BRITISH MEDICAL ASSOCIATION:SUBSCRIPTIONS FOR i876.

SUBSCRIPTIONS to the Association for 1876 became due on January Ist,Members of Branches are requested to pay the same to their respectiveSecretaries. Members of the Association not belonging to Branches,are requested to forward their remittances to Mr. FRANCIS FOWKE.General Secretary, 36, Great Queen Street, London, W. C..

BRITISH MEDICAL JOURNAL.SATURDAY, DECEMBER 9TH, 1876.

A CRISIS IN MEDICAL EXAMINATIONS.THE rejection of the Conjoint Scheme of Examination by the efforts Of

a reactionary party in the College of Surgeons had been reported withmuch confidence as a foregone conclusion, and those whose wishesfathered the thought had very openly declared that the preliminaryvictory at the former meeting only indicated a decree of rejectioln whichhad been successfully engineered, and was only to be registered on

Friday last. Our energetic protest against such a procedure, if it beopen to the criticism which we are told was very freely inflicted uponit by more than one speaker at the Council on Friday last, of beingcouched in unusually warm terms and extremely plain language, hadat least the salutary effect of startling the members of the Council intoa full perception of the responsibility which they were assuming, and

of the really revolutionary results likely to follow upon their ultra con-

servative resolve to sacrifice the interests of the profession and the publicon the altar of collegiate privilege and to the petty hankering after powerand place. Those who thought that, on a question of this magnitude,and where a great reform was at stake, they could safely indulge thedreams of personal ambition or follow the retrogressive counsels ofpersonal prejudice, were rudely awakened from the vain dream, and a

decisive majority of fifteen to five so completely reversed all previousanticipations, that we believe the most experienced official prophet ofdivisions has declared that henceforth he will never again venture to pre-dict the result of a College debate. If such a forecast is to be madewithout taking into account the force of professional and public opi-nion, it might be as well to adhere to that resolution. No doubt thefreedom and energy with which the leading journal reproduced our

leader of November 25th entire in its columns, and the promptitudewith which it showed its intention to defend the public interests inperil, contributed powerfully to the conversion of the majority, whichbefore the appearanice of our argumenit was tlhouglht secure, into a smallminority. At any rate, we may acknowledge our indebtedness, and,as we think, the indebtedness of the profession generally in England,to the 7imges for the powerful and prompt aid which it rendered by atonce showing that, if the College played false at the last moment, itmust expect to have to justify itself in the open day before the publicas well as the profession.

Having survived so many storms, and dashed to pieces this last andmost dangerously interposed obstacle, we trust that the ConjointScheme may now safely and spee(lily reach its final port. If it do, we

think we can see in the future a vcry satisfactory adjustment of the

question of obtaining a completely satisfactory uniform minlimum exami-nation for England. The signs point to a like result in Irelanid. Scot-land has a much harder nut to crack; but time and patience will pro-bably succeed there also.

Tlhus one important point of medical reform will be carried ; and,since this question seems destined to a piecemeal settlement, we mayexpress the hearty wish that our Medical Reform Committee would

take in hand and bring to an immediate settlemeint, as it has easily the

power to do, the amendment of the penal clautse. The Government,the Genet-al Medical Council, the British MIe(lical Association, allagreed several years ago to a perfectly satisfactory amendment of thatclause, which would make it really effective in putting down a largeclass of quacks who now laugh at prosecutions. This very short andeasy piece of work would confer a great boon upon the profession anidthe public, and would give to this Committee a lasting claim to thegratitude of both.

AN ETHICAL JUDGMENT.THE tone of professional feeling among us is fortunately so high, thatwe are but rarely called upon to lay the particulars of medical disputesand quarrels before our readers; for, even when such private differencesdo arise, it is generally found that the good offices of peace-makingfriends, or the publication of correspondence in our columns, are suffi-cient to softeni dowvn the roughness of irritation and pave the way to a

resumption of official and even cordial relations. It occasionally hap-pens, however, that the wounds are too deep for such facile treatment,or that broad ethical principles are involved, which affect the honourand welfare of tlle whole profession and raise a local question into tiledignity of public interest. MIinor efforts at arbitration having pro-bably failed, the case must be carried to a higher tribunial; and, know-ing the costly and unsatisfactory remedial powvers of the law, we mustlook for our cure elsewhere. And, fortunately, it happens that theBritish Medical Association provides miieans of considerable efficiencyfor the imnpaitial considerationi of all sucli disputed points; alnd that,either througlh its Braniches or by the direct actioni of the Conmmilittee ofCouncil, a jury of specially qualified experts cani be empanelled to dis-cuss the delicate and unwritten law of medical ethics. In recordingan example of the exercise of this important function of our corporatebody, we may express the hope that our members may come to re-

cognise more and more the judicial force and great wave of opinionwhich we can at any time bring to bear on any case of wrong or in-

justice. The value of such a court of appeal in these days, when thegrowing power of arbitration is making itself so widely felt, must besufficiently self-evident; and it is one of the most satisfactory functionsof the Association to assist in extending aid to those of our brethrenwho come to us for such protection or advice. It would, of course, beinexpedient for the most part to give full publicity to the proceedingsof these courts of inquiry, as it must often happen that a satisfactoryresult may be obtained without exposing all the particulars of heated

controversy to the light of day; but now and then such a line of actionis forced upon us; and in the case which has induced us to make these

remarlks, and the facts of which we are about to narrate in briefest

possible form, the onus of publication rests with the Soutth LondonPr-ess, which not olnly printed the decision of the Committee of theAssociation, but added the adverse criticism of the local board ofguardians, endorsed by their own editorial approval. It will be con-venient to assume their report of the original question to be correct,and we will found our statement principally on the printed matter

before us.

The case stated is, that Mr. Pope of Brixton, in the performance ofhis duties as Poor-law medical officer, signed a lunacy certificate for

Eugenic Rogers, who was removed from the workhouse and placedun(ler treatment in the Wandsworth Asylum. Mr. Soper of ClaphamRoad, in the discharge of his duties as member of the boardl of

guar(lians, subsequently visited this patient, and, cominlg to the con.

clusion that she was no longer insane, brought the case under the con-

sideration of the board. At the beginning of the proceedings, Mr.Lloyd, medical superintendent of the workhouse, cleared up a misap-prelhension under whlich he was supposed to have signed the certificate;and Mr. Soper then, statinig that he had taken some trouble in the

THE BRITISH MEDICAL YOURNAL. [L)ec. 9, I876.756

matter, proceeded to denounce that document as " unjustifiable",''abominably weak", and to express his decided opinion that II it wasprobable it had made the girl a lunatic". His denunciation elicitedthe approval of the board; and some of the guardians took the oppor-tunity of making various offensive insinuations against the medical pro-fession, both on this and on a subsequent occasion, when Mr. Popetried in vain to justify his line of conduct before them. The fact ofthe undoubted insanity of Eugenie Rogers was amply confirmed byMr. Chance and Mr. Collambell, independent magistrates, and subse-quently by the Commissioners in Lunacy; and Mr. Soper was reluc-tantly obliged to confess himself to have been in the wrong as to the factson which he based his denunciation. Mr. Pope, however, having beenunable to obtain any apology or expression of regret, and having beenpublicly accused not only of direct instrumentality in consigning a per-fectly sane girl to a lunatic asylum, but of having actually caused herto become insane, naturally felt aggrieved, and, on our advice, laid thewhole case before the Council of the Metropolitan Counties Branchof the British Medical Association. The Council, being incompetentto act in consequence of Mr. Soper not belonging to their Branch,remitted the matter to the Committee of Council, who appointed threeof their most experienced members to draw up a report. These gen-tlemen, after prolonged and anxious consideration, adopted the follow-ing resolutions, which were fully endorsed at a subsequent meeting ofCouncil." i. That MIr. Soper should not have commented in the terms he

did upon the certificate at the board of guardians." 2. That Mr. Pope was fully justified, as confirmed by the approval

of his certificate by Mr. Chance, Mr. Collambell, also a magistrate,and the Commissioners in Lunacy, in certifying to the insanity ofEugenie Rogers: and that Mr. Soper was not justified in giving theguardians the rmpression that there had been any negligence in thematter.

" 3. That Mr. Soper has, therefore, acted unadvisedly, and shouldexpress his regret in writing to Mr. Pope.

