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friends of the medical man in question present a petition tothe Government asking that he may be promoted to thathonour. Sometimes the promotion is granted spontaneouslyfor exceptional services to the town and the State and alsoon special occasions, such as a jubilee. On account of arather high stamp duty being required for the diploma bythe new Stamp Laws and also on account of a medical manso promoted having declined to pay this duty 1 the Ministerof Public Instruction, as chief of the medical department,has ordered that medical men must beforehand declare

expressly that they will accept their title. Medical men

having this title are addressed in conversation as "IIerrSanitiitsrath," the title of "Dr." being omitted, whilst onletters the proper address is "Herrn Sanitätsrath Dr. X."After a certain time the " Sanitntsrath" may be promoted to therank of "Geheimer Sanittitsrath ".(privy sanitary councillor).This title is used in the same way as "Sanitätsrath," but asthe expression "Geheimer Sanitiitsrath" is rather lengthy itis the custom. in conversation to abbreviate it to "HerrGeheimrath," a word the dictionary rendering of which(privy councillor) is hardly a key to its practical application.On letters, however, the full title must be used. The samecustom exists in the case of privy councillors of otherclasses as, for instance, privy councillors of justice a

title given to lawyers, or privy councillors of com-

merce, a title given to leading bankers, manufac-turers, &c., who in conversation are addressed only in theabbreviated form, " Herr Geheimrath." Apart from the titlesof " Sanitatsrath " and " Geheimer Sanitätsrath " there areother distinctions, the special features of which are that theyare not given to medical practitioners merely as such, but areas a rule associated with a Government appointment. Thechief medical officers of health of a district (Regierungsbezirk)and the members of the provincial medical boards whenappointed to these offices receive at once the title of"Medicinalrath" (councillor). After a certain time passed inthe Government service they are usually promoted to the rankof "Geheimer Medicinalrath" (medical privy councillor).The latter title belongs by virtue of their office to themembers of the central medical department of the Govern-ment in Berlin, the senior members of this board enjoy-ing even the title of " Geheimer Ober-Medicinalrath "

(upper medical privy councillor). The title of "GeheimerMedicinalrath" " is granted, moreover, as a mere personaldistinction to the majority of ordinary professors of theuniversities and to the senior extraordinary professors as

well. Professors who have received this distinction are

addressed only as " Herr Geheimrath " in conversation, whilstthe full title of Professor Virchow is Herrn Geheimen Medici-nalrath Professor Dr. Virchow." The highest ditinction ofthis kind which can be conferred on anyone whomsoever is thetitle of " Wirklicher Geheimer Rath " (real privy councillor),which is very seldom granted to medical men, but is

generally reserved for high Government and Court officials,Ambassadors, &. A "Wirklicher Geheimer Rath" is addressedas "Excellenz" (your excellency), and the only medicalman at present holding this title is Professor von Esmarch inKiel. The term " wirklicher" (real) does not mean that thebearer has any duty to perform, the title being an honorarydistinction only. ’The title of "professor" belongedoriginally to the occupants of chairs in the universities.There are ordinary and extraordinary professors, the numberof the first category being strictly limited by the universitystatutes. Ordinary and extraordinary professors are firstelected to that office by the faculty and the electionhas then to be sanct.ioned by the Sovereign.Apart from members of the universities it became usual a

few years ago to grant the title of professor to senior

privat-docenten and also to the chief physicians and surgeonsat some of the larger hospitals even though they had noconnexion with a university. Whilst in the case of themembers of the universities the term "professor" impliesthe performance of certain duties, the last-mentioned categoryreceives the title of professor as a merely personal distinc-tion conferred by the Government. The full title of a

university professor of medicine would be in this form :"Ordentlicher [or ausserordentlicher] ] und 6tTentlicherProfessor der Medicin" (ordinary [or extraordinary] publicprofessor of medicine). whereas that of the second category ismerely "professor" without, any acicition. In conversation,of course, no distinction is made, both categories beingaddressed as " Herr Professor."

1 THE LANCET, March 31st, 1900, p. 970.

What precedes relates only to the titles used in Prussia.The right to grant titles is a prerogative of the sovereignsof the individual states of the empire and the systemsadopted by them differ widely from one another. InBavaria, for instance, it is not usual to grant the title of" councillor " to ordinary practitioners, the title of " Hofrath"or " Geheimer Rath " (court councillor or privy councillor),being conferred only on medical men in the Governmentseivice or on the professors at the universities. The title of"Geheimer Hofrath" (privy court councillor) is used inBaden and in Würtemberg. The title of " Sanitätsrath" isused in Prussia and in several smaller states.

It is the rule to add the name of the state by which thetitle has been granted, for instance, Royal Prussian MedicalPrivy Councillor or Grand-ducal Baden Privy CourtCouncillor, &c. In the free cities of Hamburg, Lubeck,and Bremen no titles are conferred.

BIRMINGHAM.

