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term which undoubtedly expresses in a convenient formtheir chief characteristic. The advantage of having atincture which is always of one strength is incalculable,and Messrs. Squire and Sons undoubtedly deserve the bestthanks, both of doctors and patients, for the enormouslabour they have undertaken in connexion with this sub-ject. We have given these tinctures a prolonged trial,extending over some months, and can speak of them in thehighest possible terms. They are very little dearer than thecommon tinctures (only a few pence in the pound), and wetrust that the day is not far distant when they will be inuse in every hospital throughout the country.

SWEET SPIRITS OF NITRE.

The composition of sweet spirits of nitre and kindred pre-parations is a subject which seems destined to disturb theequanimity of dispensers and pharmaceutical chemists. Itis stated that the Council of the Pharmaceutical Societyhave recently thought it necessary to convey their views onthe matter to the authorities of the Inland Revenue atSomerset House. The exact nature of their communicationis not known, but it is understood that the Council main-tain that there is no positive evidence that the medicinalvalue of sweet spirits of nitre depends on the presence ofnitrous ether, and that any specimen which is of properspecific gravity, and gives indications of containing somenitrous ether, may be regarded as having been preparedaccording to the directions of the British Pharmacopoeia.With respect to the sweet spirits of nitre of the old LondonPharmacopoeia, they are of opinion that the proportion ofnitrous ether which it contains often amounts to little morethan a trace, and that the only tests necessary to showthat suchan article may be considered to be of good quality are those ofodour, flavour, and specific gravity. They further state thatthe tests laid down in the British Pharmacopoeia, and othertests devised with a similar object, cannot be supposed to beapplicable to preparations sold for domestic use. A commonargument used by druggists is, that an article supplied by alarge manufacturer chiefly to medical men has a density of’887, and that although it contains little or no ethyl nitrite,few complaints are made. These views, we must admit,have taken us somewhat by surprise. It would seem thatthe authorities of the Pharmaceutical Society are of opinionthat the absence of the chief constituent from a preparationis a matter of very little importance if only the omission isnot detected. This is a code of morality to which we areunaccustomed, and we are decidedly of opinion that nopharmacist or body of pharmacists has any right to changethe character of a well-known preparation, or to supply anarticle essentially different from that which the medicalman supposes his patients are taking. It is a subject of con-siderable importance, and one by no means which slhouldbe overlooked.

HYDROCOTYLE ASIATICA.

There can be no doubt that there are in common use inIndia many drugs the properties of which might beinvestigated with advantage with the view to their intro-duction into practice in this country. We understandMessrs. T. Christy have just received a large consignment ofHydrocotyle asiatica, a plant which in the East bears a highreputation in the treatment of leprosy, syphilitic and skinaffections, ozaena, and a number of other diseases. At

present very little is known with certainty about it; but weunderstand that it belongs to the natural order umbelliferae,and that it has many native names, the most common of whichare " I3rahmamanduki," 11 khulakhudi," and thalkuri." It

grows freely in the neighbourhood of Bombay, although it ismore frequently found in gardens than running wild. Itflowers abundantly if watered, sending out long runnerslike the strawberry, and producing leaves and root and fruitat the joints. The fresh herb has an aromatic ivy-likeodour, and when crushed a nauseous bitter taste; but thesequalities are to a great extent lost on drying. Its propertieshave recently been investigated by Mr. A. Jayesingha, sub-assistant colonial surgeon of the Government Dispensary,Ballapitimodera, Ceylon, and we have been favoured with astatement of his results. The drug was administered in theform of powder in ten-grain doses three times a day. It wasalso used locally as a poultice to ulcers, as a snuff in ozaena,and as an ointment mixed with lard in various skin diseases.The list of cases treated includes two of parangi, five ofozsena, two of leprosy, three of itch, two of secondarysyphilis, one of herpes zoster, seven of parangial ulcer, andthree of common ulcer. In twenty-one of these cases a cure

was effected, or at all events the patient obtained markedrelief. The failures are attributed to the irregular way inwhich many of the patients attended at the dispensary.

ARMY AND INDIAN MEDICAL SERVICES.

