The Express.
London, England, 1866-06-07 00:00:00

DEATH IN THE. CASUAL WARD.

Yesterday afternoon Sir. W. J. Payne, deput
coroner for the City, held an inquiry touching the death
of Charles Ronda, aged 16 years, who died from fever in
the casual ward of the East London Union, New-street,
Biahopsgate. H. Kellaway said that he was superin-
tendent of the casual ward of the East London Union, at
24 and 25, New-street, Devonshire-square. On Saturday
evening the deceased, with 41 others, applied at 8 o'clock
for admission to the casual ward. He was admitted and
bathed, and got ti oz. of bread, and was placed in the
fifth bunk. He was a " beautiful colour," flushed in the
face, and very hot and burning. He kept calling out
"20 a penny, two a farthing," and at 12.20 a doctor
was sent for. He was ordered medicine, and witness left
him in charge of his assistant (a pauper wardsmanl.
Thomas Thomas, the assistant in question, proved that
deceased raved the whole night and died, or was found to
be dead at 4.30. Dr. R. Fowler said that his assistant saw
the deceased during Saturday night. Witness examined
the body after death. It was not well nourished, and the
blood was very feverish. He died from fever jwoisoning—
from typhoid fever from natural causes. The room in
which the deceased hail his bunk was occupied by 16
people, and was only 31 feet long by 13 feet -broad, and
7 feet 6 inches in height. Witness did not attribute de-
ceased's sudden death to the immersion in the bath, but
rather to the bad atmosphere he was breathing. A fever
patient should have from 1,500 to 2,000 cubic feet of
air ; the deceased's allowance was only 250 feet. There
was no ventilator in the room when deceased died, but
two were being now put in. The door was locked. (This
was denied by Kellaway afterwards.) There were no
arrangements made for the sick poor. No stimulants were
kept on the premises, and after the public-houses were
closed none could be got. The state of the ward might be
judged when 16 persons were in it ; the air contaminated
by exhalations from them, and from other causes, and by
the deceased throwing off the fever poison. One man
was attacked with symptoms similar to the deceased on
Sunday morning. The jury, after hearing the evidence ad-
duced, proceeded to inspect the ward in question. It was
found to be an apartment at the top of the house,
en attic. It was clean, but was obviously too small and
ill-ventilated for the safe accommodation of 16 sleepers.
A peculiar heavy odour, only too like that known as the
"ever smell" in overcrowded courts, was very notice-
able. The jury having returned to the Magpie and Stump
Tavern. New-street, where the inquest was held, returned
a verdict—" That the deceased died from typhoid fever
from natural causes ;" and they added that, in their
opinion, only 10 persons, and not 16, should be put to
sleep in the casual ward in which the deceased died.
Kellaway said that the orders of the Poor-law Board were
to take in as many casuals as applied for admission. The
proceedings then terminated.

RAILWAY BILLS IN PARLIAMENT.—Yesterday,
in the House of Commons committees, in group 3, the
further consideration of the South Eastern and London,
Chatham and Dover (London, Lewes and Brighton) Rail-
way bill occupied the whole day. In group 14, the
Midland (Ashby and Nuneaton, &c.), and the London and
North Western, and Midland Counties Coal Fields were
proceeded with. In groups 18, ISA, and 19 the following
Caledonian bills were proceeded with and again adjourned:
—The Caledonian and Scottish North Eastern (Amalga-
mation) Bill; the Caledonian (Cortsorphine Junction), and
the Caledonian (Lanarkshire, Ac., Branches.) The pre-
amble of the Caledonian (Edinburgh Station) Bail was de-
clared proved.
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