The Sun.
London, England, 1823-10-23 00:00:00

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 23, 1823.

FORUM DI STAR r.

- - - -
DaILY.-411b. of bread, made of such meal as the Committee
may from time to time direct, for every Male Prisoner above
the age of 11) years ; 'and lib. for every other Prisoner.—But
Boys under 13 may liars the full allowance of bread, if the
Chaplain and Governor shall certify at the commence:lau of
the week that their conduct has been meritorious during the
week preceding.
For Breakfast—.l pint of hot gruel or porriige.
For Dinner—.-Sundays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays—Six
ounces of clods, sticking', or other coarse pieces of beef
(without bout, and after boiling) with half a pint of the broth
made therefrom, and Ilb. of boiled potatoes.
For Dinner—Mondeye, Wednesdays, Fridays—Ono quart of
broth for the males, and one pint for the females, thickened
with Scotch barley, rice, potatoes or pease, with the addition
of cabbages. turnips, and other cheap vegetables, and llb. of
boiled potatoes.
For Supper—One pint of hot gruel or porridge.
N.B. Prisoners may reserve such part of the provisions pre-
viously delivered out, as they please, for their supper.
Salt and pepper, as the Committee shall from tune to time
direct.
The only liquor allowed to prisoners in health (except broth,
gruel, or porridge) shall be water.
Prist.ners confined to bread and water diet ftw punishment,
shall be allowed such qnantity of bread as the Surgeon may
think necessary.
Prisoners employed in works of extraordinary labour, or un-
der circutnstances.which may render it necessary, may be al,
lowed an addition to the quantity of their provisions, by the
direction of the Committee.
XrdOtteNrill st--Female prisoners, employed in the wash-
house shall be *Hurled an addition of half a pound of bread and
an allowance of meat on washing days, until the further orders
of the Committee. By Order of the Committee,
A. MACI)ONALD.

PR,ESINT DIETARY.-8111C1 JULY 12124 •
In the lifOnstwo--:-Thret quartiri of 'a
pound 'of bread and
one pint of gruel, for the males t and nine ounces .of, bread
and three quarters of a pint of gruel, for the females
At Notm—Threeluarters of a pound of bread and one pint of
soup, for the males ; and. nine ;ounces of bread and tlitee
quarters of a pint of soup, Ibr Ehe females.
In the EvEnnio—One pint of Jupip for the =deft Itutl three
quartets of a pint for the fenutles.—(Litely gruel has been
substituted fur soup:of an evening for the females.)
The soup to be made with ox heads, in lieu of other meat,
in the proportiecinfottaroxbead for about-100 male Prisoners,-
and the same fur about 120 female prisoners t and to be thick-

ened with vegetables and pease, orbatley, alternately, either
weekly or daily, as may be found, most convenient.
The Committee to substitute, at their discretion, potatoes
for bread, at the rate of one pound of potatoes for half a pound
of bread.

The only liquor allowed to prisoners in health (except broth
or gruel) shall be water.
Prisoners confined to bread and water diet for punishment,
shall be allowed such quantity of bread u the
.urgeou may
think necessary,

Pritioners employed itl. works of unman:Haat,.
labour. or
ender circumstances which may render it riecaliftrY, may be
allowed an addition to the quantity of their previsions, by the
direction of the Committee.