IN the papers on the subject of the Indian Army reorganisa-tion, printed by order of the House of Commons, there isan interesting document on the Medical Service in India.The Reorganisation Commission pointed out the importanceof abolishing the costly system of maintaining a doublestaff, and submitted their views of the mode in which thischange should be effected. The Government of India were

fully impressed with the necessity for a radical reform ofthe Medical Service, and were satisfied "that the needfulimprovement, both economical and administrative, is to befound only in some measure of unification." They werenot, however, satisfied with the scheme proposed by theCommission, and invited the two heads of the MedicalService in India, Dr. Crawford, Surgeon-General to HerMajesty’s Forces (now Director-General of the ArmyMedical Department), and Dr. Cuningham, Surgeon-Generalwith the Government of India, to prepare a memorandumon the subject based upon two conditions which weredeemed essential: "First, that there should be only onemedical service for India; and, secondly, that completeauthority over the medical service serving in India, as toemployment, distribution, and remuneration, shall rest withthe Government of India." A joint memorandum, preparedby these two officers, and dated Simla, 12th August, 1881,was submitted to the Government, and considered by them" to satisfy all the essential conditions of the case andto provide a satisfactory solution of the difficulty." It is adocument of some length and bears evidence of careful

consideration, having regard to efficient and economical ad-ministration and to respect for the rights and privileges ofthe existing officers. The memorandum recommends thatthere should be but one medical department, to be styledthe Royal Medical Service, and to be divided into twobranches, one for general and the other for Indian service,but that in any national emergency the Indian branch shouldbe available, with the sanction of the Indian Government,for service in any part of Her Majesty’s dominions; and thegeneral branch, with the sanction of the Home Government,for service in India. It proposed that the Indian branchshould be recruited by volunteers from the general list ofofficers under three years’ service, that they should form oneservice for all India, primarily military, but also civil; thefirst two years to be spent in strictly military duty; afterthat period officers to be eligible for civil employ if theyhave passed the language test, but liable at all times tobe recalled for military service if wanted. After ten

years’ continuous civil service, if they do not return tomilitary duty, they must look for promotion to theadministrative grade in the civil branch only. It is recom-mended that exchanges should be freely allowed betweenthe general and Indian branches, but no Brigade Surgeon ofthe Indian branch to be eligible for promotion to DeputySurgeon-General of that branch unless he has had nve yearsIndian service above the rank of surgeon, and no DeputySurgeon-General to be allowed to exchange into the Indianbranch who has not had this qualifying service. Transfersalso should be permitted from one branch to the other, whenrequired in the interests of the service, and subject to theconcurrent approval of both Secretaries of State. Thememorandum proposes one administrative head, withthe Government of India, for the whole Indian MedicalService, with a special rate of pay, who should recommendfor all departmental promotions, and distribute officersto the several sections requiring them, civil, military,and sanitary; transferring medical officers from militaryto civil service and vice versâ, as may be necessary, but notinterfering with the employment of any officer after beingso posted, which would rest with the administrative medical

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officer immediately concerned. The Indian Director-General"would communicate with the Director-General of the RoyalMedical Service in all matters regarding recruiting, exchanges,and transfers, and would report all casualties by death, re-tirement, &c. ; he would also, as Sanitary Commis-sioner, prepare, as at present, an annual sanitary re-

port for the whole of India." Under the Director-General there would be a Surgeon-General for the army, onthe staff of the Commander-in-Chief, charged with themedical administration, and having the control of themedical staff of the forces, and provided with the necessaryadministrative staff. The civil medical administration wouldcontinue much as at present, but without the local rank ofSurgeon-General, the chief in each local government andadministration being designated simply as 11 principal MedicalOfficer." Such are the most important of the recommenda-tions for the reorganisation of the Royal Medical Service.For the subordinate civil service, it is proposed to constitutean "Indian Medical Service," consisting of two classes-Assistant Surgeons and Civil Medical Officers, recruitedfrom natives of India who are licentiates or graduates ofmedicine of an Indian college, the admission to be by com-petitive examination and the promotion by seniority onpassing an examination test, but with power to promotespecially assistant-surgeons who have distinguished them-selves, or for the Governor-General to appoint direct to thehigher grade should he think fit. The officers of this branchof the service to be liable to be called upon, on emergency,to perform work in military hospitals within their ownprovince, or with troops of their own province servingelsewhere.The reporters have fully considered and reported the mode

in which this proposed system may be carried out withgreatest advantage to the service and without inflicting anyinjustice upon the officers now serving, but it does notappear necessary here to enter upon such details. They alsohave discussed the question of pay and allowances, and re-commended the abolition of the distinction of unemployedpay-a recommendation which has been already acted upon.We are glad to find also that they call attention to the in-justice so frequently inflicted on officers who are requiredto pay their own expenses on being removed to a new charge." An officer so moved from a doing-duty, or a so-called’ un-employed,’ position to an officiating medical charge, whichmay not bring him more than one hundred rupees a month,but who, in consequence of the increased rate of pay he willdraw, is obliged to join at his own expense, is frequently in-volved in expenses which months of such allowances willnot cover." We trust that this regulation, against which wehave so frequently protested, will soon be abolished, and oneof the causes of justifiable discontent on the part of theIndian medical officers be thus removed. They also recom-mend arevision of the regulations by which charge pay is drawnby officers going on furlough or accepting civil appoint-ments, while the officer who actually discharges the dutyreceives only a modified allowance; the rule adopted in theArmy Medical Staff should be followed, that charge moneybe drawn by the officer on whom the duty and responsibilitydevolve.A letter from the Under Secretary of State for War

