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and he thought great anxiety and solicitude ought to be exer-cised, lest " by this utilizing system and the matter-of-factmethod in which they were to treat women they destroyed thatwhich was infinitely more precious-those qualities which theyadmired and worshiped."In the Public Health Department the first paper was by

Miss Nightingale ; it was read by one of the secretaries. Thetitle was, " How the People may Live and not Die in India."This was followed by a paper by the Rev. Dawson Burns ’’ Onthe Influence of Alcoholic Liquors upon Health, as illustratedby the experience of the British Army in India." "Diseasesin Cattle" formed the subject of communications in a paperfrom Mr. E. Holland, M. P,, and also in one from ProfessorGamgee, of the New Veterinary College, Edinburgh. Mr.Rawlinson, C.E., Dr. M’Kinlay (Paisley), and Mr. Chadwick,supported the views of the writers. Dr. Alexander Wood, ofEdinburgh, said that before proceeding further it was necessaryto ascertain directly what were really the evils resulting fromthe sale of diseased meat. No doubt it was an exceedinglydisgusting thing to eat diseased meat, but that was a verydifferent matter from showing that this fact produced diseasein the human frame. He was supported by Dr. Markham, ofLondon, and others.

After the business of the day was over, the members of theAssociation were received by the principal and professors ofthe University at a conversazione in the Library. The meet-ing was well attended, and the amusements provided andsuperintended by the professors and others were highly appre-ciated. On Friday, in the Public Health Department, a paper was

read by Provost Lindsay, of Leith, " On the General Policeand Improvement Act, 1862." That the Act was tolerablycorrect he presumed from the fact that twenty-five towns hadadopted it, either wholly or in part, since it became law lastyear.Dr. Stevenson Macadam, Lecturer on Chemistry, Edinburgh,

read a paper ‘‘ On the Contamination of Water by the imper-fect Drainage of Towns and Villages."An interesting discussion followed on these two papers. ,

Professor Gairdner spoke highly in favour of Mr. Lindsay’s IAct, and alluded to the prevalence of fever in Glasgow at pre-sent, which was traced to a suburb that had not adopted theAct.Professor Bennett called the attention of the meeting to the

distinction between bad smells and impure water. Bad smells,he held, were not always injurious; but water might be clear,free from smell, taste well, and yet be poisonous.These remarks were evidently of bad odour to some of the

subsequent speakers, as they held that wherever a bad smellexisted it was evident that something was wrong, and whichrequired to be put right.

-Mr. Newlands, of Liverpool, spoke as to the good results ofthe drainage of Liverpool on the health of the people; andmany other scientific gentlemen joined in the discussion.Dr. Ogle next read a paper entitled " Medical Reform, or

Prevention better than Cure," in which he proposed that themedical attendant should be paid by each patient so much perannum, to include all ordinary work.

Dr. Stewart, R.N., read a communication entitled " A fewObservations on the chief Causes which render Merchant Sea-men more liable to Sickness and to a greater rate of Mortalitythan in the Royal Navy or in civil life, and the best means tobe employed to remedy these evils."In the evening the President and Fellows of the Royal Col-

lege of Surgeons entertained the Association at a conversazionein their hall. The museum was brilliantly lighted, and in thehall a variety of objects were displayed under a series of micro-scopes.On Saturday, the Public Health Department resumed with

the reading of a papar sent by Miss Nightingale, " On theSanitary Statistics of Native Colonial Schools." Another paperby the same lady was also read, " On the Statistics of NativeHospitals, and Causes of Disappearance of Native Races."

