The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1819-06-14 00:00:00

DISEASE IN IRELAND.

FIRST REPORT

room THE SELECT COMMITTEE ON TIM STATF.
OT DISIVI.E AND CONDITION OF THE LACOUR-

ING root IS IRELAND.
The %lett Committee appointed to inquire lulu the at it, of
Ireland, at to and bow far the measures, remedial
and preventive, adopted by the Legislature or otherwise
during the NO year, hive been effi'etive for its remneal
or mitigation ; find •1.0 ants the roarlition of the labour.
ing poor of that part of the V piled kingdom, with a view
In facilitate the application of the fund. of private istilivi-
thath and a..nei.t.on., for their employment in awful and
productive lahonr ; and to report their oliservations, to-
teethe,. with their opinion on these 'objects from time to
t'ine to the Home :—Hare, pursuant to the Order of the
ermined the matters to them referred, and have
agreed to the following Report : •
Your Committee have, iii crowdirice with order of
reference, directed their attention, in the first place, to the
esamination of the artnal state of Ireland es it, alt
and th • effect of the Legislative prtivi•inna Moment-1y enact •
es! in 114'13" S'i'in" of Parliam-sit, for the removal or mi.
ligation of that public e thirstily. They now proceed, under
the power intrusted to them, of reporting from lime to time
it en • • °orison, to at de to the House the result of
their isiqiiiries into This the earliest, atthoogh verbal,* not
the most essential or mart d,llieult object uf their sores.
tirtion
lehnors of your Committee as to this branch of their
iiignirv, have been mat, rielly abridged and facilitated by
the judiriiiiis measmee adopted by the Irish Gin ernnieut,
for teeertaining. I. accurate inspection, the actual elite of
those district+ of the several provinces s Isere this epidemic
f. yes had most fatally prevail. ; and they hive been co-
ntd.-it, by the reports of the mart-tilde and inteltigevit mem-
bers of the medical prof... Mon selected to perform this los-
m ine and stainable ditty, to lay befits. the Genre mar.. anti.-
factory ides-elation on phis interesting sohject than would
probably I. tee been attainaliie fiom any other sotures.
The literality of the politic bait, in eompliane • with the re.
consimaidstion of the Commiitee of the last Session, been
continued and increased, in aid of the reliant try rosorilm -
lions for In lief if the diseased. aid it was on every iireontit
moil di sir'ible that the Irish Government • lio hal ,hits
dispeneril the pittilic bounty .bound he enabled to aseeitaisi
the effect., produced by the expenditure of the puh're and
P •
rivate funds Cr attaiiimen! of this great object, under the
proe•sions adonttd by the legislature.
yr or Cortimatn. therefore Layannoessil these ',turns of
Ili - Medical Inspector. as an A !vendor to tilt. Report ;'blot,
with the 'slava accompanying them, will, they are confi•lent,
receive finsin the /louse that serious and considerate at-
tentiou which such &women,. al well &serer ; ard they
venture to add, it without a eel eful p, roast of them, •
very hoot grate opinion v ill be firmed of the extent of the
intensities pressure on the body uf the people, and the grist
Orrinees and meritorions exertiona if the residents of all
therm for relief if the diseased The reports on the
• province's of Monster and Leioster, and particularly the
eities of Dublin. Cork, Waterford, and !lovesick, *here the
shwas, prevailed must estensieely, and ',heir the more
general establishment of f, seer hospital. has afforded the
nouns of more correct information, appear best suited to
elucidate this interesting subject of inquiry.
The Committee emisiiler the Art of hart Session as only
in the conimeneement of dr operation, and cannot fret any
surprise if a comae uf It gather regulations, in some parts
navel, mid enacted unfit. r eireumst mem of severe and cats.
matoir v•s•tation, has in some lost:mere, and especially where
imperfrt tly meted upon, failed to produce an immediate ff.
f. et, or should have been sometimes suisismerived, as to its
tendency and' also oatnre of its provisions this latter obser-
vation they particularly refer ti theenartnients respectieg the
establirlimetit of • Hoard of fleshly, whirl, though guarded
most sernpalously againet any porsib'e allow of those great
powers which emild alone be efficacious in such extrusive
eases as it was calculated to meet, appear to have elicited, in
some parts, unmerited distrust and jealousy; whilst they bare
born acted anon in usher places, Near} in particular, where
they are stated to. have produced the most salutary results.
Your Commit', e bewever consider themselves warranted