" 3. That a copy of Mr. Soper's communication to Mr. Pope shouldbe sent to the Chairman of the Board of Guardians of Lambeth."Here we might have hoped for a termination of this unpleasant

affair by some expression of regret on the part of Mr. Soper forhaving, intentionally or otherwise, cast aspersions on the professionalcharacter of Mr. Pope; but, unfortunately, he refused to retract, andexplained his conduct as being dictated by the oft-maligned name ofduty: a statement which may palliate, but not excuse it. He statesthat his strictures were made in entire ignorance of the fact of Mr.Pope's name being attached to the certificate; and that, as his line ofaction was rendered necessary, in his opinion, by due regard for theinterests of the guardians, he must beg to tender his resignation ofmembership of the British Medical Association. Nor is the boarditself backward in its expression of opinion; for, in three resolutionswhich have been forwarded to us, it assumes the principle "that itappears to this board detrimental to public interests that a MedicalAssociation should subject a member who may lhappen to be a guardianto pressure to compel him to retract opinions which, in his publiccapacity, he may have felt it incumbent on him to express, and whichhe has given utterance to without malice an(l simply as a matter ofpublic duty". This deliverance calls for no special comment on ourpart. We do not expect the guardians of South Lambeth to under-stand the true meaning of professional courtesy in such a matter, andwe can all understand their line of conduct; but we hold Mr. Soper tohave been entirely in the wrong throughout. Assuming freely that no

personal considerations actuated his line of conduct, it is amply evidentthat he owes some apology to the entire profession for venturing,without the most absolute proof, the insinuation that any of its mem-

bers could knowingly consign a sane girl to a lunatic asylum. Suchaccusations may win a little brief popularity among a certain class of thepeople, and especially among the guardian class; they are, however, sure

to recoil in the end on the head of the originator. Mr. Soper would havedone well to withdraw every shadow of such imputation, and to showsome indication of neighbourly spirit towards Mr. Pope, whom he hadmaligned, by apologising for the annoyance and professional discreditwhich his remarks were calculated to inflict. As the matter stands,we hold that Mr. Pope has proved his case, and that the Subcommitteeof the Association have given a righteous judgment, which the pro-fession at large will fully endorse,

THE ARMY MEDICAL DEPARTMENT.IT will be within the recollection of our readers that we did not sharethe anticipations of those who expected brilliant results from Mr.Hardy's "short service scheme". Like many other plans of re-generation, it was rather one-sided, and seemed to require theexercise of the possession of an unusual array of cardinal virtueson the part of the professional public, without offering any returnfor so much self-sacrifice. Faith must be largely present to ac-cept the too often broken promises of warrants; hope to gild thefuture with glittering expectation; charity to impute no motivesto any man. All past grievances were now to be swept away; ster-ling merit and honest hard work were henceforth to have their duereward; and those unselected candidates whose services appearedsuperfluous at the end of ten years might be seen in the far distancegaily pocketing their fi,ooo and invoking blessings on the heads oftheir official benefactors. Peace and plenty must naturally lead tocontentment and good-will, and a happy and united department mightat last reward the sanguine efforts of the Secretary of State for War.

Could this charming idyllic scene have been realised in any measure,no note of congratulation would have been more emphatic or sincerethan our own; but scarcely had the flourish of trumpets with which thecurtain drew up subsided, than we felt it our duty to protest againstwhat we believed to be an ill-digested measure and a specious attemptto win back the rapidly waning popularity of the Army Medical De-partment on a basis really intended to promote economy while osten-sibly designed to redress grievances. We were not alone in the warningwhich we uttered on that occasion; and, in the press and the lecture-theatre, pen and voice concurred in the verdict which we had unhesitat-ingly given. The worst predictions have now been fully fulfilled. Atthe first examination for candidates under the new system, we find thatfifty vacancies can attract but thirty-three applicants, that competitionis now a farce, and that the general average of marks is much behindthat of former years. We see that the present increase of pay, withthe terminal bonus, can be made to weigh but lightly in the balanceagainst the loss of the certainty of a life-career and the probability ofbeing once more cast on the world, with lapsed opportunities, disap-pointed hopes, and broken health. We see that once more the re-cruiting sergeant is spreading his lures; advertisement proclaims theneed of more surgeons; but we would most earnestly warn intendingapplicants very carefully to discuss the question in their own mindsbefore committing themselves to army medical service under itspresent conditions. We can hardly conceive any position more drearythan that of a young man now joining the medical staff at one of ourlarge military stations, homeless, friendless, with no social position,and quite unrecogniised in any way as belonging to the regiment towhich he may be temporarily attached. In former days, the medicalofficer was well treated, cordially received, and found himself, underall conditions, the associate of those with whom his lot was cast; andbitterly may he draw a contrast with the evil times upon which he hasrecently fallen. An incomplete and partial unification, whilst re-moving mucls of the comfort and tz5estige from the surgeon's life, hasgiven him nothing in exchange. Condemned, as he now is in manycases, to live out of barracks, he finds hiis lodging-money insufficient,his meals dull and solitary, his professional work frequently restrictedto the monotonous manipulation of drv returns and forms. Attached tono mess, and imbued with no feeling of esprit de corpS, we can hardly

THE BRITISR MEDICAL _70VRNAL.Dec. 9, I876.] 757

THE BRITISH MEDICAL _OURNAL.expect that much zealous interest can be taken by him in the unvaryingroutine of his colourless existence. Ifhiis regimental positionbe gone,

we cannot find that his dignities are increased in any other direction;for not only is he considered unwortlhy to hold military command over

his own orderlies, buit heavy responsibilities in the way of stores have

been laid uponhim, for which anly compensating advanitage may be

looked for in vaini; and, should his views nothappen to tally inevery respect with those which now reign supreme at WhitehallYard, and should any remonistrance be risked, we may wvarn such

audacious spirits of the existence of suclh a thing as half-pay withouthalf-pay, an(d of a now too well known means of asserting absolute

authority.To those who like this picture wve wvould say,"B3y all means give

up your prospects of a(ivanicement in civil life, and rally round(I themili-tary standard". And, slhouldI war unihappily he forcedl upon us, patri-

otism would induce us to give this adlvice in all sincerity; but, shouklpeace continue to guard our shores, then let us frankly tell our younger

brethren that the solution of the difficulties of the Army Medical De-

partment rests mainly with themselves. Mr.IIardy tells us that hehas now given up trying to please the doctors, and we can, therefore,

expect no more concessions from him. Let the supply of candidates,

however, continue to fall short, and the victory is ours. We can then

arrange our own terms, and either go back to the old regimentalsystem or demand unification proper, which is, no doubt, best adapte(dto the requiremenits of this advancing age. One thing, however, is

certain, and that is, that dissatisfaction nows reigns supreme; that sus-

picion and mistrust and disappointment are daily gaininggroulnd; an(dthat the oil recenitlylpoured oni the troubled waters proves to be enii-nently vitriolic in quality. The short service system hbas failed, an(dsomething must be done before very long if we are to retain an Army

Medical Department at all.

TIIE CASE OF TIIE MILITIA SURGEONS.

THE year is fast drawing to a close, and with it the time when militia

surgeons will have to elect whether or not they will place their names

on the departmental list. At the meeting held on November 14th,of which wehave reported the resolutions, a diversity of opinion arose

as to the best course to be pursued in the matter, and a number of tllesurgeons seemedl inclined to enrol their names under the new war-

rant, believing that by so doing they would not endanger any claims

they might have for compenisationi on account for loss of emolumenltsthrouglh the formationi of the depot centres. Some of those surgeons who

had had experience in War Office promises, pointed out that the

words, any claims t'^ mi ay consider- th,y may ha-e", was very far from

an acknowledgment of tucir just claims by the War Office; and the sur-

geons wlhose regimenits had already been remove(d to depcot centres,

were able to spealk feelingly of the loss of some £200 er annuviistill there were some who hoped that the Parliamenitary promises of

Mr. Hardy to consider cach case on its own merits might be relied on,

and that it might be wvise to send in their niames for the " depart-

mental list" under the new -t- ive. These hopes lhave, however, re-

ceived a finial blow.We quiote fronm a letter datecl November I5th, I876, from the Finan-

cial Office, War Office, signed Jolhni AMilton. "I am directedl by Mr.

Hardy to acquaint you that, after a very careful investigation into the

claims preferred by the surgeons of militia generally, he regrets thathe is unable to discover sufficient grouinds to justify Ihim in slubmittinigto Parliament a vote for the grant of compensation for aniy reduction

they may have sustained in their emoluments by the adoption of the

measures lprescribcd by the recent Royal waryrant."The Secretary of State for War therefore distinctly repudiates the

prolimises made by hiimself anid by his pre(lecessor Lor(d Cardwell, toinquiries from imd(livi(dtoal members of Parliament an(I to (ftiestions inthe I-louse, oni which occ.asion the aniswer has ailwtys b)een, tltot " eaclhcase should be consi(lere(d oni its own. mnerits'. Eaclh claimii that lhas

been submitted to Mr. Hardy has hitherto been summarily dismissedwithout even a shadow of the promised consideration.

It is a well-known fact that the Government fails to secure, for thletwo services, a high class of candidates, or even enough of one class;and surely, summarily and without compensation, to deprive men ofprofessional standing in their respective counties of the emoluments ofregimental appointments worth, in several instances, between £200and£500 a year, aud which a large number of them have held fortwenty years or more, is hardly the way to place the Medical Depart-ment oni an improved footing. The adjutants of militia regiments hiad1the option of retiring under the Act of MIarch 1875, providing a pen-

sion of ten shillings a day, or of accepting the new terms ; and whlyshould not an Act of the same nature be passed in favour of thle sur-

geons? We fail to see the reason ; we also fail to see what are thea(lvantages whlich militia surgeons are asked to embrace under the niewWarrant ; tliere is, to be sure, tlle rank of a lieutenant-colonel, but" all is not gold that glitters".To sumn up the matter, we would advise all militia surgeons imme-

diately to send in particulars of their income to the Society of MilitiaSurgeons, basing their claims for compensation upon the amount ofincome and length of service; and to postpone accepting the new

Warrant until the Committee has met again, and resolved upon thecourse of action to be adopted with a view of obtaining a reversal ofthe present decision, either from the War Office or from Parliamentitself. The battle will be a hard one to filht ; but militia surgeonis are

brouglht much into contact with Parliamentary Members an(d witlLords- ieutenant, and(I others having influence, wlhich can he made

available. This question will have ultimiiately to be fought in P'arlia-ment ; and eaclh surgeon slhould take an early opportuniity of securingParliamentary support and interest, in eaclh Ilouse, for lhe redress ofthis manifest grievance. The assistance of the Parliamentary Commit-tee of our Association has been invoked, and we feel sure that it Nvill hevery rcadily and actively given ; but the militia surgeons must helpthemselves, and the sooner they begin to do so the better will be theirchances of ultimate success.

