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Haverfordwest and Milford Haven Telegraph and General Weekly Reporter for the Counties of Pembroke Cardigan Carmarthen Glamorgan and the Rest of South Wales

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Roose Petty Sessions.,

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Roose Petty Sessions. THE FURIOUS DRIVING AT I MARLOES. A SCARLET FEVER CASE. 1 nese sessions were held on Saturday in the Temper- ance Hall, before Messrs R. Carrow (chairman), A. W. Massey, Joseph Thomas, W. R. Davies, J. T. Fisher, and \V. P. Ormond. DRUXK IX CHARGE. James Llewellyn, Butter Hill, St. Ishmael's, was sum- moned for drunkenness in charge of a horse and trap on the Haverfordwest and Dale Road on the 7th September. P.C. James said that about 4 p.m. on the 7th Septem- c ber, he was returning on a bicycle and overtook the de- fendant, who was very drunk in charge of a horse and trap. Defendant, who did not appear, was fined 10s and costs. A SCARLET FEVER CASE. Dr Thomas Finney, Tynchaf, Aberaman, Aberdare, was summoned for allowing a man named William War- low, late of the Folly, Roch, to expose himself whilst; sug rir.g from scarlet fever on the road from Haverford- V, CSL to Roch on the 24th August. Mr W. D. George, solicitor, prosecuted on behalf of the Haverfordwest District Council, and Mr C. Kensole, solicitor, Aberdare, defended. The case was opened by Mr George, after which he called Mr J. W. Francis, Sanitary Inspector to the District Council, who produced a direction to prosecute in this case. He had seen Warlow on the 20th July, having received an intimation from the Medical Officer as to the man's condition. He had a conversation with Warlow as a result of which he wrote to Dr Finney, from whom he received a reply admitting that he (Dr Finney) had given Warlow permission to go to the country for the benefit of his health. Witness supplied Warlow with disinfectants. Cross-examined The 20th July was the first occasion on which he saw Warlow. Dr J. H. H. Williams, Medical Officer of Health for the Haverfordwest District, stated he saw Warlow on the 16th July at the Folly, in the parish of Roch. He was sent for as a private practitioner to attend Warlow, and, on going there, he found him "peeling" profusely from scarlet lever and in an infectious state. Warlow told him he had returned home about a week previously. A gland had become intla.mell in his neck as a consequence of scarlet fever, and he was again sent for to open it on the 2(Jth July, when the disease was still infectious. The shortest period of infection was six weeks, and the longest was eight weeks after the commencement of the sickness. It was not proper for the man to travel on the 10th July. Cross-examined: The hands were "peeling" on the 16th July. He did not examine the other portions of the man's body. The first symptom of scarlet fever usually was a sore throat, followed on the second day by a rash, which would disappear on the fourth or fifth day. When the rash disappeared peeling began, and usually in the place where the rash first broke out. Desquama- tion, however, might be delayed to the eighth or the fourteenth day. Scarlet fever was so very variable that he would not like to say that Dr Finney could have discovered desquamation on the third day. Sometimes it was very difficult to diagnose scarlet fever, as people sometimes had sore throat and rash, and yet did not suffer from scarlet fever. He would expect the pulse and temperature to increase on the third day in a case of scarlet fever, as well as to find the characteristic coating Jof the tongue. If a person had sore throat, accompanied by a rash, and no appearance of desquamation for eight or ten days, and, if there were no other aggravated symptoms, a medical man might under certain circumstances be justified in coming to the con- clusion that the person had been angering from & bad cold. In that case, if a medical man had given a certifi- cate that the man was suffering from scarlet fever to safeguard himself there might be a temptaation for the medical man at the end of eight or ten days to hope that it was not scarlet fever, in the absence of any abnormal circumstances. But he could not answer the question exactly, as there were usually so many contributory tiny circumstances. Desquamation might be finished in one or two days in very unusual cases, or it might be so slight as not to be at all observable. To Mr George: Even supposing the desquamation slight or not, there should be six weeks quarantine. If a doctor had a suspicion that a case was scarlet fever he would be justified in certifying it as such, but of course if the case proved not to be such he would naturally revoke the certificate. He would, however, keep the man under observation longer than seven days. Wm. Warlow swore that he was taken ill at Aberaman in July last and was attended by Dr. Finney. He did not I remember the date on which he was taken ill, nor how long it was from it until he saw Mr Francis. It might be three weeks or a month. He was suffering from a cold or something. The Doctor in Aberaman told him it looked very much like scarlet fever and he told Dr. Williams that he was suffering from that disease. He came down from Aberaman about the 10th of July. He asked Dr. Finney could he come home for a week, and the Doctor said he-did not see any reason why he should not. By Mr Kensholc Witness was a collier in Aberaman colliery, to which Dr. Finney was the medical man. He complained of a sore throat and some red spots on his chest when he saw Dr. Finney first, and the latter told him at once to go to his lodgings. Dr. Finney's assistant saw witness the next day and on the third day Dr. Finuey came and saw him again and made a careful examination. Witness felt all right that day, although the rash had not quite disappeared. Dr. Finney said he had sent a note to the medical officer of health. That was about the ord July, and, on the following Saturday, witness asked Dr. Finney to allow him to go home for a week. Dr. Finney refused and told him that he should remaiu in the house for some time longer. Dr. Finney next saw him on the following Wednesday, stripped him and made a careful