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a numter of experiments which had been made at his

hospital which went to discredit the value of fumigationas a means of preventing the spread of disease. Dr. W. J.Dobbie, superintendent of the free hospital for advancedcases of tuberculosis at Weston, read a paper on Tuberculosisas a Social Problem. He urged the importance of the adop-tion of educational methods to stir up public opinion andsuggested that centres of activity should be establishedin every city, town, and county. Dr. Gordon, of theGravenhurst Sanatorium, advocated commencing the educa-tion campaign in the public schools. Dr. Helen MacMurchy,Toronto, read a practical paper on the Milk-supply. Dr.Charles Sheard, Toronto, city medical health officer, wouldkeep out visitors to the patients in the hospitals. The

following officers were elected : President, Dr. W. J. Dobbie ;first vice-president, Dr. A. D. McIntyre, Kingston ; and secre-tary, Dr. J. N. E. Brown, superintendent of the TorontoGeneral Hospital.

Vancouver General Hospital in 1907.There were 2301 patients admitted for treatment into the

wards of the Vancouver, B.C., General Hospital during theyear 1907. This was an increase of 988 over 1906. The

average duration of stay in the hospital was, however, lower- 19’ 90 days as compared with the previous year of 21 10.There were 135 deaths during the year and of these 47 hadbeen in the hospital less than 48 hours. 11 of the deathswere due to tuberculosis of the lungs. Three " ChristianScientists " were among the cases admitted. During the yearthe new isolation buildings were put into use, and at timesconsiderable difficulty was experienced in securing accom-modation for the cases of infectious diseases admitted. The

training school for nurses in connexion with the VancouverHospital has been increased from 31 pupil nurses to 53.There were 146 applications for entrance to the school duringthe year.

Hospital Extension in Winnipeg.The work of the Winnipeg General Hospital has increased

to such an extent during the past few years that new build-ings are urgently needed. It has been decided to submit a

by-law to the ratepayers of that city to raise$225 000 forhospital extension purposes. Of this amount$100,000 willbe for an isolation hospital with 80 beds ; morgue,$15,000 ;hospital for tuberculous patients,$40,000 ; and maternity andchildren’s hospital,$60,000. The expenditure in maintainingthis hospital in 1907 was$169,000. There were received fromprivate patients$23,000 and from semi-private patients$34,000. The average full cost of a private patient per daywas$3’ 00 and for a semi-private patient$1’ 50. The hospitalreceives an annual grant from the city of Winnipeg of$40,000and from the Manitoba Government about$26,000.Toronto, April 23rd.

NEW YORK.

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

Prize Essay on Bright’s Disease.IN 1901 the New York Academy of Medicine offered a

prize for the best original research work on the kidneys. Theprize fund was established by a lady and was to be awardedtriennially. This is the first time since 1901 that a thesishas been submitted which, in the judgment of the committee,reached the high standard of merit required. The winner ofthe prize will receive the original amount, plus the interestwhich has been accumulating since the fund was started,making in all about$20,000. The work involved in thisresearch has been immense in detail. The hospitals employedin the research were Roosevelt, St. Luke, and the SloaneMaternity, while at the same time expert chemists carriedon their investigations in the Pathological Laboratory and atthe Laboratory of Biological Chemistry of the College ofPhysicians and Surgeons. The thesis is not published, butthe winner of the prize, Dr. Norman Ditman, states that theinvestigation was along these lines-viz., the identificationof the various poisons in the system causing Bright’s disease ;the probable physical conditions leading to the formation ofthese poisons ; the deduction of a general cause from all ofthese ; and the hypothesis for the probable prevention of thedisease.

Visit of Dr. Robert -Koch.The visit of Dr. Robert Koch of Germany to this country

has excited a widespread interest in medical and scientific

circles. His first public appearance was at a dinner givenby the German Medical Society, under the presidency of Dr.Carl Beck. An interesting incident of the dinner was atelegram from the German Ambassador at Washington,expressing the Emperor’s great appreciation of Mr. Carnegie’s.generous gift of$100,000 to the "Robert Koch Stiftung,"which he was sure would further the international fight.against tuberculosis. Dr. Koch expressed his appreciationof the cordial reception given to him in simple but forcefullanguage, asserting that he had endeavoured, like manyothers, to do his work in the world as opportunity offered.He esteemed himself fortunate in having found gold in thedust of the road which is open to everyone. He closed witha promise that he would return, which was received withgreat enthusiasm.

Conference on Medical Education.The fourth annual conference on medical education was

recently held in Chicago. In his address the President,Dr. Bevan, announced the merging of several medical schoolsas an important event, showing a tendency to close weakschools and in their places to create one strong and well-endowed college. It appeared in a report that 50 leadingmedical colleges will in 1910 be requiring one or more years’study in a college of liberal arts, including courses in

physics, chemistry, and biology. President Eliot, of HarvardUniversity, spoke at length regarding high standards ofpreliminary education and called attention to the fact thatthe colleges holding high standards are more likely tosecure endowments. The conference was addressed by Dr.A. H. F. Barbour, of the University of Edinburgh, whoexplained the medical standards in Scotland. The outlookfor great advances towards a higher grade of qualification onadmission to the medical colleges, longer terms of study, andmore efficiency in teaching was never so promising.

