CONSUMPTION AND THE RATEPAYER.
[To TEE EDITOR OF TEE "SFECTATOR."] SIR,—Briefly I will place before your readers this case, which is known to me intimately : A working man has been for three years under excellent care at a large Poor Law infirmary. His case was considered and still is hopeless, but through good food and treatment he has lived and is much better. Now the infirmary is overflowing with patients, and his wife must bring him home to-day. " Home" consists of two base- ment kitchens, occupied by his wife, his son aged sixteen, his daughter aged eighteen, and three children under school age. The working members of the family, with sonic Poor Law relief in food, have managed to keep the home together; they are industrious and steady. But the man has been kept for three years at a rate of 10s. a week ; he is still weak, and it is impossible to see what good has been done, unless the prolongation of life itself, if he now must return to crowded rooms and poor food. Above all, there is the serious possi- bility of his communicating his disease at this stage to some of his family. Ratepayers are highly rated in the district to which the man belongs, and it seems unfortunate that local authorities cannot agree to deal sensibly with a case so long kept alive at the expense of a number of people, many of whom are quite poor themselves. As regards the prevention of consumption, what little the public learn is made absurd by the decision as regards this poor man: (1) He is sent to a crowded home with young children, and he is by no means cured, and never will be. (2) If it was worth while keeping him for three years at the public expense well fed and in excellent surroundings, I feel the money expended has either been wasted or he should have been kept longer or passed into the hands of a local authority which has power to help both with food and by inspection ; at least, a separate room should
be secured for him and some plan made for separate washing of his clothes. We beard much of voluntary help in the Poor Law Commission Majority Report. Could there be a better way of strengthening Guardians' bands than by having a Consumption Committee formed in each Borough Council area; the few now at work show what can be done P-1 am, Sir, &c., J. WILSON. 10 South Hill Park Gardens, Hampstead.
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