PARASITIC OR\GANISMIS IN TIlE LUNGS INSMALL-POX.

REFERENCE has been made by Dr. Braidwood and l\Ir. 'Vaclier, intheir report on Contagion in course of publications in the JOUIRNAL,to the observations of Cohn, Hallier, and others, oni the presence

of parasitic organisms (micrococcus variolce) in the skin in cases ofsmall-pox. M. Ivanoffsky, Prosector to tlh- Medico-Chirurgical Aca-demy of St. Petersburg, has publislhed in the Cent-albltat fur dlieMedicinischzen Wissctsclhaftent for November 4th a paper il whiclh lhestates tlhat, in the necropsies of fourteen cases of variola (luring the lastthree years, the lungs in eight containied small scattered niodules liketlle foci of acute catarrhal pneumonlia. They were firm, redI or gr-ey incolour, and larger than a pea, amid were founid in no great number in tllelower lobes. Mlicroscopic examination of the red nodules showed themto consist of the pulmonary alveoli filled with cells like white blood-corpuscles, lying in a thick nietwork of coagulated fibrine. MIanv of the

pulmonary alveoli also conitainied a large number of red blood-cor-putscles; anId rather frequently there were also seen lar-ge roulld or

pcolygonial cells witlh a tturbi(d gramiular protoplasm-detached and(I (le-generate(I epithelium. l hle capillary vessels of the alveoli wvere mliuchdlistended atnd filled vitlh blood. TIse connective tissue aroullnd the

vessels contained scattered cells in various quantities.In the grey nodlules, the minute blood-vessels wvere mostly emipty;

the alveoli were filled withi exudation, as in the folnerciase, )ot the.cell-clemlcnits l)resemlte(l evi(lenit signs of retrograde change. hleley wcreol)aque, granular, with indistinict outlinie, and containced many fat-granules; they lay in a finely granular mass, the prodluct of (destructionof if i,iie. Otlher alveoli, again, wei-e altist eiitirely filled with i ei ,

granular dele!irts, with almost no trace of cells. Oin micro-chelmnical

758 [Dec. 9, I876.qk-

THE BRITISA MEDICAL 7OURNAL.

examination, it was evident that the detritus consisted of albuminousand pigment granules, with very fine fat-drops. The remaining parts

of the lungs presented more or less advanced stages of cedema and

hyperaemia; many of the alveoli contained detached epithelium-cellswhich had undergone granular degeneration.The foregoing description applies to the appearances observed in the

peripheral part of the nodules. In their central parts, some of the

alveoli were found to be filled with very fine homomorphous globules,refracting light rather strongly, either pressed together without order,or occasionally arranged in short chains. They either filled the entire

alveolus, or only fillcd its central portion, the ouiter part being occupied

with granulation-cells and red corpuscles. They were found both in

the red and in the grey nodules; in the latter, they became especiallydistinct after the addition of acetic acid, which produced no change in

tlhem, while it dissolved out most of the granular products of disinte-gration. No obvious change was produLced in them by ether, alkalies,or other ordinary reagenits; nor by colouring matters, except iodine,which coloured them dark red or light blue. They were, therefore,regardecd as identical with the organisms (micrococcus variole) de-scribed by Cohn, Hallier, Klebs, and others, as being found in vario-lous lymph in the skin and in internal organs.

M. Ivanoffsky regards the exudation into the alveoli, the granularinfiltration, anid the extravasations, as indications of reactionary inflam-

mation around the parasitic foci. The presence of the parasites in the

pulmonary alveoli, but niot in the lung-tissue itself, leads him to con-

clude that they must have been initroduced from without, tlhrough theinhalation of air char-ged with the variolous poison. This beingassumed, the nodules woul(l represent p)rimary foci of infectioni, quiteanalogous to those pro(luced by inoculation oni the skin.

WE hcar on good authority that Dr. Charles West has beenl unani-

mously selected as the President-elect at the Obstetrical Society.

NOTICEs are out of a" vacancy in the medical staff of St. George'sHospital, due to the resignation of Dr. Johln Ogle.

WF, have the official authority of the Secretary of the Admiralty forstating, that their Lordships are now prosecuiting an inquiry into thecauses of the outbreak of scurvy in the recent Arctic Expedition.

AT Bra(dford, this wveek, Hezekiah Thorntotn was fined /io andcosts for having assume(d the title of a legally qualified medical prac-titioiier.

TIIE man Rogers, wlhose ai-rest wvas effected in conisequence of theletter of Mir. Larkin l)ublislhed in a recent number, was committed for

trial this week.

WE under-stand that Queen Charlotte's Hospital lhas been ternpora-rily closed, in conisequence of an outbreak of pulerperal fever amongthe inmates.

A SERIOUS outbreak of typlsoi(I fever lhas occuirre(l at Coggeshall,Essex. As many as twenty-three cases are reported. The cause issaid to be impure water.

A DFsrATCII from St. Petersbu-rg says that the Porte has notifie(dits compslete adliesioni to the Geneva Coniveintion is regard to treatment

of sick. and(I wound(le(d in time of wvar. Tre Turkish ai-mies, however,will substitute the Crescenit for the Rte(d Cross.

A MlriN of chiemiists awl( drug-ists was lheld last week uiidicr tlheauspices of the Early Closing Associationi, to consider the qulestion ofclosingo, thcir shops early in the cveniiiw-. Thl-ee r-esolultiolns onl thesubject were adopted, and(I it was suggreste(l that mnedical meni mightrender valuable aidl to tlle Early Closinig MIovemcnt by writing theirprescriptions early. We do niot precisely uniderstand the meaniing of

this suggestioni.

759

WVE are very gladl to be able to state that Hlis Royal IHighnessPrince Leopold is nearly convalescent from the troublesome sprain and

consequent swelling of the kniee-joint, from which he hlas been latelysuffering.

THR Metropolitani Asylums' 13oard has resolved to prepare for an

anticipated small-pox epidemic by increasing the accommodation atStockwell and HIomerton Hospitals, and by erecting wards at Fulliamand Deptford for three hundred and fifty patients.

TiIE Grocers' Company lhave contributed the sum of £300 towardsthe expenses of the Seamen's Hospital (late Dreadnoughit), Green-wich: a more than usual liberal donation even from this wealthycompany.

Ar the last meeting of the Carmarthen Town Council, the medicalofficer attributed the existence of typhoid fever in the towni to theexhalations from the sever ventilators. This must, we imagine, bedue to defective construction of the sewers, and imperfection and pro-bably insufficiency of the sewers; since efficient ventilation of sewers ismore likely to prevent than to cause typhoid fever.

AT a meeting of the Council of the Metroprolitan Hospital SundayFund, held at the Mansion House, under the presidency of the LordMayor, it was determinied that, of the sum collected in June last for thisfund, L23,827 shoulcl be given to sixty-nine general andl special hos-

pitals anid four institutions, andl /2,275 to forty-five dispensaries.

M. IIAYENI has recently laid. before the me(lical societies of Parishiis view of the actioni of ironi in, anPLemia. He believes, from experi-mental research, that it causes the blood-corpuscles to become chargedwith a larger amount of colouring matter, and this, not merely in thecurable anemia, but even in cachexia; where, the organism being ex-

hausted, the production of red-corpuscles is almost entirely stopped.

TIIE Association of Surgeons Pr-actising Dental Surgery has commencedits second sessioll unider very prosperous circumstances. rile Associa-tion numbers already forty-four memnbers, all dental surgeons with the

exception of tlhree. The discussion at the last meeting wvas wortlhy of

any of the older suirgical societies ; anid we see no reasoni to doubt that

the Society will fulfil its object of putting the dental department of

surgical practice on its right footing, and of tending to strengtlhen the

hanids of those who wish to see dental practice drawn more aisi( more

into professional lines.

RFEPORT tells strange stories of the singular vagaries of choice of anlattendant in the case of II. R.II. the DuchIess of Ediniburghl. The

aplpointment, it is stated, w as first offered to a well-known younig sur-

geoni who is guilLless of ac(luaintance witli the obstetric departmentof the professioni, and only fell inito the highly competelnt hand(Is of the

physician ultimately selected after a singular series of events. Nothalf of the currenit reports oni suclh subjects canl, of course, claim

credit; but that wlhich is wcll vouched is this hiistot-y is stranige andclamusing enough.

