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danger, argues that the funnel-like opening of the LacbinCanal, 1500 feet wide, which draws its water from the riverdiverts the shore water so that it pours into Montreal harbourThis probably is the case during the summer. But it habeen pointed out that at the close of navigation in Novembethe Lachine Canal is shut, and it has been shown that th

event, usually synchronises with the outbreaks of typhoifever, thus seeming to demonstrate clearly that when th,shore, water is not diverted into the canal, but finds its wainto the intakes of both supplies, typhoid fever occurs. Thi

explains the fact that Montreal is peculiar in generall;having her epidemics of typhoid fever, not in the summerbut in the winter.The Montreal water-supply varies very considerably a

different times of the year. During the months of Februaryand March Montreal receives virtually St. Lawrence wate:alone. At this season of the year the ground ice and fraziat the foot of the Cascade Rapids form a dam which deflect !the St. Lawrence water round Ile Perrot and forces back th<Ottawa water to Riviere des Prairies and Rivi&egrave;re des Mille1

Iles, and in front of the island of Montreal flows an unmixecstream of St. Lawrence water. At the end of March, wherthe ice bridge breaks, a remarkable change in the constitution of the city water is witnessed, as at this timethe waters of the St. Lawrence and Ottawa both flow

past the fron of the island. Investigations have beermade from time to time into the water-supply of Montreal.and usually the results of these inquiries have showrthat the supply is open to grave suspicion. The latest

report made to the city council was that by a commissiorappointed through the agency of the Emergency Hospitalcommittee. This committee suggested to the Universities oiMcGill and of Laval that a commission should be formed,chosen from the medical faculties of the universities, tc

investigate and report on the water-supply. The suggestionwas adopted and the members of the commission wereappointed as follows : J. G. Adami, G. E. Armstrong, R. F.Ruttan, and T. A. Starkey representing McGill University ;and A. Bernier, J. J. Guerin, Henri Hervieux, and E. P.

Lachapelle representing Laval University. The gist of theirreport was to find the evidence overwhelming that the chiefcause of disease in Montreal is the water-supply of the

city and suburbs, proving that the water-supply of the citymust be provided by a thorough system of filtration beforedistribution to the public. These are uncompromisinglyplain statements, but Professor Starkey of McGill Universityhas issued reports of a like tenour within recent years,as have also Dr. Laberge, Dr. Bernier, and others. Itseems obvious that water-supplies which have their intakesclose to a shore which is liable to contamination must beviewed with suspicion. And when serious outbreaks oftyphoid fever are constantly occurring among the consumersof this water the suspicion is strengthened into conviction.Since the recent epidemic both the companies have madevigorous efforts to safeguard the water-supplies. Not onlyhave the intakes been removed to points in the river at con-siderable distances from the shore, but resort has been hadto chemical disinfection of the water by the agency of

bleaching powder, and it has been decided by the city councilto establish a filtration plant. The Water and Power Com-

pany is also making arrangements for the establishment of,a similar plant, but it is probable that the city will purchasethe company’s rights and will assume complete control of thewater-supply of Montreal and district.The water of the St. Lawrence differs widely from that of

the Ottawa in appearance and constitution. Throughout theyear the St. Lawrence water is very much less turbid, evenin flood time, than the Ottawa water. A commission which

investigated the water-supply of Montreal in 1905 reportedthat the amount of solids in solution in St. Lawrence wateris about two and a quarter times that of the Ottawa, theaverage of total solid for the former being 146- 67 per1,000,000. The St. Lawrence contains from 3 to 5 timesmore chlorides than the Ottawa, and the alkalinicy expressedin terms of calcium carbnnate is 5 times greater. The totalnumber of water bacteria is greater in the Ottawa than inthe St. Lawrence water, but there is considerably moreorganic matter in the Ottawa water. Perhaps, after all, themost instructive point to be considered, in regard to thewater-borne outbreaks of typhoid fever which have takenplace with unpleasant frequeney during the past two or threedecades is that a river of large volume and rapid current,

such as the St. Lawrence, does not necessarily purify itself, quickly enough to prevent the spread of disease, even

. though the amount of pollution may be relatively small.s Professor W. T. Sedgwick of Massachusetts Institute ofr Technology, in an address which he delivered at the last

annual conference of Sanitary Officers of the State of NewI York, held in the beginning of the year, said : "It is now

agreed by all competent sanitarians that to depend upon ther self-purification of sewage is to lean upon a broken reed."

Montreal appears to be a case in point.

BRISTOL AND THE WESTERN COUNTIES.

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENTS.)