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

The Medical Faculty of the University of Birmingham.THE first session of the Medical Faculty of the University

of Birmingham was opened on Oct. lst by a conversazione-held at the University at the invitation of the Vice-Chancellor and Council. Some 350 invitations were issuedand the guests were received by Principal Lodge and theDean of the Medical Faculty, Professor Wmdle. The Principalpresided in the medical lecture-room and in the course ofhis remarks said that unity was the great principle topreach and divisions were scrupulously to be avoided.The University should be a corporate body banded togetherfor the advancement and distribution of learning. Themedical school was stated to be in a healtby and robustcondition. The Dean then delivered an address on theadvantages of the school and the system of training in thenew University. This was listened to with much attentionand interest. A vote of thanks was passed to the Dean,.after which the Principal announced (amid applause) thatthe Council had that afternoon unanimously elected Pro-fessor Windle to represent the University on the GeneralMedical Council.

The Clinical Board.

The prizes awarded by the Clinical Board were distributedon Oct. 8th in the lecture theatre of the General Hospitalby Sir Henry Littlejohn, Professor of Forensic Medicinein the University of Edinburgh. At the invitation of thePresident, Mr. T. F. Chavasse, a large number of medicalmen and their friends assembled. Sir Henry Littlejohn dweltupon the advantages of the practical side of professionaleducation, stating that the system was due to the continentalschools in the first instance, whose initiative had been wiselyfollowed. Every department of medical study, with one

exception, had its corresponding practical course, the ex-

ception being the important subject of medical jurisprudence.Every professor and lecturpr of forensic medicine should inhis opinion hold such an official connexion with the criminalauthorities as would enable them to give a practical characterto their prelections and thus to fit the students to give satis-factory evidence in the witness-box. He eulogised theScottish system of rnedico-legal procedure which would ulti-mately, he thought, be adopted south of the Tweed. Thesmall end of the wedee had been introduced by the establish-ment of the office of director of criminal prosecutions.Sir Henry Littlejohn proceeded to admonish the students *

present on various points of their professional training,.his remarks meeting with hearty applause. A cordial vote ofthanks was accorded to him for corning so long a distanceto deliver the address and for the interesting and pjacticalthoughts which it embodied.

The Musical 1estival.The triennial festival of music for which Birmingham has

obtained so great a reputation concluded on Oct. 5th. Thefinal meeting of the committee took place on the followingmorning when cor gratulations were interchanged on thesplendid success which had been obtained. It was statedthat the receipts amounted to £14,952. as against £13,722for the previous festival, and that still there were manydonations to come in. It is expected that a handsome sum

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will accrue to the General Hospital, in whose favour ct efestival is always held.

Exh,ibition of Litnaties.Much excitement has been created in the minds of a

number of good people by the perusal of the syllabus of themedical faculty of the University, where it is stated that inthe lectures which are delivered by the medical super-intendent of the asylum as professor 11 cases will beexhibited." Science and sentiment have clashed in the

correspondence upon the subject and, as usual, some mis-understanding is the result. The express sanction of the

Asylum Committee is demanded as a matter of publicinterest. The chairman, however, has stated that so far nocomplaint relating to the present practice has been made tothem either by the friends or the patients. Therefore thecommittee cannot well take notice of anonymous corre-

spondents on this subject. Probably more will be heard ofthis in the future.

Oct.. 9th. _______________

MANCHESTER.(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

The Hospitals Fund.A MEETING of the General Committee of the Manchester

Hospital Sunday and Saturday Fund was held recently, whenit was reported that the funds in hand, after deducting E552for expenses, amounted to .r.6647. It was decided to makethe following distribution to the medical charities :-Royal Infirmary ......... £1129 Hospital for Consumption.. .. £285Children’s Hospital ... 905 Cancer Pavilion andSick Poor and Private Home ............... 112Nursing Institution... 734 Hospital for Skin Diseases,. 87

Salford Royal Hospital ... 576 Hulme Dispensary ...... 66Hospital for Incurables ... 503 Victoria Dental Hospital ... 55Ancoats Hospital...... 46 Rar Hospital ............ 41Clinical Hospital.......,. 424 Chorlton-on-Medlock Dis-Royal Eye Hospital ... ", 406 pensary ............ 37St. Mary’s Hospital ... 396 Homoœpathic Dispensary... 9Southern and Maternity H o m ae o p a t h i c c Institu-Hospital ............ 356 tion.................. 9

Last year the amount distributed was £7000. The decrease,no doubt, is due to the War Fund and Indian Famine Fund,to which the workers in many firms have contributed. Themedical charities are to be asked to supply annually auniform analysis of their accounts so as to facilitate the pre-paration of the statement on which distribution is based. A

deputation from the committee of the Fund, from the RoyalInfirmary, and from the Ancoats Hospital has recently urgedon the Watch Committee the need of providing a horseambulance service. The deputation were told that the matterwas "under consideration "-where such matters oftenremain-but, what is more encouraging, they were also told"that their views would probably be fully met." It is byno means a new idea that Manchester suffers from want ofa horse ambulance service, but while the Manchester cor-poration can speedily decide as to what must be done withhundreds of thousands, or even a million or two, a compara-tively small matter such as a horse ambulance service to beused for the sick and injured requires an enormous amount of consideration and must not be determined on rashly.