M. 1)E ]BLEYME communicates (Ljont AL'fcical, November 22nd) a

very interesting note of ani epi(lemic of pemphigus among the infantsof the hoipital at Limoges. Onie was a case of pomphsolyx solitarius,wlhich proved fatal. Tlhe epidemiiic occurredl (lurinig a perio(l of greatlhcat.

A r the recent Italian Mdedical Congress lheld at Turinl, Dr. Cottagliaraised a discussion oni " obligatory medico-lcgal denuiinciationis", atnd

pointed out the evident contradictions of a code whlichi onl the oniehand imposes oni the plhysician the duty of secresy, andl on the otherthe (luty of denunciation. Dr. Fournier, at the HIIpital St. Louis,I'Iris, ill a lecettie on ntirses anid nurslin.gs, r-eceittly treate(d of a

simnilar contradiction its thle French code. We are not asvare that any

Dec. 9, I876.]

760TH BRTS MEIA 7URA.De.9186

such difficulties occur in this country, where on both subjects we areunfettered by any special legal code, and have the less difficulty inreconciling our duties as citizens with our duties as practitioners ofmedicine.

THE, use of anmesthetics in labour appears still to be in its infancy inFrance; and M. Blot communicated recently to the Societe de Chi-rurgie, as a sort of novelty, two cases of primiparous labour in whichrigidity of the os was overcome, and the use of forceps facilitated, bythe administration of chloroform: a proceeding, it might be thought, ofsuch commonplace utility as hardly to be worth communicating to alearned society.

AT the same Society, M. Nicaise related two cases of hemiplegiasupervening upon strangulated hernia, and raised the question ofcausation by reflex influence. M. Verneuil mentioned cases of graveand even fatal pneumonia occurring in the same connection; and MM.Lannelongue and Perrin were also of opinion that there was heresomething more than coincidence.

M. HALMA GRAND has published an interesting thesis (Delahaye,Paris, I876) on a subject which Garrod has brought into prominence-the frequency and peculiarity of progress of saturnine gout.

M. GENEVOIX has published a thesis (also chez Delahaye) whichtreats of the very interesting subject of the variations of urea and uricacid in the diseases of the liver. Basing upon observations of M.Charcot, M. Bouchardat, M. Brouardel, and others, and upon his ownobservations, he concludes that benign disorders of the liver-thosewhich do not seriously attack the parenchyma of the liver, such as, forexample, icterus and hep~atic congestion-increase the amount of ureaexcreted; while the graver affections of cirrhosis, acute atrophy, cancer,cysts, abscess of the liver, etc., diminish it very considerably.

THE TRAINING SHIP "CORNWALL".TYPHOID fever has again broken out on board the sclhool ship Corn-wall, off Gray's. We regret to hear this, as the autlhorities of the shiphave done all in their power to avoid such a misfortune. If they arewise, they will ask the Government to grant them the use of anothership, as the Cornwzall itself cannot be healthy, and it is too old towarrant them in going to any further expense.

CIESAREAN SECTION.AT the meeting of the Medical Society of London on Monday last, thediscussion on Dr. Edmunds's case of CTsarean section was resumed.The discussion was chiefly directed to the question of suturing the uterus.Drs. Routh, Heywood Smith, Grigg, Rogers, Galabin, and others,joined in the discussion, and a diversity of opinion was manifested.The discussion occupied the whole evening. The subject of the non-alcoholic treatment of the case was but slightly touched upon, thepatient being a bright lively Alsatian, and one for whom no stimulantsseemed to be required.

OBSTETRICAL SOCIETY OF LONDON.THE Society's rooms were filled on Wednesday night to witness Dr.Roussel's demonstration of his apparatus for the performance of directtransfuslon from vein to veini in the livinig subject, wvhich has beenalready exhibited at the Royal Medical and Chirurgical Society andelsewhere in London. At the same meeting, Dr. Langdon Down reada most interesting, instructive, and suggestive paper on the ObstetricalAspects of Idiocy. He proved statistically the great preponderance ofidiocy among first-born children, and laid great stress upon the fact ofsuspended animation at the time of birth being an important factor inthe production of idiocy. The use of the forceps, contrary to whatwas often believed, was not an important factor in the production ofbrain-disease; in only three per cent. of the cases observed had forcepsbeen employed. After a most interesting discussion, the Society ad-journed.

THE MEDICAL BENEVOLENT COLLEGE.THE following letter has been addressed to the Council of the RoyalAMedical Benevolent College at Epsom.

"Gentlemen,-My desire in writing to you is to express the deepsense of gratitude I feel and owe to Epsom College, and particularlyto Dr. Carr and the supporters of the 'Carr Scholarship'. The lastfour years of my school days were spent at Epsom as a Foundationer,and while there I received an education enabling me to pass wellthrough the Lon(lon University matriculation. I was then fortunateenough to obtain the 'Carr Scholarship'-a scholarship instituted bythe benevolence and kind heart of Dr. Carr-that has enabled me toobtain a qualification (M. R.C. S.) I strongly and very favourably con-trast my position and chance in life now with what it might have beenhad it not been for Dr. Carr and the College, and by this you mayjudge of my appreciation of the benefits received. Will you do methe honour to add my name to the list of the life governors of thesaid College, and accept the sum enclosed of ten guineas ?"

THE ROYAL SOCIETY.

THE anniversary meeting of the Royal Society was held on November30th. The President, Dr. Hooker, in his address, gave a summary ofthe work of the Society, as carried out by the Council during the yearthen expiring, and particularised the subjects most worthy of attention.He adverted to the long-pending Handley bequest of nearly £6,ooo toform a trust-fund for scientific purposes; the late R. C. Carrington'sbequest of £2,000, Mr. Dircks's of £878, and the bequest by SirCharles Wheatstone of £500 to the Donation Fund founded by Wol-laston for scientific purposes; the munificent gift by Mr. Jodrell of£6,ooo for the " encour3gement among our countrymen of original re-

search in the physical sciences"; and the proposal of the Governmentto add by way of experiment, during five years, £4,ooo annually to theyearly grant of £i,ooo whiclh the Society administers for the Treasury,chiefly in " providing investigators with instruments and assistance".As regards the £4,000, recommendations are to be made to the LordPresident of the Counicil, which may occasionally include "personalallowances or grants of money". Dr. Hooker explained the course

taken by the Council of the Society in the matter of the VivisectionBill, and their " earnest remonstrance" against "the admission into thestatute-book of a principle essentially antagonistic to the progress of allnatural knowledge". The Copley Medal was delivered to the foreignsecretary of the Society, for Professor Claude Bernard of Paris. A

Royal Medal was taken by Sir Wyville Thomson, chief of the scientificstaff of the Chzallenser.

HABITUAL DRUNKARDS' LEGISLATION SOCIETY.

THis Society, which has sprung out of a Committee of the BritishMedical Association, was started in September last for the promotionof legislation for the control and cure of habitual drunkards. It has,we are glad to see, made considerable progress in its organisation, andnow bears upon its prospectus a very influential array of supporters.The Earl of Shaftesbury is President; among the Vice-Presidents are

the two archbishops, and several bishops, deans, and noblemen, andthe Society is supported by members of Parliament and of representa-tive men from all classes. The Executive Committee have had theadvantage of high legal advice upon the subject, and have occupiedseveral long sittings in considerinig a tangible basis for legislation.The resolutions which they have a;greed upon have beeni placed in pro-fessional liands for the embodiment in th)e draft of a Bill, which willreceive the fullest consideration. It is hoped that, by the time Par-liament meets, a measure will be ready for introduction, which willcommend itself to the medical support and the public in general.They also hope to succeed in obtaining a member in the House ofCommons who will undertake the charge of the Bill. The extensivenotice which has been taken of this movement by the press generallyis a proof of the deep interest which has been awakened in the publicmind, and this is finding its natural vent in numerous publications,among which may be mentioned a paper recently read before theSocial Science Association, by the Honorary Secretary, on the neces-

76o THE BRITISH MEDICAL _70URNAL. (Dec. 9, 1876.

Dec. 9, 1876.] THE BRITISH MEDICAL rOURNAL.

Sity for legislation, an(d the iiew story, [Whto's to Blame ? tlie exponentof the theory of irr-esponsibility. There is also in the press, a workby one of the leading metropolitan justices, wlhich will contain muchvaluable information inl regard to the criminal branch of the questioni.

A NOVEL DANGER.

MR. JAMIES GREENWOOD calls attention to the very common and dan-gerous practice of obtaining novels from the circulating library for theuse of invalids recoverinig from infectious diseases, and returning themwithout their being properly disinfected. We do not know whetherthe full extent of this danger has ever occurred to Mr. Mudie, but it isno doubt a rather serious one. It might be obviated by establishing" an invalid's library". Meantime, it may be well to warn the good-natured friends of suich invalids, that the practice of returning suchnovels into circulation in this unguarded way exposes them to a penaltyof £5, and that proprietors of a library are not, we imagine, altogetlherfree froni leg,al responsibility, if it can be shown that they are the con-scious accomplices of the act.

