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26
who had said nothing about typhus during the illness,
refused to certify the cause of death, and called for an
inquest, because, in some former case, in connection with the
same "Dispensary," I had felt it my duty to express doubt as
to the accuracy of a diagnosis of typhus. A post-mortem
examination was held, and after hearing the medical evidence
the jury returned a verdict of death from "typhus." No
precautions were taken to prevent the disease from spreading,
for even after the post-mortem the father was not informed of
the supposed nature of the illness, and only became aware
of it at the inquest. I communicated with the Medical
Officer of Health for Hammersmith, who informed me there
had not been any case of typhus at the house where the
deceased had resided. I thought it probable the child had died
from brain trouble, e.g., Meningitis, for her father stated that
she was much excited and anxious in connection with an
approaching school examination, and that, until she became
delirious, on the third day preceding death, she constantly
engaged in calculations, recitations, &c. Some of her school
fellows were allowed to see and kiss her body after death,
but no ill consequences resulted, nor did any other case of
typhus occur in the house or locality. This case, as
narrated in my fourteenth report, (December 3, 1883,
page 125), attracted some attention in connection with a question
then agitating the public mind, viz., whether educational
"over-pressure," under the stringent provisions of the new
code, might not be acting injuriously upon dull and backward
children ? It happened curiously enough, that the death of
another girl of the same age, and a pupil of the same school,
was in the same report referred to as having been certified
from "over application to study—Meningitis." The report
was forwarded to the Vice-President of the Council, and I was
informed that an enquiry was made by an Officer of the School
Board, who arrived at the conclusion that the deaths were
not due to "over-pressure;" but what sort of an enquiry he
made, or what were his qualifications for making such enquiry,
or how he arrived at his conclusion, I do not know.