Sale of Drink to Children.Probably even the staunchest supporters of the view that

moderate drinking is good for the individual and is goodtherefore for the community, and should not be interferedwith by any legislative measures, would hesitate to includechildren in their conception of "the public" and would notbe averse to a measure which would save them from

becoming familiar with the manners and the languagecommonly to be observed at the licensed house at thecorner. A conference to inaugurate a fresh effort in aid of aBill to prohibit the sale of drink to childien under the age of16 years was held in the Botanical Gardens in connexion withthe Band of Hope Union on Sept. 26th. There can be noquestion that fetching beer from the public-house, andoften enough sipping it on the way home, are likely tobring about a habit which may, and in numerous cases

will, result in the excessive drinking which is so injurious tothe physical and moral condition of the people and whichis so costly in its direct and indirect results as to be a

heavy burden on the nation. It was stated by Mr. Wakeley,secretary to the Band of Hope Union, that "in Manchester

n64 out of 2922 licensed houses were in the habit of servingchildren." There seemed to be a general feeling that no helpwas to be expected from the "politicians" in Parliamentand that, as Archdeacon Wilson said, " the temperanceparty must give Parliament to understand that oppositionwas useless, for they were in earnest and would not bedenied."

Death of Benjamin Jones Masaiah, M. D.Edin., ff. R. C.S’. Eng.It is with great regret that I record the death of Dr. B. J.

Massiah of Didsbury, the scene of his practice for manyyears. His health had been failing for some months, andabout three weeks ago he went to Bournemouth for changeof air and rest. On Sept. 29th he became alarmingly ill anddied on the 30th from peritonitis. Dr. Massiah studied at.

Bristol, his native city, and afterwards at Edinburgh. His-first association with Manchester came from his appointmentas resident medical officer to the Cheadle ConvalescentHospital. In 1881 he began practice in Didsbury, where hetook an active part in social and public life. His remainswere cremated at the Manchester Crematorium. As lifegoes nowadays Dr. Massiah died young-he was aged 53 years.Kindly, genial, and cultured, his loss will be felt, not only byhis patients and his colleagues, but by a wide circle offriends. He married about 12 months ago and has left awidow to lament his death.

Fatal Maltreatment of an Imibecile.An inquest was held on Oct. 5th, by Mr. Sidney Smelt,

the city coroner, on the body of Francis Southgate, lately aninmate of the Manchester Union Workhouse at Crumpsall.Various witnesses deposed to having seen violence usedtowards the deceased by an attendant named George Pescott.Mr. W. J. Herlop, police-surgeon, said that there were markson the neck of the deceased such as could be made by atowel twistened and tightened in the manner that had beendescribed. The larynx had been fractured, and the causeof death was asphyxia. The jury returned a verdict ofwilful murder against Pescott, and he was committed fortrial at the next assizes on the coroner’s warrant.

Oct. 9th. ________________

LIVERPOOL.

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

The New Sanatorium at Delamere Forest for the Opert-aarTreatment of Phthisis : the Foundation.stone laid

by the Earl of Derby, K.G.THE foundation-stone of t he new sanatorium which is

being erected at Delamere ForEst, near Frodsham, as an

accessory to the Liverpool Hospital for Consumption, waslaid on Oct. 6th by the Earl of Derby, in the presenceof a large and influential gathering, which included LadyWillox and Mr. W. P. Hartley, who jointly contributed themunificent sum of f.l5,OOO towards the projected under-

taking. The buildings in course of erection will be of a

description suited to the open-air treatment of phthisis.The main block will contain medical officers’ rooms, matron’srooms, and small sitting-rooms for special cases, withaccommodation on the first floor for a limited numberof patients. Behind this block will be the dining-hall, to which there will be no means of approachexcept through the open air; and behind that willbe the block containing the kitchens and servants’apartments, similarly approached. The bulk of the patientswill be housed in small detached blocks containing four orsix bedrooms each, with the requisite baths and otheraccessories. These small blocks will be dotted about the.estate in such positions and numbers as may be required.Attached to the main block and to each of the smallerblocks will be verandahs with a south or south-west aspect,so as to afford opportunities for rest and shelter in small com--panies. Each bedroom in the main block will communicatewith a balcony upon which the patient’s bed may be placed.The construction of the building will be of the simplestcharacter. Fire-places in the rooms will not be required,as the principle of the treatment will be to keep patients asfar as possible in the same temperature. Every arrangementhas been made to favour the free circulation of fresh air.

Mouldings and irregularities of surface will be carefullyeliminated to prevent the accumulation of dust. Electricitywill be largely utilised in the working of the sanatorium. A-