reviews these recommendations, and states that Mr. Childers,who was then Secretary of State, did not concur in theviews of the reporters. The principal grounds of dissentwere that he thought the proposed change would have theeffect of diminishing the supply of candidates, as " theattraction of Indian service as an inducement held beforethe whole body of candidates would be seriously diminished;"that the least eligible of the candidates would be left forthe British branch of the service; that both India and GreatBritain would be losers in the matter of varied experienceon the part of medical officers; and that the proposedscheme would be more expensive to India than a simpleunification. Mr. Childers approved, however, of the pro-posal for the amalgamation of the two services, and

suggested that, as the number of appointments to be

supplied by the Army Medical Department would beincreased, the term of five years for service in India shouldbe raised to seven, and that an officer selected for a civilappointment should be allowed to volunteer for anotherterm of seven years.We have endeavoured to summarise as briefly as possible

the recommendations contained in the memorandum. Itgives the carefully considered opinions of two officers oflong and varied service, representing the two branches of

the existing Medical Service. The dual service in India hasalready been considerably modified, and it appears desirable,in the interests alike of the public and of the officers of theMedical Service, that still further improvements should beintroduced. The form which these should take is clearlylaid down in the memorandum now published, as well as theobjections to it from a War Office point of view. It isobvious that the present system of two distinct andindependent services working together in India is open tovery serious objection, and that measures must be adoptedto remedy the inconvenience and reduce the expense arisingfrom such an arrangement. The principles laid down byDr. Crawford and Dr. Cuningham appear well calculated toeffect these objects, and at the same time to preserve intactthe rights of the officers in accordance with the conditionsof the warrants under which they joined the service. What-ever form of departmental organisation may be adopted,we trust the Government will give due effect to the recom-mendations bearing upon the existing system of chargepay and of travelling expenses.

POOR-LAW MEDICAL OFFICERS AND THEMEDICAL REGISTER.

AT a meeting of Council of the Poor-law Medical Officers"Association, held at their rooms, 3, Bolt-court, Fleet-street,on March 3rd, attention was drawn to the case of Mr. H. C.Linden, district medical officer of the Bingham Union,Notts. This gentleman had applied for and obtained aPoor-Jaw medical appointment, his election to which wasannulled by the Local Government Board on account of hisname not appearing on the Medical Register through hisnot apprising the Registrar of his change of residence.Proof having subsequently been given to the board ofguardians that his name had been restored to the Register,he was re-elected; but on his applying for his quarter’ssalary he was told by the clerk that the Local GovernmentBoard had declined to sanction the payment. The Councildesires to express its opinion that a great injustice has beendone to Mr. Linden, and that he is entitled to the sympathyand support of the profession, and it also wishes to impressupon Poor-law medical officers the importance of imme-diately informing the Registrar of any change of residence.

Public Health and Poor Law.LOCAL GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENT.

REPORTS OF MEDICAL OFFICERS OF HEALTH.

Alnwick and Canongate Urban District.-The mortalityduring 1884 was at the rate of 20’3 per 1000. The need forsome means of isolation has often been referred to, and

during the cholera prevalence of last year there was somehope that it would at last be provided. But the disease didnot reach beyond the coast line and the matter appearsagain to be set aside. Hence Dr. Davidson once more pressesit, and he shows that for scarlet fever alone it is muchneeded. Diarrhoea was somewhat exceptionally prevalent"and phthisis is also a leading disease of the place, the causeof the latter disease being attributed to the wetness of thesubsoil and the breathing of vitiated air due to deficientventilation and to overcrowding. Some parts of Alnwick arein a notoriously bad condition; one locality is described in thereport as disgraceful, and in many of the yards surroundedby tenemented houses the same description would hold good.The soil is sodden with filth and water, and in summer foulemanations are the result. Old bye-laws are in force whichfail to meet pressing sanitary needs as regards new buildings,and the committee appointed to deal with the matter doesnot appear to further the object required with the neededpromptitude. As regards the common lodging-houses, thestate of affairs which inspection has revealed is such that itcannot, we hope, be allowed to continue. Alnwick has just.now an unenviable notoriety. The public have complainedof its condition, a coroner’s jury have blamed the authorities,and the Local Government Board have directed inspection ofii-a anitarm ef.tn Ní’BtTI!;thC’tû’Y’lr1’YBrY’ +1".... changes in +7, T’>.^,,4-