Dr. Elliott, of Carlisle, read a paper " On Domestic andHospital Ventilation." For the first he recommended a con-trivance of his own ; for the second, the plan of Dr. VanHecker.After a paper by Dr. John Beddoe " On the Dietaries for

Children in Workhouses," and one by Mr. J. L. Andr6 " OnHouse-top Airing Grounds." the Section adjourned.On Monday, in the Public Health Department. Provost

Lindsay, of Leith. read a long paper " On Leith, and its Sani-tary Efforts." This was followed by one by Dr. Littlejohn,-the Medical Officer of Health for Edinburgh, " On the Sanitary

Arrangements of Edinburgh as compared with other large: Towns," the object of the paper being to bring under the notice

of the Section the means adopted to prevent all accumulations. of filth and solid refuse in this city. By the sale of such

matters the expense of cleansing the city was greatly diminished,. and at the same time a cheap fertilizing agent was placed at! the disposal of the agricultural community.

Dr. Williamson, parochial surgeon of South Leith, read apaper " On Certain Causes affecting the Origin of Disease inLarge Towns." The great causes, the writer considered, wereovercrowding, want of pure water and water-closets, sleepingapartments being confined, &e.A long and animated discussion followed the reading of these

papers, in which Mr. Gamgee (of Edinburgh), Mr. Grant (ofLeith), Drs. Andrew Wood and Alex. Wood, Mr. Thomson,Dr. Macadam, Professor Bennett, Councillor Ford, and othersengaged. The discussion did not bring up anything new, andhad much reference to local matters.

In the evening, Lord Brougham and other distinguishedmembers of the Association were entertained at dinner by thePresident and Fellows of the Royal College of Physicians. Dr.Craigie, the President, occupied the chair. The dinner wassumptuous, the wines of choice quality, and the speeches ex-cellent.On Tuesday, Professor Christison, President of the Public

Health Department, delivered his address. After some intro-ductory remarks, he continued-" I have thought it might in-terest you more, and be more in keeping with my own pursuits,if, instead of the eloquent general views usually dealt with bythose in my position, I should endeavour to offer you a sketchof the mode in which the principal diseases are influenced bythe agents which affect the public health, and attempt to illus-trate by a few apposite instances what has been already done,and what remains to be done, for lessening the prevalence ofsuch diseases, and the mortality, ill health, and the pecuniaryloss arising from them."At the conclusion of this most interesting address, the re-

mark of Lord Brougham, that " there is no person present whowould not willingly have listened to him for at least an hourlonger," was felt by the meeting to be true.

In the Jurisprudence Section, a paper by Sir James Coxe,Commissioner in Lunacy, " On the Condition of the Insane asinfluenced by Legislation," was read. Dr. Alex. Wood nextread one in the same Section, " On the Impropriety of Patientsbeing Dismissed without some Guarantee that they were Re-covered." In this communication he thought that the state ofthe law ought to be improved—1st, that there should be someprotection given to medical men ; 2nd, that there should besuch regulations for the dismissal of patients that there shouldbe no undue detention; and 3rd, that there should be themeans of ascertaining the condition of persons supposed to belunatics.

In the Public Health Section, Mr. E. Cheshire, F.R.C.S.,read a paper " On a New Mode of Intercepting and Retainingthe Solid Soil from Water-closets, for Utilization and for theSanitary Improvement of Large Towns." Mr. Cornelius Wal-ford, of the London Statistical Society, read a paper " OnLongevity in Scotland." This was followed by a paper by Dr.Stevenson Macadam, " On the Contamination of Water byPaper Works." Dr. Murray Thomson then read a paper " Onthe Contamination of Water by Manufactories, and especiallyDistilleries."

The business of the Association closed this afternoon (Wed-nesday). The Association may congratulate itself on havingcompleted a very successful congress. The meetings have beenwell attended ; and although nothing very new has beenelicited by the papers in the Public Health Department, stillwe cannot hear too frequently of the injurious consequenceswhich result from the neglect of sanitary matters.Edinburgh, October 14th, 1863.

ARMY SURGEONS IN THE COLONIES.

