100 years ago

“W” wrote: “Is it impossible to introduce by way of effort some scheme whereby the Ouse is not able to claim so many victims?

I value to the utmost the lofty ideal set by our coroner. But the matter should not rest there. There is no doubt ministers of all denominations could assist to a great extent. But if a census of the city were taken it would be surprisingly startling to find how many houses never receive from one year end to another a friendly visit from any clergyman whatever. I do not agree with all Mr Wood says at inquests.

The grace of God will not do all, if we knew this power caused even a vicar to seek its waters to end the miseries of this troublesome world. I think, too, that many of these cases will not hereafter be judged half as harshly as we expect. I do not agree that it is a cowardly act. Mostly, it is at present the only course for a person to take.”

 

50 years ago

Banks, it was suggested, might soon be closing on Saturday, giving staff the benefit of a five-day week, like so many other branches of industry and commerce.

This was fine for bank employees, but what about members of the public? Were they not going to be considered? So far, all that had happened was that the Committee of London Clearing Bankers – which had 11 members, including the “big five” – had announced it was to examine “from all angles the practicability of a general Saturday closing of branches, combined as may be appropriate with other changes in opening hours”.

The details had to be ironed out. However, The Times, usually so well informed about financial affairs, stated: “It now looks almost certain that the banks will soon be closing their doors on Saturday.”

 

25 years ago

American scientists held out new hope of an effective AIDS therapy. They said they had found a possible way of “mopping up” the virus that caused the immune deficiency syndrome.

Instead of infecting and destroying the vital white blood cells that kept people healthy, the virus would be made to “dock” harmlessly on to specially designed lookalike substances. The scientists, at the Genentech biotechnology company in San Francisco, California, described their new approach in the British science journal, Nature.

They said the “designer molecule” substance they had tested in the laboratory was combined with an antibody – and remained active in the bloodstream up to 200 times longer than had previously been possible.