackages ; the single package had been accidentallydipped in disinfectant. After hearing Dr. Lynch, themagistrates said they desired to hear no more witnesses ;the charge was dismissed. -

While the public is thus reassured that the company’spackages are palatable and beneficial, it may be puzzledover the discrepancy between the expert opinions. Beinginstituted by the local food and drugs authority, theprosecution had hardly more to do with the Ministry ofHealth than the defence had to do with the Home Office.There was no clash between neighbours in Whitehall.But when he reads of these disagreements among expertson a matter of public health, will not the layman wonderwhat he can believe ?

The Minister of Health has asked all hospital authorities tomake a return of the number of masseurs they employ so thathe may review the distribution of massage staff available forService and civilian needs. -

Dr. M. T. Morgan, medical officer of health for the Port ofLondon, is to act as consultant to the Ministry of War Trans-port on questions affecting seamen’s health.

Mr. J. A. Fielden of Holmewood, near Peterborough, hasleft £105,000 free of duty to the London Hospital. Duringhis lifetime Mr. Fielden had given over £84,000 to the hospitaland his bequest is the largest legacy it has ever received.