1812

and resentment which unfortunately were present already.The committee as a whole failed to appreciate a pointwhich Mr. Justice PICKFORD emphasised-namely, that

although charges made against Dr. DOCKRELL might nothave been held by the committee to be proved, neverthelessthere were charges and they were made in good faith andin the supposed interests of the hospital.

Fortunately, as we have observed, the situation which

gave rise to the case upon which we have commented is not

likely to be of frequent occurrence. Differences of opinion,rivalries, and emulation between colleagues must necessarilyoccur even when the staff as a body are strenuously seekingcommon ends, but they are not likely to need the interventionof the High Court of Justice if handled properly in the placewhere they have their origin and within whose walls theyhave matured. The possibility of wilful misconduct justify-ing dismissal, on the other hand, need not be considered untilthe occasion arises. The care taken in the selection of the

staff of a hospital is nowadays considerable. The staff

is chosen from a body of professional gentlemen of knownantecedents, and the selection is usually made with the

assistance of experienced members of the medical professionwho will be the colleagues of the successful applicant.This ensures a reasonable certainty that the appointmentwill be permanent, subject to an agreed limit of time, andto the continuance of capacity to perform the duties of the

post allotted. If any other premature termination of service

should become desirable, owing to any unforeseen condition

arising, this should not assume a form applicable to the caseof a refractory domestic servant, but one consistent with the

dignity of the medical profession and with an occasion of

grave importance both to him whose services are to be dis-

pensed with and to the patients to whom his services havebeen rendered. ’

The National Insurance Act:Introduction of an Amend-

ing Bill.As will be seen from our report of the proceedings of the

week in Parliament, the Chancellor of the Exchequer hasintroduced a Bill to amend the National Insurance Act

in certain directions. The Bill, leave to introduce

which was given on Tuesday last, is a comparativelysmall measure. The medical position is strengthened in

minor ways, but the particular amendments which themedical profession would desire to see are not included.

The amendments will bring into the sphere of medical benefitsome 80,000 more persons, but do not propose to remedyany of the defaults in the administration of that benefit.

Voluntarily insured persons receiving more than C160 a yearare to be excluded from the arrangements for medical

benefit, which is called in party nomenclature a conces-sion to the doctors." We heartily approve of this sug-

gested alteration of the law, though the particular demandmade in this direction by the medical profession is onlya part of our requirements. The 2s. 6d. per head givenin respect of insured persons will be extended to un-

insured members of Approved Societies who were receivingmedical benefit before the passage of the Act. At present

the capitation fee paid in respect of medical benefit for

members of Friendly Societies who are not insured personsis 4s. per annum. A State contribution will increase this

sum to 6s. 6d. The Bill is to be sent to a StandingCommittee after the second reading.

Annotations.

THE CONSUMMATION OF HEALTH MEASURESIN THE POTTERY TRADES.

" Ne quid nimis. "

AN admirable movement has been begun by the jointcommittee of pottery manufacturers of Great Britain which,if it meets with the success which its organisers most

sincerely desire, should ultimately remove a stigma thathas long been attached to the industry. The injury to theoperatives which has been recorded from time to time inconnexion with the manufacture of pottery, involving as itdoes the use of lead compounds or exposure to a dusty orundesirable atmosphere, has been shown in a series of

representations made by the Home Office to be preventable.The difficulty in such cases is to convince the workpeoplethat by taking commonsense precautions for themselvestheir daily task can be freed from many of the sources

of injury to health. Recently the Home Office regulations.have been brought into force for the control of potterymanufacture in this country, so that every manufacturer willbe bound to introduce alterations of various kinds into his

workshops in order to secure the prevention of dust

in dusty processes, efficient ventilation, and the main-

tenance of the place in a clean and healthy state

- fit in all departments, in short, for the operationsof human industry. - It is clear that new regulations.can only be carried out effectively by a thorough-goingcooperation of the workpeople concerned, their leaders,and employers. In spite of past lessons, prejudice is sure toremain which has to be broken down when new measures

are proposed, and the best way to break it down is byeducational methods which include a complete practicaldemonstration of the real advantages of the reforms

proposed. The exhibition recently held at Stoke-on-

Trent, the centre of the pottery district, under the

auspices of the joint committee of pottery manufac-

turers, proved to be a very effective demonstration of

the value of the application of health regulations to

the pottery trade. Furthermore, the operative had an oppor-tunity of seeing for himself the advantages which would thusbe conferred upon him-he was enabled to appreciate that itwould require not a very great personal effort on his partto make the regulations succeed in the object of makinglife in the potteries healthier and brighter. There were

brought together at this exhibition the various mechanicaland other appliances that have been devised for the improve-ment of workshop conditions generally, and the inspection ofthese health-improving devices cannot but have the best

possible influence upon those responsible persons in thetrade who inspected them. The exhibition was not organisedwith an eye to profits at all, but, in the words of thechairman of the committee, Mr. William Burton, M.A.,F.C.S., ’’with the view solely to the better education of

manufacturers, their managers and foremen and the work-people, in the various mechanical and other appliances anddevices that have been invented for the improvementof workshop conditions generally." The response fromexhibitors was an encouraging one, with the result that theexhibition was thoroughly representative of the hygienic