COFFEE-TAVERNS.AMONG the most hopeful means of arresting the sp;ead of drunken-ness amon, the working classes, is the provision of places of refresh-ment where other than intoxicating drinks can be obtained at a cheaprate, and where something of the same sort of warnm and comfortableenitertainment may be had in the evening1 as the ptublic-house bar andthe gin-palace now seductively afford. A preliminiary meeting for thepurpose of promoting the establislhment of "coffee-taverns" in themetropolis was recently held at the lhouse of MAr. Ernest Ilart, 59,Queen Annie Street, XV., anid a company h.0s now been formiiedI for thepurpose, undler the title of the " Coffee-Taverns Company, Limited",of which Mr. T. HIughes, MIr. Pope, Mr. Ernest Hart, Mlr. Barnard, andDr. Norman Kerr are directors. Mlr. Cowper-Temple, the Duke of West-minster, Mfr. Backhouse, M.P., Mr. Elder, Miss Stirling, Dr. AndrewClark, Dr. Symes Thompson, Dr. Heywood Smith, and maniy otherpersons of consideration, have offered their support to this undertaking,and upwards of a thousand pounds have already been promised in sub-scriptions. It is probable that the new coffee-taverns will be modelledvery much after the plan of the highly successful cocoa-houses startedin Liverpool by Messrs. Colville and Capper, of which fourteen arenow in active, useful, and profitable operation, having sprung intoexistence and popularity there in little more than a year.

SOCIAL INCENDIARIES.RED-HOT philanthropists are not always the best friends of humanity;and society has often suffered a good deal from the wild schemes ofenthusiastic crotchet-mongers for the redress of imaginary wrongs.The prospectus of one of these projects lies before us. It calls itself"The ZifYmanitarian Society of Great Britain". The projector hasbeen reading some stray reports of inquests and other cases of hard-ship, such as unhappily are always to be found in a complex societylike. that in which we live. He has worked hiimself into a state offrenzy over this mass of outrage andl cruelty, and fortliwith lhe feels ithis duty to write a prospectus. First of all, as miglht be expected, hewrites to the papers upon the Vivisection Bill, believing that " vivisec-tion has been proved by the highest authorities to be not only inhiJntanand szperyfuous, btt ntter-ly zuorthlless and unreliable for the pui:poses ojscience". This alone would show sufiiciently the childisliness of thewlhole affair; hut he goes on to collect a number of cases of " grossiniiunanity" in hospitals, workhouses, and prisons. They are alamentable array of imbecilities. One young woman had1 to wait for ahospital doctor; another man wvas asked to "wait his turn" before hecould be treated for an accident; a third, who was a teetotaller, wasordered "to take plenty of wine and stout", and, when he refused todo so, was somewhat curtly told he was a fool. We have also prisoncases, such as. the following, which is harrowingly described as " moreintolerable than the Inquisition in its worst days". " W. R., a strongyoung man, nearly six feet in height, and weighing over twelve stone,

was sentenced to forty days' hard labour for assaulting a constable.Oni his release, he was met by his fricnids, who threw a great coat overthe fimiiiishedl franme of their companion. After some refreshment at aneighlbouring tavern, a cab was called to take him home (presumablybecause he was unable to walk); and, on his arrival, he was found tobe dead." Next comes a hit at the " so-called Charity Organisation",in the form of a reprint of the exploded case of the woman who,at the very time when that Society was voting her ample relief, andthat in full time to extricate her from her difficulties, went off in aweak moment and pawned her employer's shirts. There is no need topursue the recital of these absurd parodies of humanitarianism. Nonebut the class of people whose sympathy runs away with their judgmentwill be likely to join the proposed Society. But it may be worthwhile to point out to projectors like this enthusiast, that there is a graveresponsibility attaching to such wild attempts to disturb the publicmind. Half a dozen crazy people may do more lharm by raising aspecious cry on such questions as vivisection, for example, than twentytimes their number of fully informed and sensible men can cure. Letanly man imagine the chaos that would ensue if these projected humani-tarians could roam at will, as this paper proposes, through hospitals,workhouses, and prisons, fomenting insubordination and applaudingdisorder-hampering Science, Charity, and Law in their best work byworrying complaints and meddling obstruction; or the deluge of fraudand menidicancy that would follow their plan of searching for promis-cuous distress in order that they may there andt thent relieve it; or thejubilationi among the criminal classes at their attempts to stop thedreaded treadmill anld afford assistanice in all harslh though legal SchoollBoard prosecutions. One is almost tempted to wish that society hada strait wvaistcoat for this species of moral incendiary. These so-calledhtunanitarians remind onie of the fanaticism of the middle ages, whenthe prevalence of the black death was ascribed to the poisoning ofwells by the heretics.

AN IJSEFUL FUND.

TILE Committee of the Guest Hospital, Dudley, report thankfully amunificent donation of /,2,350 given by the family of the late A. B.Cochrane, Esq.; and as the objects of the donation are very judiciouslyand minutely selected, our readers will, we believe, feel interested inreading the following paragraphs from the letter by which it was accom-panied. "We have now the pleasure to submit the following proposalto you, that the sum of £2,350 shall be forthwith vested in Trustees,and form a fund to be called ' The late Alexander Brodie CochraneMemorial Fund'; and that the annual income to be derived therefromshall be appropriated and devoted to the following objects, such objectshaving in view the primary welfare of poor patients in the Guest Hos-pital, Dudley: (a) The payment or appropriation of small sums ofmoney to assist poor persolns, patients in the Guest Hospital, in gettingor in providing them with suitable clothing and other necessaries onleaving the Hospital; (b) To assist such poor persons by providing orpaying for cabs, fares, or other conveyances for them when leaving theHiospital, to take them to their homes or destinations; (c) To assistdeserving nurses in the Guest Hospital, either with money or tickets toenable them to improve their health by visiting for a limited period awell organised sanitorium at the seaside or elsewhere ; (d) The con-tribution or subscription of sums of money, varying from five guineasto fifty guineas, to well organised sanitoria or convalescent institutionsat the seaside or elsewhere, with the object of obtaining ticlcets of ad-mission of patients to such institutions, such tickets to be given to andappropriated exclusively for the poor patients or deserviing nurses ofthe Guest Hospital, the poor patients at all times having the preference;(c) The selection of the poor persons or deserving nurses referred to insubsections a, b, and c, to be made by the medical officers of the GuestHospital or the WVeekly Board, as the trustees may from time to timedetermine. 2. If and when it shall appear to the trustees for the timebeing that the fund cannot, by reason of a change of circumstances orfrom any other cause, be well and usefully applied for all or any of the

Dec. 9, I876.] THE BRITISH MEDICAL '70URNAL. 76I

762 THE BRITISH MEDICAL JOURNAL [Dec. 9, 1876.

objects above-mentioned, the trustees to have the power to devote theprincipal and income of the fund to the primary or other objects forwhich the Guest Hospital was founded." The report of this very useful

Hospital states that "seventy-three operations have been performedduring the year with the remarkable result of only two deaths, seventy-one being either cured or relieved. Considering that thirty of thesewere formidable operations, the results are highly satisfactory, showing,we believe, as low a rate of mortality as ever has been recorded at anykindred institution."

PRESCRIBING DRUGGISTS AND OTHER ILLEGAL PRACTITIONERS.THE East London Medical Defence Association has now successfullyinstituted fourteen prosecutions, and it is at present engaged in severalmore. We should be glad to see a Defence Committee of like activityattached to all our Branches. Three successful prosecutions of un-

qualified persons were carried out last week in Glasgow by the Pro-eurator Fiscal. One man named Chalmers pleaded that, althoughwithout a diploma, he had gone through his whole curriculum; theother, that he had recently come from America, and was a poor manwith a large family; the third, that he had considerable experienceas a " hospital orderly" in the army. The sentence in each of the caseswas £5 fine and a like amount of expenses.

DRY PREPARATIONS.FOR preparing rapidly bones and ligaments for museum purposes, Dr.L. Frederick (Bulletin de I'Acad. Royale de Belgique, June I876) re-commends that after the soft parts have been taken away, except theligaments, the preparation be washed in water, dehydrated by alcohol,and then plunged into essence of turpentine. After two or three days'maces'ation in this fluid, the skeleton is placed in the position in whichit is designed to keep it, and dried in the air. In drying, the bonesand ligaments become beautifully white, and the whiteness increasesas time passes. The same process gives less satisfactory results formuscles. For a parenchymatous organ, on removing it from the tur-pentine-bath, Dr. Frederick plunges it into melted wax or paraffinduring half an hour to two hours, till the bubbles of turpentine haveceased to pass off. When withdrawn and cooled, the piece resemblesa wax model, but is far superior in its minor details: the colour of theorgan persists.

A HOMCEOPATHIC AUDIENCE."A CHAIR of Homceopathy" was inaugurated in the University ofBuda-Pest in October I875. Six persons, according to the WienerAligemeine Med. Zeitung, constituted the audience; but before thecourse was concluded they had all deserted the benches.

DRUNK OR DYING.THE Holborn Board of. Guardians object to the frequency with whichpolicemen bring to the workhouse persons who are merely drunk.The police are quite right to be careful in these cases; but if theyhave no right to take a difficult diagnosis into their own hands, so alsothey have no right to impose it gratuitously on the workhouse doctor,whose duties are already more than sufficiently onerous and underpaid.In any case of doubt, they should summon the police-surgeon, whoseproper function it is to decide, and who receives a proper payment forthe purpose.