expressing • sincere and satisfactory conviction that the
Art ha, beep signally and powerfully elf( clime iu the attain-
ment of its objects through many extensive districts of a
country severely afflicted :Ili rionar•e. The remedial means
pointed wit by the Art, where fully adopted, hare worked
extensive good ; and as they trust they will be still mole
powerfully efficacious as they are muse g Ily acted on,
your Committee consider itself iii a great degree released
front further immediate consideration of that branch of
the subject.
The Reports of all the Inspectors, and accurate infurrna-
lion derived from other most reaper:table individuals, visi-
tor in the necessity of looking to the establishment of mea-
sures for the prevention of disease, sod to ',retiring the pro.
p'e of Ireland ageiost its recurresee and incieare, by a.si-
dim,* PIO regular atteutiuu In cleanliness of the streets tif
the cities and great towns, and ventilation and put ificatioii
of the dwel'ings
In this vier your Conuntivv.e consider it of infinite mo.
event ilea the necessity of local systematic and unpaid con-
trol should be impressed on the iulialvitanta of all t ities tool
great tunas, where the assemblago of large bodies of people
creates those nuisances whirl georrete and increase dis-
ease ; and have therefore sought out the means of calling
lute •ction parochial assistance is perfos nastier of those
(lures, a. hest suited to the object; beitig sellsatislied, that
eppointisients of that nature induce the most salutary and
elliem.uus results of iniir,daal and collective exertion: tat
nu
Case can me look to this exertion with mum eunfideuce.
than 'lieu the health and coniforto uf the community ate tie
question; nor at any time than aloft that community hav-
ing see ',idly f It, auJ still continuing to feel, though in a
limer degree, the fatal Culla. gal.:Ofts of past negligence, of
the said uf such provision, by the visitation of ilisi•S4', will
be disrobed duly to estimate the value of such a regularly
acting mid established system. Violet' such circumstances,
your Committee measure, with some degree of etnifidence,
to recommend certain legi.lative regulatiusis, Citified to this
kaput tant object.
They have also adopted, bat with some doidst ati to its
efficacious practical results, • suggestion, intended to re-
veal the migratiou through the country of numerous lenders
of mendica:.l poor, oho. pressed by tharess and seeking for
relief, have fatally contributed to the g I 4.1f1061410 if
disease. For this evil, to whiels the concurring medical
Report.: of the last and present year mainly attribute the ex-
• tension if the elsordt'r, it is must difficult to devise a re.
mealy, which ri ill not lead, in its etomeqsresices, to Ilse ewe-
blishmen t of a system of Pour Laiss, that, in a country like
Ireland, mould produce incalculable evils to every class of
the community.
The measure which your Committee peeper*, merely goes
to confii in pursers in the Nlagisti sr; which formerly exist-
ed, and so extend them to some et/wreakers ;but to resider
the pecuniary prwrision for the expenses intuited in their
execution entirely dependant on the widish's& y coutributious
of iudiviilualra ner local pilbhie counnumilies.
Your Committee now proceed to ley before the Goose is
detail, the Regulations uhich they feel it their duty to 're-
commend fur the pm poses aforesaid.
1. That in order to provide fur and secure constant and
advonate attention to the health and comforts of the inha-
bitants of Iceland, and the prevention of contagious diocese,
more especially in the cities and great lawns therrof, it ap-
pears requisite, that officers should be annually eleclrl by
the burniehulikra in all cities and great towns coutaiuing
above one thousand inhabitants, and is such of the pa-
rishes of the country as may think proper to adopt • simi-
lar miusare ; • kith officers shall be, during the year of
their continuance in office, intrusted with powers to
direct all shorts and lanes, and yards adjoining thereto, and
homes let in several If:osmosis to mom-harpers, and the
ysids costutzted therewith, to be cleansed, and all nuisances
prejudicial to health to be removed therefrom, mid to clear
public sewers, and Coffer them where necessary, and to till
up
or drain off all lodgments of standing watt r, and to
cause to be dune such wail's fin, ventilation Red fie wig dims
sad cleansing of any bowie in which lover tam Of C 111 rid, awl
site washing and purifying the venom and clothes of his
lobabitants, as shall appear to them indispensably meets.
nary fur the preservative end security of the inhabitants