examination, after which he told him lie saw no reasou why witness should not go home. There was then no judication of peeling. Witness previously had sore throat and rash, which passed away in the course of a few days. His hands commenced to peel some time after he came home, about four days. Re-examiued Witness's hands always peeled when he left off work. Mr George: Then, by the 10th July, when you were out of work for a week and in bed, your hands must have been peeling ? Witness Sometimes it might be a fortnight. This closed the case for the prosecution. Mr Kenshole opened the defence. He said Dr. Fhiuey did not for a moment complain of the action of the District Council, whose duty it was to prevent the intro- duction of infection, and did not desire that any technical objections should be raised. Dr. Finney courted investi- gation into this case. Dr. Finney held one of the highest positions as a doctor in South Wales, being medical adviser to two of their largest collieries, employing over 5,000 men. Mr Kenshole then reviewed the circumstances of the case. It seemed to him monstrous to suggest that a medical officer, without any earthly motive whatever, should allow a man suffering from scarlet fever to come down and associate with his friends. Dr. Finney did not know that the man was so suffering, and therefore there could not be a conviction. Dr. T homas Finney said he had practised in Aberaman for the last seven years, and had heen sieven years in practice altogether. Warlow came to him on the 1st July aud complained of a sore throat. Witness stripped h r o ,-t t. Witiiess stripped ana examined him, found a slight rash on his chest, gave him sortie medicine and ordered him home. Witness again saw the man on the 3rd July, when he found the rash almost disappeared, the throat better, and the other conditions of the man normal. There were no signs of desquamation. On account of the rash being still ou the man's chest, aud as there was scarlet fever in the neighbourhood, he thought it was a suspicious case and reported it to the Sanitary Inspector of the place. He gave the man instructions to remain indoors and saw the man again on the 6th July. He examined Warlow then, found no sigus of desquamation, but refused the man leave to go home, telling him to remaiu inside till he saw him again. The man came to the surgery on the lUth July. Witness once more examined him, found no signs of peeling, and then, coming to the conclusion that he had made an error of judgment in assuming the case to be scarlet fever, he gave the man permission to go home. Cross-examined He had not any experience of any cases in which a period of eight or ten days elapsed before the peeling commenced. After heariug the evidence of Dr. Williams he would not say that the man had not scarlet fever. Witness was extra particular in this case as there was scarlet fever in the neighbour- hood, but, considering the circumstances of the case, he thought it was prudent to allow the man to go home. ]-)r. T; mll"i Wilson agreed that it was exceptionally difficult to diagnose scarlet fever in the .early stages. He considered that Dr. Fiuney had taken great trouble in this case and took the proper precautions, and, if he had Illude an error, they were all liable to such errors. By Mr George: It was quite possible for desquamation to be postponed for a lung time. There was no rule in scarlet fever, but desquamation usually commenced on the fifth day. Xo medical man would wilfully allow a scarlet fever patient to travel. If Dr Fiuney did it in this instance, it was simply au error of j udgment. In reply to Mr \V. R. Davies, Mr Kenshole said he was instructed to say there had been no cases of scarlet fever in the district from which Warlow came. Mr Joseph Thomas announced the decision of the bench. They agreed it was an error of judgment and dismissed the case. 1. 1, Mr Carrow did uot ad judicate. THE MARLON *HvLULS DRIVING. The adjourned case of TIcury rvlwarda, Marloes, who was summoned for furious driving on the 24th August and for drunkenness in charge was catted. It may be re- membered that this was adjourned tor tae atteinlam.e of Miss Hachacl Davies, Trewarren, -is a wituess. Miss Davies attended and was swoni. She said that on the 2lth August she was near Mabb s (tate. She was coming home with her mowing maeliinc, a Go." beiug in charge of it, and she was walking in front wIth her bicycle. She saw a nuui driving very Lt t aUí. she put | up her hand to stop him, b'lt he did not sfoji. SiJO called 1 to her boy to stop the horse, hut one of the men with the approaching cart got down aud stopoed it j ust as it got up to the mowing machine. She did not know who was driving, but all the men in the cart were evidently the worse for beer. IL she had not beeu there, she was certain there would have been itu accident. In reply to Mr W. J. Jones, solicitor, who defended, Miss Davies said that she saw :iot!i;ug th.tr. was iucon-istent { with the defendant's statement that the horse had bolted, but at the same time. she could not say that the men had done all they could to stop U." noise. Supt Francis said he had another wi'nc: to call hut he Was uot yet present. Mr Jonea: I object to this case being put off to the millenium. Supt. Francis I don't know when Mr Jones expects the millenium but it is only five minutes after the half hour now, and the witness has to come from St Ishmaels. The bench decided to wait for the witness who arrived later. Martha Jenkins said she saw:the cart passing by her house on the 24th August. The horse was then walking, but it gave a jump as it passed and Edwards gave it a slap. She did not know whether the men were drunk or sober, as she did not look much at them. Edwards was driving then. Mr Jones submitted that the case was not proved. There was no direct evidence that the man was drunk, nor was there anything to contradict the statement that the horse bolted. Supt. Francis said he would not reply. The bench no doubt remembered how the witnesses for the defence contradicted each other on the last occasion. Mr Carrow said the bench thought the case proved, and fiued Edwards 10s and costs in each case.

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