THE following is an extract from a letter from an assistant-surgeon in one of the colonies :-

" With regard to our duties here, though fortunately on oneof the healthiest stations in the world, you will admi, when Igive you the distribution of the medical officers, that theseduties prove to be no sinecure. The staff consists of a P. M.O.,one staff surgeon-major, two assistants, together with three

/ regimental’ surgeons and their assistants. The staff surgeon- major has the whole of the garrison staff under his charge.

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One assistant was permanently detailed for ball practice,’ andfor four consecutive months has been living under canvas sevenmiles from the nearest town, and unable for even one hour toleave the encampment ; in fact, he has been permanently con.fined to camp -during the four summer months. Anotherassistant is in charge of a large ’ working party,’ three milesfrom town, into which his duties oblige him to come everyafternoon ; and as he also has charge of a military prison threemiles in an opposite direction, his work entails a walk of twelvemiles daily. Under similar circumstances there is not, I be-lieve, in any other department of the British Army an officerwho would not be allowed forage for a horse; but the poormedico must expect neither sympathy nor support. Anothermedical officer is detached from his regiment, and doing, inaddition to his own, the duties of a staff assistant-surgeon ;whilst the remainder are proportionately hard worked, inces-santly worried, and unable to obtain the slightest relaxationfrom their monotonous and unceasing duties.

" In your last letter you requested me to inform you whetherI would recommend your brother to enter the army as an

assistant surgeon ; and, in reply, I must conscientiously say-No, unless he is prepared to be constantly snubbed, to feel him-self overworked, and continually worried ; to find that, he is de-prived of the privileges most generously bestowed on executiveofficers regarding leaveage, and to serve twenty years as anassistant- surgeon. I coulrl enumerate many other galling griev-ances to-which he would be subjected ; but I consider there isa want of good taste in a man abusing the source from whencein a measure he derives his snpport, though I feel it my dutyat the same time, as an act of justice to an old friend, to cau-tion you against placing your brother in a false position-in aposition where he will tind on all sides chagrin, disappoint-ment, and contempt."

THE

TREATMENT OF SUSPENDED ANIMATIONFROM DROWNING.

AMONGST the many Societies based upon humanitarian prin- ciples that we can boast-of, few are more worthy of considerationand support than the National Life-Boat Institution. It isone also peculiarly proper to an insular and maritime nationlike our own, and one which many a British family, clusteredaround their sea-coal fire on a stormy January night, willthink of as a reliable succour in that hour, which may be oneof great nee’l to fathers, sons, or brothers, who " go down tothe sea in ships." To rescue the shipwrecked mariner from awatery grave, jus within sight, perhaps, of his cherished home,looks like one of those great endeavours which an Englishmanof all others would be the first to propose. And it is onewhich is yearly becoming more fixed in the minds of the peopleof this country. It often happens that in the great strugglewhich takes place between life and death, the latter is nearlybecoming the conqueror, and the shipwrecked sailor is justrescued when all that can be said with respect to him wouldbe "la.tea.t scintillula forsan." He is cold and senseless;all animation is suspended. Or the brave and hardy menwho launched their life-boat on the dangerous but mercifulerrand are only too eager in their work, and some amongstthem, forgetful of their own safety, may themselves becomevictims to the power of the waves. Thrown back uponthe beach half drowned, what is to be done-whether seamanof the wreck or sailor of the boat ? The time has long passedsince the bystanders were content to look on, whilst merelyexcited and ignorant though well-meaning persons subjectedthe sodden heap before them to all sorts of absurd practices, orto the teachings of "the rule of thumb. " No wonder it waso often found that, to use the well known phrase, "life wasquite extinct." But there has been much difference of opinionas to what scientific rules of procedure should be adopted, andplaced, when couched in plain terms, in the hands of the

people, so that not only a ready but a proper method may begenerally available.The Royal National Life-Boat Institution have addressed

to us the following communication :-

" In 1857, THE LANCET assisted the Royal National Life-BoatInstitution in eliciting the opinions of the.medical profession onthe relative merits of the plans for the restoration of the appa-rently dead from drowning, of the eminent physiologist,. thelate Dr. Marshall Hall, and the Royal Humane Society of Lon-don. The result was, that the favourable opinions of the prin-cipal medical societies and of three hundred medical men inthis country, as also those of the chief medical bodies on theContinent, were obtained for the Royal National Life-BoatInstitution in favour of Dr. Marshall Hall’s plan. These direc-

tions were then at once extensively circulated by the Institu-tion throughout the United Kingdom and in the colonies. Theyare also in use in her Majesty’s fleet.

