asked the Minister for Local Government and Public Health whether he will state if the outbreak of typhus fever in the district of Lettermore in 1924 was attributed by the Local Government Department Medical Inspector to infected clothing.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Typhus Fever Infection.
Seán Ua Guilidhe
The occurrence in Lettermullen in the spring of 1924 was not specifically attributed to the cause suggested by the Deputy. There was a history of access to a neighbouring house in which typhus fever had previously appeared and in which suitable protective measures seemed to have been overlooked by the local sanitary staff.
The Minister, of course, is aware that there was an outbreak of typhus fever in Ballyduff area shortly afterwards. The Medical Inspector who was sent down to investigate the matter was the same officer who had been investigating the outbreak in Lettermore. I was Chairman of the Board of Health at the time, and the inspector asked me whether there was much of a sale for imported second-hand clothing in the area. If I mistake not, he told me at the time that he had traced the outbreak in the West to imported second-hand clothing and he stressed the importance of a very careful examination of imported clothing.
If questions arising out of the sale of second-hand clothing are to be discussed here, we had better have them addressed directly to this matter, but in the case of Lettermore, in 1924 the circumstances were that ten years previously a family appeared to have died out as a result of typhus fever. The house was shut up, deserted and ostracised generally. Ten years later, in a neighbouring house, there was an outbreak of typhus. The investigation of it disclosed that some time shortly before the outbreak the deserted house had been entered, the furniture taken from it and used as firewood. The house, which had lain deserted for ten years had been disturbed by persons from the house in which the second outbreak took place. If it is sought to connect that case with second-hand clothing, let us have a more explicit statement of the position.
The medical officer spoke to me about that house and, in addition, told me that to the best of his belief the real cause of infection was second-hand clothing. He referred to the danger of imported second-hand clothing.
If Deputies are interested in what may arise from the point of view of public health as a result of the use of second-hand clothing, I suggest that they should address themselves directly to the question, so that we may know what we are talking about, and know something about the facts, but we are not going to arrive at anything now by discussing what second-hand clothing may or may not do, arising out of typhus fever in Lettermore five years ago, which, so far as the information in the Department goes, was more or less directly attributed to a house being closed up for ten years.
Arising out of the Minister's answer in which he has asked us to address ourselves directly to the question of second-hand clothing——
On a suitable occasion.
Is the Minister aware that his Department, within the last ten days, has addressed a recommendation to the Leitrim Board of Health that all second-hand clothing in the area should be thoroughly disinfected owing to the recent outbreak of typhoid fever in Carrick-on-Shannon?
If Deputies, and particularly medical Deputies, do not know the implication of an instruction to disinfect second-hand clothing that may have been in touch with typhoid cases, I cannot say anything in the matter.
May I point out that in this matter the Minister made light of the whole question of second-hand clothing when dealing with the question on this night week?
I did not. I stated that such regulations as had been brought into force, dealing with the importation of second-hand clothing, are based entirely on our general scheme for dealing with smallpox, and that no case has been made either in the House or by any member of the medical fraternity in the country, whether working under a local authority or not, that there was a danger to the public health because of a possible outbreak of typhoid fever arising out of the second-hand clothing trade. If there are people in the country who think there is a danger to public health by typhus, typhoid or any other discase than smallpox, because of the second-hand clothing trade, let us hear about it.
Dr. Tubridy rose.
This question is quite narrow.
I happen to be medical officer in the area to which this question refers, and I want to ask the Minister a supplementary question——
Dealing with Lettermore?
Yes.
The Deputy can ask that question.
Would the Minister state if he believes that this outbreak of fever in 1924 was occasioned by clothing infected in 1914, and if he believes that the disease could exist in clothing for that period, would it not be advisable to inspect carefully any second-hand clothing coming in?
What clothing?
Clothing that covers people.