Interstate Health Investigations.The importance of coöperation of the Federal Government

with State and local health authorities in the control of wide-spread epidemics has been repeatedly demonstrated duringthe last few years. But the "State rights " doctrine hasbeen so tenaciously adhered to that the " public health

; service," which represents the General Government, has beenable to bring to the aid of local health authorities a very

. limited amount of its resources. A Bill is now before Con-gress which greatly enlarges the scope of the powers of the

. " public health service" in the aid of the State and localsanitary boards. The Bill provides that the Federal service

. may make special investigations in all parts of the countryI into the prevalence of diseases, the conditions affecting their

origin and spread, and the means of prevention ; while thesurgeon-general may detail officers to aid localities and mayestablish hygienic laboratories and take other necessarymeans to control epidemics. If this measure becomes a,law it will create a national system of sanitary police ofgreat efficiency.April 27th.

_________________

AUSTRALIA.

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

Proprietary Medicines.Messrs. E. Glover and J. A. Kenningham have arrived in

Melbourne as delegates from a number of proprietary firmshaving an interest in the manufacture of patent medicines,to protest against the legislation introduced, and con-

templated, by the Federal Government. On March 10th theywere introduced to the Minister of Customs. Mr. Gloverstated that he represented about 300 proprietors of patentarticles, including soaps, medicines, &c. These business peoplehad held a trade connexion in Australia for many yearsand wished to continue it, but if the Government demandedthat formulae should be disclosed they would have to give upthe Australian market altogether. Mr. Kenningham said thatthey were informed that if a formula was disclosed it wasopen to anyone to make the goods and to call them by thecorrect names. The Minister, in reply, said that they coulddepend that the Government would try to treat themwith reason and justice. Any legislation that was passedwould, he hoped, be of a reasonable character. Blacksheep had been referred to as being in the trade in

proprietary articles. The more that trade was probed

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into the more black sheep were discovered. The Govern-ment had got past the stage of relying on sworn

statements to prevent people being deluded or practically,poisoned and intended to leave such matters to an analystwho would be appointed for the Commonwealth. The Billalluded to only intended to stop injurious importations andimpostures. He was glad to hear the delegates say that thestatement about the withdrawal of advertisements was not athreat. He would carefully consider what the delegates hadplaced before him. Certain powers were proposed to be-given that would permit the Governor-General in Councilto prescribe in certain cases that formulae need not be dis-closed. Since then the delegates have made further repre-sentations of a similar nature and have attached the follow-ing letter to their memorandum; the signatures are thoseof all the leading wholesale druggists and other influentialmercantile firms :-We, the undersigned, wholesale distributors of patent and proprietary

medicines and foods, beg to state that we have heard the views expressed’by the delegates from the Proprietary Articles Section of the London’Chamber of Commerce, and agree with them that it would be imprac-ticable to demand that proprietors should reveal their formulae, as suchdisclosure would result in the total loss of their trade rights. We’believe that the alternative proposal they put forward will effectually-safeguard the public, and, at the same time, eliminate from the marketundesirable articles, viz., that a list of deleterious and objectionable drugsand poisons be scheduled, and that all proprietors be called upon tomake a declaration whether their goods do or do not contain any of-these ingredients.

Signed-FELTON, GRIMWADE, AND CO. HENRY BERRY.ROCKE, TOMPSITT, AND Co. JOHN CONNELL AND Co., Ppy. LTDDUERDIN AND Skl’-NSI3URY. ROLFE AND CO.PETERSON AND CO. VIRGOE, SON, AND CHAPMAN.-JAMES SERVICE AND CO.

Loss on Condemned Carcasses.Mr. Brown, the Victorian supervisor of export food-

supplies, has been giving close consideration to thequestion of compensating butchers for losses by thecondemnation of purchased beasts. He has come to theconclusion that the butcher is the last man on whom- the loss should fall, as he buys the animals in yardswhere they are passed by inspectors as sound. No man

living can tell how a live beast showing no sign of diseasewill turn out when slaughtered. Dr. Brown suggests thatthe agents should increase their selling charge ¼ per cent.and that a fund should be established to cover the losses ifcondemned. As an alternative Dr. Brown would favour anyworkable scheme by which the loss would fall on the

particular owner whose beasts are condemned, though theapparent objection to the first proposal is minimised by thefact that nearly every grazier becomes possessed of diseasedstock sooner or later, so that he would not as a rule con-tribute to a fund merely for the benefit of others. Dr. Brownis convinced that some remedy is called for.