A NEW FOUNDLING HOSPITAL.IT would be interesting to know what lies behind the following ad-vertisement. " The New Metropolitan Foundling Hospital for thePrevention of Infanticide, now so prevalent. A nobleman, of thehighest rank and character in the country, has generously consented tobecome governor of the above proposed institution, on condition thatother gentlemen of equal reputation will also act as governors. Thosedesirous of assisting, will address C. Nicholls, 33, Essex Street,Strand." Foundling hospitals are very apt to become the instrumentsof wholesale infanticide, and the means of social demoralisation. On

this subject we may refer to the Report of the Select Committee ofthe House of Commons on "The Preservation of Infant Life". Themethod of " getting up" the proposed new charity does not highlycommend itself to our apprehension.

SCOTLAND.DR. PIRRIE, Professor of Surgery in the University of Aberdeen,

has been appointed an Honorary Surgeon to the Prince of Wales inScotland.

WE understand that the Faculty of Physicians and Surgeons ofGlasgow have lately established a lectureship on subjects connectedwith medical science. These subjects may lie within any part of thedomain of the medical science, whether scientific or practical. Theappointment of the lecturer is vested in the Council, to whom thefullest latitude is allowed in the way of selection. We believe that itis the desire of the Council that the lecturer should as far as possiblebe selected from gentlemen who have been working in some specialfield of investigation. The sum of fifty guineas is allowed as an

honorarium for the lecturer.

ROYAL COLLEGE OF PHYSICIANS OF EDINBURGH.THE following were elected office-bearers of the Royal College of Phy-sicians of Edinburgh for the ensuing year at a meeting held on Thurs-day, November 30th:-President-Dr. Keiller; Vice-President-Dr.Robert Paterson; Council-Dr. Paterson, Dr. Peddie, Dr. MatthewsDuncan, Dr. Rutherford Haldane, Dr. G. W. Balfour, and Dr.Douglas Maclagan; Treasurer-Dr. J. Alexander Smith; Secretary-Dr. John Wyllie; Curator of Musezum -Dr. T. A. G. Balfour; Libra-rian-Dr. G. W. Balfour.

UNIVERSITY OF EDINBURGH.THE Principal of the University of Edinburgh, as convener of theacting Committee for the buildings' extension scheme, has received acommunication from the Secretary of the Goldsmiths' Corporation ofLondon, intimating that the Court of Assistants of that corporation hadvoted a sum of £5oo to the scheme, and forwarding a cheque for thatamount. We understand that the Government are at present consi-dering the request made to them for a State grant, and that a reply isshortly expected.

GLASGOW WESTERN INFIRMARY.

THE second annual meeting of the contributors to the Western Infirm-ary, Glasgow, was held on Thursday week. It appeared from the reportthat in the course of the past twelve months the out-patients had num-bered 7,808, while 1,767 had been treated in the house. Of these last,1,014 had been cured, 132 dismissed as incurable, 137 died, and 178 wereleft in the house; this latter number being exactly the average dailynumber of in-patients. The ordinary income amounted, in roundnumbers, to £Io,ooo, which was exceeded by the expenditure to theamount of nearly £1,500. The following legacies were reported:from the trustees of the late Mr. James Baird of Cambusdoon, £2,250;of the late Mr. Black, Villafield House, Barony, £2,000; of the lateSir James Campbell of Strathcathro, £I,000.

CHARGE OF FRAUDULENT CERTIFICATE.Two young men, Arthy and Dearden, were tried at the GlasgowSheriff Criminal Court last week on a singular charge. It was allegedthat Arthy had defrauded the examiners in Arts of the GlasgowFaculty of Physicians and Surgeons by personating a medical studentnamed Southern in the preliminary examination, and thus obtainingfor him the certificate necessary for entering upon a medical course atthe Andersonian University. Arthy and Dearden were charged withentering into a similar conspiracy on behalf of the latter, who is also amedical student. After hearing evidence, the jury found the firstcharge against Arthy not proven, and in the second case returned averdict of not guilty.

762 THE BRITISH MEDICAL _70URNAL. [Dec. 9,1I876.

De.9 861 TH RTIHMDCA ORAL 6

GLASGOW MATERN ITY HOSPITAL.IN the Annual Medical Report of the Glasgow Maternity Hospital,prepared by Dr. Tannahill, it is stated that 293 patients have been

treated in the institution alnd 937 outside, in all 1,230, during the pastyear. The number of indoor cases was somewhat below that of the

previous year, while those outside had increased. This change was

attributed to the removal of streets inhabited by the lowest class

through the operations of the Improvement Trust, combined with the

establishment of maternity wards in .the various poorhouses. Onlyfive deaths, or less than one-half per cent., had occurred in connection

with the hospital during the past twelve months. It was stated thatthe existing buildings, which were never intended for hospital pur-poses, had been found inadequate; and it was urged that better accom-

modation should be provided as soon as possible.

IRELAND.

Tile Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, thc Duke of Ahercorn, at a fare-

well reception last week, conferred the honour of knighthood on twomcmbcrs of our professioni, onie of whom is a member of the Associa-

tion. The Lord Mlayor of Dublin, Dr. George B. Owens, a member

of the Court of Examiners of the Apothecaries' Hall, and of the RoyalDublin and Natural History Societies; and Dr. William Miller, the

Mayor of Londonderry, Surgeon to the Derry Infirmary, are the

recipients of this honour from her Majesty's representative.

AT a special meeting of the Corporation of Londonderry last week,Dr. William Miller was elected Mayor of Derry for the third time insuccession.

UNIVERSITY OF DUBLIN.

THE University intend to present an address this week to the Duke of

Abercorn, in connection with his resignation of the Vice-royalty.At a meeting of the Senate held last week, a grace was unanimouslypassed, that the honorary degree of LL.D. should be conferred uponSir Redmond Barry, President of the University of Victoria, Australia.Sir R. Barry was an alumnus of Trinity College, and has been iden-tified with the Victoria University since it was opened; he is also oneof the trustees of the Victoria Library, which has cost /Ioo,ooo.

CRIPPLES HOME, BRAY.THE foundation stone of the new wing of this institution was laid lastweek by Lady Georgina Hamilton. The Home was established abouttwo years since, principally by the exertions of Mrs. Sullivan, theLady Superintendent, and who was formerly connected with the Ade-laide Hospital, Dublin. About fourteen inmates are maintained atpresent; one hundred applications for admission having been refusedfor want of accommodation. The cost of the additional wards will beabout /3,000, of which two-thirds has already been obtained.

THE IRISH CONJOINT SCIHEME.BESIDES what we mentioned last week, we may also add some furtherparticulars concerning this proposed scheme. It is intended that theExaminers in each Court shall be appointed in equal number by eachof the three Corporations; the Examiners consisting of three in eachof the following subjects, viz., Arts, Botany and Materia Medica,Physics and Chemistry, Anatomy, Physiology, Medicine, Surgery,Midwifery, and Forensic Medicine; that no Examiner shall hold officelonger than three years in succession; and that no member of the Com-mittee of Reference, or any person engaged in private tuition, shall beeligible as an Examiner. After payment of the expenses of the Profes-sional Examinations, the surplus remaining will be divided betweenthe Colleges of Physicians and Surgeons, three-eighths to the formerand five-eighths to the latter Corporation. The candidates who havepaid the necessary fees (thirty-one guineas), and have passed the ex-

aminations of the Conjoint Board, will be entitled, without additional

payment, to the Licences of the College of Physicians and College ofSurgeons, provid(ed that the candidates shall have complied with theregulations of the respective bodies. As Trinity College does notshare in the distribution of the surplus left, after deducting the ex-penses of the examinations, it is arranged that her graduates and under.graduates in Arts shall be admitted to the Professional Examinationson payment of fees sufficient to cover the expenses of the examina-tions, viz., one guinea for each subject of the previous Medical Exa-mination (four guineas), and to the final examination on payment offive guineas; such graduates and undergraduates not to be entitled tothe Licences of the Colleges of Physicians and Surgeons without anadditional payment of twenty-one guineas. The scheme, if carriedout without an alteration of fees, will involve a diminution in theemoluments of the teachers of anatomy and surgery; and the Commit-tee are of opinion that this result should be guarded against by fixingthe fees in Anatomy and Physiology and in Surgery at five guineasfor the first course and fouir guineas for the second.

EXPOSURE OF SMALL-POX PATIENTS.AT the Dublin Policc Court last week, two persons, husband and wife,were charged for having removed from the Cork Strect Fever Hos-pital, contrary to the wishes of the hospital authorities, their child,aged four years, who was suffering from small-pox, and exposing it inthe streets to the danger of the public health. When the prisonerswere arrested by the police, the child was returned to the hospital, andthe parents taken into custody. The child was absent only a fewminutes from the hospital, owing to the precaution taken by Dr. Atkins,resident medical officer, who gave notice of the matter to the police,otherwise the consequences might have been very serious indeed. Theprisoners were fined £5 each, with the alternative of two months' im-prisonment, and, being unable to pay the fine, were removed to Grange-gorman Prison. The twenty-sixth clause of the Public Health Actgives power to any justice of the peace, with the consent of the hospitalauthorities, to order any patient, suffering from a contagious or infec-tious malady, into hospital, provided that such patient has no properlodging or occupies a room in common with others; but, very stupidly,whoever framed the Bill did not give power to the hospital authoritiesto detain him or her-a mistake in a very important Act, which shouldbe remedied without delay.