. .
Wardemen, and those employed in the kitchen and bake-
house, shall be allowed half a, pound of bread extre, dellY•
Female prisoner' emetloyeado, jurwir, aließ be ellovred
It
one pouod and a half off 'fired, del e With a doublaallowesce
of aoup'et 03.urter rindsuPpere on. tle dory its which they are
empleyed in. washing, viz. lildudies., Tuesdays, awl Wed-
nesilays.
' AVardswornen 'end those employed in the kitchen shall be
allowed lilb. of bread daily.
The Report of the Physicians, Drs. Rnget and Latham, dated
Bth of April, 1823, sets forth, that the ado .pion of this new sys-
tem was soon followed by a general dEcay of health and
strength, which "hewed itself principally among the female
prisoners. The officers of the Establishment soon perceived
the evils with which the prisoner* were threatened, and it is
in evidence from the journal of Mr. Pratt, the surgeon, and
the untie/oily of the matron, that their attention was directed
to the subject during the whole of the autumn, and the early
'part of the winter. This question was - repeatedly brought
under the view of the Visitors and 31 imaging Committee;
they referred it to the principal medical officer, and acted
upon his opinion.
le is stated in a minute of the 11th of February. 1813, that
the superintending Committee were alarmed at the unusual
degree of sickness among the female prisoners; but it is ex-
pressly declared in that document, that the disease could not
be attributable to any particular cause. It is, however, in evi.
'knee, that the first symptoms of scurvy appeared in a patient
early in January, 1823, and the illness among the prisoners
exceeded greatly the amount of any former year; between that
period and the beginning of February, several cases of scurvy
occurred; sickness wrorgaining ground among all classes of
the prisoners ; and the Committee directed a letter to be writ.
ten to Sir James 111'Grigor on the ilth of February, drawing
hie attention to the prevailing illness, and especially requesting
his opinion of the effecte of the new dietary. Sir Jas. M'Origor
made his visit on the 14th of February, and his report is dated
the 17th of the same. month. It sets forth, " that !teeing seen
the whole of the female, and many of the male prisoners, he
found them not in an unhealthy state ; and from a minute in.
spection of the infirmnries, he ascertained that while the pro.
portion of the sick was small for the season, the diseases were
not, except in a very few instances, of a serious character, and
not attributable to diet or confinement." This Report calmed
the apprehensions of the Committee; and no steps were taken,
either by their order, or under the direction of the principal
medical officer, to ascertain by minute personal inspection, the
bodily health of every prisoner. Within a few days, however,
the citswe so rapidly gained ground, having increased from 53
to 1111 patients, between the 14th and 28th of the month, that
the Committee determined to call in other medical advice, and
accordingly summoned Drs. Roca and Latham to give their
opinion of the nature or the disease, and whether it could be
ascribed to the new dietary,
These Physicians visited the Penitentiary on the let of
March, and found no less than 110 patients in the infirmaries;
viz-4.4 males add 56 females. On the 3d of March they, ac.
imperiled by the principal medical officer, went round the
different pentagons, examined the person of each twisoner ;
andel+, result of their examination was, that out of between
858 and 880 prisoners, 448 were afflicted with disease,. The
report of the Physicians has been laid before the House; and
your Committee refer to it, to, express their approbation of the
clear and luminous statement of the origin and progress of the
disease, and they wish to draw the attention of Parliament to
the manner in which It affected the different sexes, fallingwith
increased severity on those who had suffered long itnpri soa.
went. " With regent to the extent of this disease," say the
Physicians, " we found more than one half of the whole num-
ber of prisoners affected by it, in er) or other, or in all its
forms; but the proportion was not the cams among the pri-
soners of different sexes, or belonging to different classes.
The women were affected much more extensively than the
men ; and of both men and women, the second class, which
is composed , of those who have been longest in confine-
ment, was affected in a much larger proportion than the
first class, which comprises those who have been more
recently imprisoned. Of the women, about two thirds were
ill of the dictate; of the men, rather less than one half. Of
the women in the first class, one half were ill; of those in the
second class, tive.seveeths. Of the men in the first class, above
one-thini were ill ; of those In the second class, rather more
than one half." (a)
Your Committee entirely concur in the opinion expressed in
this Report,- which is further supported by the testimony of all
the medical authorities they examined, with the exception of
Sir James APGrigor, that the main cause of the production of
.this disease is attributable to the new dietary. It is evident
that the situation of the prison could not have occasioned the
disease, for it never appeared before the last winter; 2dly, the
inhabitants of the immediate vicinity were not attacked with
any disease at all similar ; idly, the
.prison is remarkly dry, as
/our Committee minutely examined it and there did not exist
the smallest trace of damp in the building; and lastly, the of.
beers of the prison were exempt from the disease, and all those
who were in the kitchen, and thus had access to a greater ex-
tent of food, were free from all attack. In respect to the situa-
tion in which the Penitentiary is built, your Committee are
unable to form tiny opiniowadverse to its salubrity; it is situ-
ated on a tide river, thus having the advantage or a fresh cur-
rent of air twice a day, and its vicinity is by no mesas coasi.
dered unwholesome.
Your Committee felt it their duty to inquire not only into
the cause of the disease so long prevalent, but also into the
medical treatment of it, and more particularly so in comm.
quencs of a difference of opinioh being held spun this impor-
tant subject by the .surgeotut and physicians they called-before
them. They did not, however, do this from their entertaining
the least suspicion of the talent,Negrnent, and skill of the me.
dical officers of the establishment, Drs. Reget and Latham ;
but when a contrariety of opinion was held upon a subject, in
which the lives of hunireila of human beings might ultimately
depend, who had no choice but to submit to the treatment
which their medicel adviser' might prescribe ; your Commit-
tee considered themselves imperiously called upon to refer the
subject to the best medical authorities the country could pro-
duce ; aceortlingly, a deputation ("at the College of Flip&
dens visited the Penitent dry', and their Report, which
of Drs.his he
re
subjoined,subjoined, sets, in the opinion of your Commutee, the question
Riot rest,
aanndLafutllyto.oirrns the propriety of t

" Whitehall, June 13,11123.
" Sta.—ln rousequenee othe illness which has long pre-
ic, apply, .1 am induced to request
'railed at the Penetentiery, and the.differemees or opinion. which
has been expressed by medical men of considerable eminence,
with respect to the causes of the disorder, and the nature of the
remedies which it is proper
and that you will hare the goodness to
that you will bring the subject Under. the enaelderstion Qt the
4 CAmmuttee for the
College of Phsiciane
purPose ot visit-
move the appointment itif
Wit the Penitentiary, and of reporting to ins their opinion
upon the nature of the disorder which prevails in that ema.
blishment' and Ilion the peobable efficacyhavef O the present course
. " I &.
of medical treatment. ,iSignetl) " li. PEEL."
Sir H. HALronn, ltart''

(frcet;lte.s)t of tht Might rim Seers,.
•
tarp
men"
ielbernlisleamtn,atePalicfaitiirntireilttkitralloF;pil?oeL2at„..Aritlomfiyattine_.Ltiewtcewptoneuiegsunneso:otarsinpshosysied
dans, have visited the„ enitentiary „11filhank, rzimined th,
state of the patients there, heard tnelwenunts given by the ebe.
dirt' attendants, and do report
sub-
mitted to oar itecstig Won, la
wi,ttito riathe
detsim theugitesvrooriottYromot tiyh,ebym,thedeicia,latinenffitirethrCentgotzittivieredor
the foriner stages
,o t4l:filotta_lNZlthot rortonifitshem, that
the disorder bas borne a Wok". !fianicter• Dot lig, halts to
observe, that the patient, al now fire ad'vetteed -towards reio-
very, and that the severer alOPt4" which distinguish dysea-