’’ Naticre Study" and Enteric Fever.The Education Department of Victoria has recently made

a great feature of " nature study " for State school children.At Beechworth, a country centre, enteric fever has been veryprevalent of late, and the local health officer, Dr. D. Skinner,in a report on ten cases coming under his notice, remarked :" In several of the cases I have foand that the sufferers hadbeen hunting for tadpoles in the dirty pools of Spring Neckand Holme’s Neck, which are nothing but collections of-sewage of the filthiest type. This is part of the naturestudy’ which is at present one of the fads of the EducationDepartment. But I should say that a little study of thelocal sanitary conditions would be of much greater advantageto both the rising generation and their teachers." Thecouncil directed that copies of the report should be forwardedto the Board of Public Health and to the head master of theschool.

Persnnal ltems.Dr. Henry Maudsley of Melbourne is leaving by the

Asturias for a short visit to England. Dr. Maudsley was-entertained at dinner by a number of fellow members of theprofession who wished him a pleasant trip. -Sir ThomasFitzgerald has recently suffered from a severe attack of

pneumonia and at one period of his illness his condition

gave rise to grave concern. He has now convalesced satis-

factorily and has been able to go to Sydney for a change.-The David Syme Research Scholarship in the University ofMelbourne has this year been awarded to Dr. Basil Kilvingtonfor his work in the healing and degeneration of nerves. The.award carries a monetary value of £100.

April 6th.

Obituary.CHARLES EDWARD UNDERHILL, B.A., M.B. CANTAB.,

F.R.C.S.EDiN., M.R.O.S.ENG., F.R.S. EDIN.,PRESIDENT OF THE ROYAL COLLEGE OF PHYSICIANS OF EDINBURGH.

FOR the first time in its history the Royal College of Phy-sicians of Eiinburgh has had to mourn the death of theoccupant of its presidential chair. The occurrence has beenfelt deeply owing to the very special position which the Presi-dent occupied. Few men in Edinburgh have called out suchsteady esteem and admiration, deepening into affection, asdid Dr. C. E. Underhill. The knowledge that when last yearhe accepted the presidential chair he was suffaring fromaortic disease added a note of heroism to his occupancy ofit and elicited the generous admiration which quiet andsteadfast pluck tends to do. Those who knew him intimatelyhad the greatest admiration for the kindly courtesy of hismanner, the straightforwardness of his life, the purity of hismotives, the soundness of his judgment, and the culture ofhis mind. He was a loyal friend and of enemies he canhardly be said to have had any. Such a man is a veryvaluable possession in a medical community and it is wellthat his brethren and his College should so truly mourn hisloss. It was first and foremost as a man that Dr. Underhillmade his impress upon the profession. He did notwrite much, but what he did write would havevindicated a claim to write more had he been so

minded. He life was devoted to his patients insidethe hospitals and to a large and influential clientelein Edinburgh and its neighbourhood. He died on

April 24th and was buried on the 28th in. the DeanCemetery. The service was held in the church of St. Johnthe Evangelist, Bishop Dowden taking part in it. TheFellows of both Colleges attended the funeral in theirofficial robes.

Charles Edward Underhill was born in 1845 and was thesecond son of Mr. Lees Underhill, F.R.C.S., of Tipton,Staffordshire. He was a graduate of Cambridge, having takenhis B.A. degree in 1867 and his M.B. degree in 1870. Hecompleted his medical studies in Edinburgh and becameassistant to Dr. Matthews Duncan. When Dr. Duncan wentto London Dr. Underhill succeeded to much of his practice.He became a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons ofEdinburgh in 1872 and of the Royal College of Pnysiciansfour years later. He was one of the physicians to theMaternity Hospital for many years and served as a

physician to the Royal Hospital for Sick Children. Heheld the double office of medical officer of health andpolice surgeon to the city of Edinburgh. He was for manyyears treasurer of the Edinburgh branch of the BritishMedical Association. He became president of the branchmore recently. He was a past president of the EdinburghRoyal Medical Society, of the Edinburgh Obstetrical Society,of the Edinburgh Medico-Chirurgical Society, and of theEdinburgh Harveian Society, and he was thus a prominentmember of the most distinguished medical circle in Edin-burgh. In every position which he held he gained but oneopinion as to the admirable manner in which he dischargedthe duties.

Dr, Underhill had no family and is survived by Mrs.Underhill, with whom much sympathy is felt. The funeral wasattended by four brothers and one cousin, all members of themedical profession.

-

HENRY JOHN PRANGLEY, M.R.C.S. EKG.,L.R.C.P. LOND., L.S.A.

WE sincerely regret to announce the death, after a fewdays’ illness, from angina pectoris of Mr. Henry JohnPrangley. well known and highly esteemed as a practitionerin Anerley and the neighbourhood, at the comparativelyearly age of 50 years. He was the son of Mr. John Pearce

,

Prangley, solicitor, of Heytesbury, in Wiltshire, and wasborn in that town on Sept. 14th, 1857. His school dayswere spent at St. Nicholas College, Hurstpierpoint, wherehe took many prizes, showing a particular aptitude formathematics. On leaving school he was apprenticed toDr. Willis, who was medical officer of health of Monmouth,and subsequently proceeded to St. Thomas’s Hospitalwhich he joined in 1875. Whilst at the hospital he bothworked and played with the energy which characterised himand as a student, as indeed throughout his life, he was