RATHMINES WATER-SUPPLY.THIS flourishing suburb is supplied with canal water, but a large num-ber of the ratepayers are at present trying to obtain the introduction ofthe Vartry water. They have had an intervitw with the Dublin Water-works Committee; and we understand that a supply, adequate forRathmines and Rathgar, can be obtained for about sixpence in thepound on the valuation. The Commissioners are not willing that thepurer water should be obtained for the township; but the ratepayers'committee have arranged to call a public meeting in the Town Hall, tolay the matter before the general body of ratepayers and inhabitants,when such steps will be taken as may be considered advisable.

PATHOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF DUBLIN.

Ar the first meeting of this Society for the present session, held onSaturday, November 25th, the following were elected officers. Presi-dent: Thomas Hayden, F.K. Q. C. P. I. Vice-Presidents: J. T. Banks,M.D.; Sir Dominic J. Corrigan, Bart., M.D.; Samuel Gordon, M.B.;Edward Hamilton, M.D.; George H. Kidd, M.D.; Robert McDonnell,M.D. Couizcil: Anthony H. Corley, M.D.; Henry G. Croly, M.B.;George F. Duffey, M.D.; Arthur W. Foot, M.D.; Henry Kennedy,M.B.; James Little, M.D.; Thomas Evelyn Little, M.D.; Alfred H.McClintock, M.D.; Benjamin George MacDowel, M.D.; John MalletPurser, M.D.; William Stokes, jun., M.D.; James H. Wharton, M.B.Honorary Secretary: William Stokes, jun., M.D. Secretary andTreasuirer: Edward H. Bennett, M.D. Secretary for Foreign Cor-respondlence: Robert D. Lyons, M.B. It was announced that thesubject selected by the Council for competition for the Society's GoldMedal-to be awarded to the best essayist at the end of the session-was " The Pathology of the CFsophagus".

- 763THE BRITISH MEDICAL .70URNAL. #Dec. 9, I876.]

ROYAL COLLEGE OF PHYSICIANS.

THE Lectures for 1877 will be delivered at the College, Pall Mall

East, on each of the following Wediiesdays and Fridays at five o'clock-Goulstonian Lectures: Dr. Lauder Brunton, "On Pharmacology, andits Relations to Therapeutics", February 23rd, 28th, March 2nd-

-Crooniauz Lectures: Dr. J. BraxtonHicks, "Oni the Difference be-tween the Sexes in relation to the Aspect and Treatment of Diseases",March 7th, gth, 14th-Lzuileian Lectures: Dr. George Johnson, "On

the Muscular Arterioles, their Structure and Function in Health, andin Certain Morbid States", March i6th, 2ISt, 23rd.

These courses of Lectures will, by arrangement with the authors, be

printed in the forthcoming volumes of the BRITISIh MIEDICAL JOURNAL.

UNIVERSITY OF LONDON.

THE Crown has nominated Mr. George Busk, F. R. S., as a memberof the Senate of the University of London, iu the vacancy caused bythe death of Dr. Sibson. The nomination is one wlhich will be gene-rally approved of by the graduates.

ON Wednesday, the Chairman of Convocation formally presentedto the University of London, on behalf of a nunmerous body of sub-

scribers, a full length portrait of the Chanicellor of the University, theEarl of Granville, painted by Mr. Richmond. The arList has beenvery successful, and the portrait is one which will be valuable as an

excellent likeness of the highly esteemed Chancellor of the University,and as a work of ait.

GENERAL MEDICAL COUNCIL.

WE hear that the Branch General Medical Council for Eniglanid are

likely to have some trouble over their refusal to register the honorarydiploma of M.D. recently conferred oni Surgeon Eustace, I. N., for hisgallant conduct in the Ashantee expedition, by the Queen's Universityin Ireland. Some indignation is felt, inasmuch as in some notableinstances, on a prior occasion, honiorary degrees conferred on leadingmembers of the British Medical Association by Trinity College, Dublin,were registered without question. In that case, however, the registra-tion was, it is alleged, permitted in error, and in contravention of the

law, which gives no power to the Medical Cotuncil to register any de-grees except after examination.

VOLUNTEER SICK-BEARERS.

IN response to a circular issued by Major Burgess of the HonourableArtillery Company, and Mr. A. Maclure, jun., of the London ScottishRifle Volunteers, a preliminary meeting was held on November 3rdfor the purpose of considerinig the means of organiising, in coninectionwith the Volunteer Force throughout the kingdom, a corps of trainedmen for the aid of sick and wounded in the field. A number of medi-

cal officers of Volunteer corps were present.

Surgeon-Major MOORE, Instructor to the Army Hospital Corps,said that he had been requested by Major Burgess to make a

few remarks on the subject. He had been responsible for thetraining of the army hospital corps for two years, and there have

passed through his hands upwards of six hundred whom he had endea-voured to train. He had also had some war experience in the expe-

dition to Ashanitee and elsewhere. He said that in modern warfare,the organisation required to assist the wounde(d consists of two institu-tions--tlhe field hospital and the sanitary detachment, or the " bearer'sdetachment". In the field hospital are surgeons, hospital orderlies,boxes colntaining stores, and necessaries of every sort for housing thewounded and sick. In the sanitary detachment are those employed inmoving the sick, and appliances such as stretchers, mule-litters, etc.,to carry the wounded off the field. By the sanitary detachment thewounded are moved from the place where they fall to the hospital in

the rear, and there they are attended to until they can be removed to

their homes. The attendants and the surgeons of the field hospitalsand those in the sanitary detachment are different, and have differentduties. A very small knowledge of medical matters is sufficient forthe man who removes the wounded man from the field; but the know-

ledge that the hospital orderly requires is of a muchl superior or(ler.If the volunteer service wislh tolhave a ho:-pital departmenlL like thatof the regular army, they miust have these two institution-s, field hos-pitals, and sanitary detaclhmnents or bearer columuis. It would, hethought, be impossible for the volunteer service to organise field hos-pitals. It takes six montlhs' training to make a miiao available forhospital service ; it takes onily a molnth to make an attendant suitablefor the service of a sanitary detaehna-ent. Voluilteer officers could nlotspare the time necessary to getup a field hospital, nior could voltuniteersoldiers spare tlle timiie for so long a training as service in the fieldIlhospital would require ; and, ifthey could, would not he wiliing to gothrough what is necessary. On the other hand, the sanitary detachi-menit would inot require more thlan a montlh of training to mi-take themfit for use. The training of those whlo serve as bearers needinotoccupy longer than a mnonth, and, with initelligenit indiViduLals, there isno reason wlhy a sufficient number coil'l not lbe trLiiied. It is nleces-sary that a imani should knowx his (Irill, squadl (dril!. ancn the ordliniarycompany drill lie also is required to know the formnation of fours, thetrainiiiig to use the sthethlers and(I load the carriages followss exceedinglyrapidly, anid there is nio reason why in onie mouth tilhy shouldJ not befairly inistructe(l in the art of remoY1vingr thle woullded. ieICtihought tl.hatthe training should be at the training school at Alderslot, appliancesof every description laeing there, atnd inlstructors in abundance. If theinstruction could niot be giveli there, it could be given at the regimnentallepots ; anid there nio individual could traini imien so well as the surgeonof the regiment. If the medlical officers are prepared to undertake thetraining, they themselves require to have a certain trainingti in the firstinstance. Tlle medical mian wlho sets about the task imiust himselfunderstand the preliminary naovemcints to eniable himl to put the meninto training on the field. It would be necessary for tlhemii to undcler-stanid the technical exercise, to put the meni through the drill in additionto the squad drill. If the volunteer officers Nvould undertake thesedcuties-alnd lhe saNw nio reason why they shouldiliot do so-they would bein a positioni to renide'r an- important service to tLic country. The corpsolnce establishedc must be kept uip in tlhe traininig, whliclh is almost asnecessary as the original traininig. They have to learn thie way toapply triangular blandages and lalster of Paris moulds. If the medicalofficers cannot spare the time to learn the drill, tlheni the onily otlhermetliod to carry ollt. the movemntent is to send(l regular miedical officersto assist the voluLnlteer medical olficer ii tihe training. lIc did niot tlhilnkany efficient system could he undertaken unless in the way he hadldescribed.

Captain LANMIBTON YOUNG didl not think there could be aniy doubtthat it was perfectly possible to organise in connectioil withi the volun-teers a body of men who vould he of imnmense assistance in case ofwvar. But he did lnot think it wvould be possible to orgaiiise a corps ofitself for this special purpose. Every regiment ought to have drilledand organised twenty nmen to work entirely under the surgeonis. IHethought the surgeonis wouild have to go to Aldersliot first. The hos-pital was the last thing to be thotuglht of. AMany had spoken to himabout a veteran team, but the War Office set their face against that.After a man- had served a certain numnber of years, wlhy niot let himi gointo an ambulance corps of twenty or thirty meni set apart for thatparticular purpose, with a badge, anid certaini privileges?