" Last year some important investigations were made by theRoyal Medical and Chirurgical Society on the relative merits ofthe plans of Dr. Marshall Hall and Dr. H. R. Silvester for re-storing suspended animation. The result was decidedly infavour of Dr. Silvester’s method, which in principle is now

adopted by the Royal Humane Society."—(THE LANCET, 1862,vol. ii., p. 37, et seq.)Under these circumstances, the National Life-Boat Institu-

tion is again anxious to elicit the opinion of the medical profes.sion generally on the relative merits of the two plans, and wereadily give insertion to the following circular of the Institu-tion on the subject, feeling assured that those of our readerswho have had experience in cases of asphyxia will render everyhelp in their power to the Life-Boat Institution in arriving at acorrect conclusion on so vital a matter :-

" 14, Jolin-street, Adelphi, London, September, 1863." SIR,-I am instructed to acquaint you that until the year

1857 the Rules of the Royal Humane Society of London for-therestoration of the apparently drowned were circulated by thisInstitution at its life boat stations on the coasts of the United

Kingdom ; but in that year the eminent physiologist, the lateDr. Marshall Hall, having pronounced the Rules to be wrong,the Committee of she Royal National Life Boat Institution ob-tained, as far as they were able, the opinions of the chief medi-cal authorities in this country, and of some on the Continent,on the relative merits of the two systems.

" Those opinions were so generally, indeed almost exclu-sively, in favour of Dr. M. Hall’s plan, that the Committeefelt they had no option but to modify the Rules, for the circu-lation of which they were responsible, in accordance with it.

" Since that period, Dr. Henry Robert Silvester, of London,has proposed a modification of the Rules of Dr. Marshall Hall,which, although synonymous in principle, tises a different modeof promoting artificial respiration, which he alleges to be moreconvenient, and to more effectually perform the same.

" Dr. Silvester’s plan has been carefuily considered andfavourably reported on by the Royal Medical and ChirurgicalSociety of London,’ and has been recently adopted by theRoyal Humane Society in lieu of their previous Rules.

’’The Committee of the Royal National Life-Boat Institu.tion, not being a medical body, and feeling the serious incon-venience of there being two different plans in circulation,whichmight lead to hesitation and delay where decision and prompt-ness of treatment are all-important, are desirous once more tohit ve the advantage of the opinions of the chief medical autho-rities in this country on the subject.

‘’ I am therefore directed to solicit the favour of your opinionon the relative suitableness of the two systems of Dr. M. Halland Dr. Silvester, as embodied in the Rules of this Institutionand of the Royal Humane Society, copies of which are herewithannexed, in order that the present Rules of this Institution,founded on Dr. M. Hall’s plan, should, if necessary, be modi-fied, or those of the Royal Humane Society be adopted in lieuof them. I am, &c.,

"RICHARD LEWIS, Secretary."A circular embodying the whole subject will be sent to the

hospitals and medical societies of the United Kingdom, and wetrust that this specific notice of it in our pages will materiallyhelp in obtaining the best opinions on the relative merits of thetwo systems. Such of our readers as may take a critical in.terest in this important question should make themselves wellacquainted with our report of the proceedings of the RoyalMedical and Chirurgical Society (THE LANCET, vol. ii. 1862,p. 37), and with the previous consideration of the subject to-bemet with in the first volume of the journal (passim) for 1857.