MIajor BURGESS said that the idea was to keep those trained assick-bearers witlh their regiments. They could not do better than takesuch men as Captain Lamlrton Young hald described as "veterans",and strike themn off regimental duty, and let thlem be unider the medicalofficers who would learn the preliminary rules of drill, and tlle properway of drilling the ambulance men. Then the whole of these melnwould be trained on one system, an(d whlen the regiments met togetherin brigade, the bearers would work under their owni surgeonis, or asordered. With regard to hlospitals, he did not thinik the volunteerscould enter into anything of the sort. They were liot supposed to berequired to serve out of this country; ancl there were plenity of hospitalsat home. It ought to be possible to raise two men from each companyof volunteers throughout the kingdorn, so as, in a shoort time, to lhave3,500 trained " sick-bearers".

Surgeon-Major MOORE stated, in reply to a question, Lhat it wouldtake not much less than one monith, provi(dedl aliat the surgeon wereacquainted with the preliminaiy drill. This was indisperisable. Thetraining school was at Aldershot ; but the importance of the subjectmight, it was to be hoped, induce the Governmnent to open a school inLondon for the volunteer medical officers. i3andsmen were of nio useas sick-bearers, because they were of all sizes.

Mr. J. S. YOUNG doubte(d whether the War Office was l)repared for-a medical department of the voluniteer force, anid a Director-Genieral.There was none for the militia, and there was no necessity to consti-tute one for the volunteers. It would he necessary to call in the aid

[Dec. 9, 1876.764 THE BRITISH MEDICAL 70URIVAL.

Dec. 9, 1876.] THE BRITISH MEDICAL _OURNAL. 765

of the volunteer commanding officers before proceeding further. Itwould be better to form a Provisional Committee, then to call a largermeeting, with the view of urging upon the War Office the necessity ofhaving sick-bearers.

Captain LAMBTON YOUNG suggested that sick-bearers should countas a part of the regimental grant. There ought to be an inspectionfrom the Army Medical Department, and he should certify whether thecorps is efficient.The following resolutions wvere then submitted to the meeting and

passed unanimously-I. " That this meeting is of opinion that it is desirable to organise

in connection with the volunteer force a service of trained 'sick-bearers'. "

2. " That a circular be addressed to the commanding and medicalofficers of the volunteer corps throughout the kingdom, informing themof these resolutions, and inviting their co-operation."

3. " That this meeting resolves itself into a Provisional Committeefor the purpose of furthering the views of the meeting."

AT a meeting held at the Society of Arts on November 24th, a largenumber of letters in reply to the circulars were produced. Many ofthem contained valuable suggestions, and some were collective ex-pressions of approval. Four only considered the movement unneces-sary.

Surgeon HELSIIAM stated, with the authority of his commandingofficer, that the igth Surrey Rifles would join in the movement.

Surgeox HARVEY HILL said that, in the 36th Aliddlesex Rifles,steps bad already been taken for some training of the men.The general opinion of the meeting was, that many men who had

served a few years in the ranks, and were getting tired, would be pre-vented from retiring altogether bv having an opportunity of learning anew sort of drill, and would thus still keep a connection with the regi-ments. It was decided to call a meeting of commanding and medicalofficers, to be held in London about the middle of December, with theobject of making a representation to the War Office, and asking forfacilities being given by the authorities for training the medical officersof the volunteers in the system used in the army.Major BURGESS described the drill that he lhad seen in Berlin in

1869, when the "bearers", commanded entirely by medical officers.proceeded with stretchers ancl appliances to remove a number of soldierswho had beeni sent out, each labelled with his supposed wound. Thewounded were picked up and disposed in a scientific manner, properlybandaged, etc., on the stretchers; bayonets, scabbards, rifles, etc.,being improvised as splints, and were brought to the wzaggons, wherethey were attended to by the medical officers. The members of theProvisional Committee decided to go to Aldershot to see the systemof drill carried out there by Surgeon Sandford Moore, the Instructorof the Army Hospital Corps.The question of cost of training was discussed, and it was thought

that the War Office might appoint an inspector, and, on his certificate,the corps should receive an allowance as "efficients" for men whopassed the test, and attended a certain number of drills in each year.The question of having special corps, as well as the two men from eachcompany, was also considered. It appeared that the two would notclash, but could exist side by side; indeed, a special corps appearedto be a necessity as well as the two trained men belonging to eachcompany. A "half bearer detachment" would be a corps with twosurgeons, four non-commissioned officers, and sixty-seven men, andfour ambulance waggons. The surgeons would be the only commis-sioned officers-none but medical officers being required.

SPILSBY.-During the ycar I875, there were registered 77I births,of which 42 were illegitimate; and 509 deaths-giving an annualbirth-rate of 26.20, and a death-rate of 17.29, per I,000 population.The deaths under one year were 103 in number, which is equal to20.2 per cent. of total deaths and 13.4 per cent. of all the births. Thedeaths from zymotic diseases were 49, which were below the average;but deaths from diarrhcea were in excess. There were 8 deaths fromtyphoid fever. Deaths from diseases of the respiratory organs weredouble those in 1874. There were also 39 deaths from debility,atrophy, and marasmus, against I9 in 1874. Dr. WN'alker attributesthe increased number of deaths to the unusual rainfall having made thecottages so damp that, during I875, he often saw " walls permeatedwith moisture, brick floors glistening with wet, paper hanging looselyfrom the walls covered with fungoid growths". The rainfall at Spilsbywas 30.5 inches; and at Langton, which is close to Spilsby, it was33.65, or 8.5 inches in excess of the average. There were 466 nui-sances abated; and the main drainage had been improved in Spilsbyand Alford, but at Brough it was extremely bad.

SPECIAL CORRESPONDENCE.MANCHESTER.

[FROM AN OCCASIONAL CORRESPONDENT.]Removal of the Infirmary.

THE trustees of the Manchester Royal Infirmary have decided, at anexcited meeting held in the Town Hall on Monday, December 4th, bya majority of eleven (the numbers being 15 to 104), in favour of theinfirmary remaining on its present site. The explanation of this resultis to be sought for in the fact that the corporation of Manchester donot relish the idea of dealing with the infirmary site. Property showsa tendency to decline in value, and the ruling municipal powers aretimorous in the face of becoming possessed of such a plot of land.The decision is calamitous, and probably must defer-it cannot domore than defer-all hope of our having an infirmary equal to ourneeds for a generation to come-

" 'Tis true, 'tis pity, and pity 'tis 'tis true."What will now be done it is premature and, indeed, impossible to say.Some do not even yet lose hope of arousing the trustees to a noblersense of their responsibilities ; they lay stress upon Mr. Netten Rad-cliffe's report being condemnatory of the present condition of thehospital; they point out that, much as we have already suffered fromerysipelas, etc., we have as yet by no means reaped the harvest forwhich there is such abundant seed, but that a day, and that not adistant one, will come when typhoid fever and its attendant host ofevils will arise and punish us for our selfish policy; they trust that. theadmitted insufficient size of the present building, coupled with thefact that the land, if covered with a new hospital, would only accom-modate three hundred beds, w%vhile at least four hundred are wanted,will lead to wiser and more generous counsels. " Hope, that glitteringangel girt with golden wings", poitnts theni to the dawn of a brighterday, when the unanimous voice of the Medical Committee will beheard and an old and unhealthy hospital slhall give place to one inevery way worthy of the town and of the time. But there is littlebeyond hope to support them. Others, with a desire to make the bestof a bad job, suggest that at least one important evil should be re-moved by delivering all the lectures, except those on Chemistry, Ana-tomy, and Physiology, within the precincts of the hospital, and sosave the students the weary mile which separates the college from theinfirmary. Others, again, are of opinion that a h'ospital for purelyclinical purposes should be built near the College, leaving the presentinstitution much as it stands. I may return to these subjects at afuture time, but cannot now do more tnan thus vaguely indicate thevarious schemes of the party of progress who havc been so calami-tously defeated by the joint forces of selfishness and mock sentimentin their earnest and honest efforts to advance the best interests of thisgreat charity.

LIVERPOOL.[FRONI AN OCCASIONAL CORRESPONDENT.]

The Election at the Live/pool Royal Infirnary.A SPECIAL general meeting of the trustees of this institution was heldon Tuesday last, to elect a physician in the place of Dr. Turnbull, wholately resigned. Dr. Alexander Davidson and Dr. Edward H. Dickin-son (both of Liverpool), two well-known associates, and physicians ofacknowledged ability, were candidates for the vacant office. The con-test was a very close one, and the proceedings were watched Nvith muchinterest by professional and other friends of the respective canldidates.Eventually, Dr. Davidson was elected by a majority of eilghteen votes.The numbers were: for Dr. Davidson, 37I; Dr. Dickinson, 353. SOlarge a number of votes has never been recorded before in the historyof this institution; and, as the whole constituency does not exceed Soo,there were very few votes not secured. Dr. Turnbull has been ap-pointed Consulting Physician.

PARIS.[FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.]

Death of Dr. Regnault.IT is with much regret I have to report the death of Dr. WilliamRegnault, which took place on Wednesday, November 29th, under thefollowing melancholy circumstances. Dr. Regnault had been attendinga child suffering from so-called croup; and on November 25th, in per-forming tracheotomy, he accidentally inoculated himself with the virus