The University of Bristol : tz Treasury Grant.A DEPUTATION representative of the University waited on

Mr. C. E. Hobhouse, M.P., Financial Secretary to theTreasury, last week, to urge that Bristol be included amongthe universities which receive an annual grant of .&2000 forexamination and administrative purposes. The Treasury haddeclined to do this, in anticipation of a rearrangement whichwill "pool" these grants with Parliamentary UniversityCollege " grants, made for teaching purposes and distributedunder the advice of a standing committee. The deputation,which consisted of the Vice-Chancellor and Treasurer of theUniversity, the Lord Mayor of Bristol, Mr. Augustine Birrell,M.P., Mr. G. A. Gibbs, M.P., and Mr. J. W. Arrowsmith,was successful in its pleadings, Mr. Hobhouse undertakingto put Bristol on the list as from April lst last until therearrangement should take place.

The University Colour.In the Bristol University Gozette for July is an interest.

ing account by Miss Ida Roper of the origin of thecolour known as " Bristol red," which is to be the colour ofall University hoods. There is reason to believe that it wasso called from its coincidence with the colour of the fiowerof Bristol," the scarlet lychnis, known to herbalists as

"nonesuch." This is a garden flower, a native of EasternEurope and the Levant, but introduced into England in theMiddle Ages when Bristol was the second port in the

kingdom. At this time also Bristol enjoyed a reputationfor dyeing woollen goods a particular red, which seems

to have become associated with the colour of the"flower of Bristowe." Other articles in the Gazette

give a very clear impression of activity in the develop-ment of the University. A short description of thenew buildings to accommodate chemistry and physiologyis given ; the new block is so large that it will almostdouble the size of the University buildings. Specialprovision is being made for advanced research. There is a

truly portentous list of organisations and their proceedings,including anatomical and physiological societies, which

appear to be in a very flourishing condition. A catalogue ofdepartmental publications during the last 12 months is

given, and contains 74 items, many of which representoriginal research of considerable scope and value.

Bristol Royal Infirmary.At the quarterly meeting of governors of the Royal

Infirmary it was announced that the contract for the new

buildings had been let with the stipulation that the workshould be completed in one year and eight months. Thescheme, it will be remembered, provides for the immediateerection of a block to contain 180 beds, at an estimated costof .650,000. Allusion was also made to the retirement,under the rule of age limit, of Dr. Charles A. Hayman fromthe post of assistant dental surgeon. In spite of a furtherincrease in the subscriptions there is a deficit of E4260.

Bristol General Hospital.Dr. E. Emrys-Roberts, who has for the past two years

held the post of pathologist to the General Hospital withthat of assistant to the professor of pathology at the Univer-sity, has been elected to ’the chair of pathology in the

University of Wales. His migration to Cardiff will leave aconsiderable gap in Bristol, where he has done much goodwork both in pathology and in the development of variousUniversity organisations.

-Medical Inspection nf School Children in Bristol.The report of work done in 1909, compiled by Dr. T. A

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Green, acting school medical otticer, makes very interestingreading. A few statistics may here be quoted. 15,161children were examined ; in 47-8 per cent. some defect wasfound. 271 children were excluded temporarily or perma-nently from school attendance for various reasons, phthisisaccounting for 32, non-tuberculous pulmonary disease for

60, scabies for 19, and imp6tigo for 17. In 1691 cases itwas found necessary to notify parents of the need for

general medical treatment. At rather more than half thetotal number of inspections parents were present ; it is

interesting to note that a higher percentage of parentsattended in the poorest districts than in any of the others.A "good" state of nutrition was noted in 89 per cent.of the children. Tabulations of heights and weightsare included, which it is hoped will (after a numberof years) throw light on the relation between a highrate of infant mortality in any given year to the stateof health in children born in the same year but surviving thefirst 12 months of life. Verminous heads were noted in2280 cases, ringworm in 67. There were 426 childrenfound to be " dull," 45 were mentally defective, and 5 wereimbecile. External eye defects were present in 3 per cent.and visual defects in 10 per cent. of the children examined.In no less than 62 per cent. were there dental defects ; aboutone-third of these were recommended to seek advice, butapparently without result in a considerable proportion (nearlytwo-thirds of those so advised). Much more that is ofinterest is also included in this admirable report, though itcannot be reproduced here.August 2nd.

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SCOTLAND.

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENTS.)

The late Captain E. D. Simson, 1. M.S.MANY Merchistonians and graduates of the University of

- Edinburgh will hear with regret of the death from cholera ofCaptain Ernest David Simson, 1,M.S., at Nowshera, India, atthe age of 28 years. Captain Simson was widely known as afamous half-back in the football field, playing first forMerchiston Castle, later for the University of Edinburgh, andfinally in the International team for Scotland. He played inall 17 International matches, including the match against theNew Zealand All Blacks." But what equally made him aman of mark was the strength and goodness of his character.Dr. John Kelman, referring to Captain Simson’s death on

Sunday, July 24th, spoke of him as the greatest single in-fluence for good which he had known at the University ofEdinburgh. The fact that Captain Simson’s marriage was totake place iri September makes the circumstance of his deathpeculiarly sad.

Scottish. University Grants.The report of the committee on Scottish Universities has

just been issued. The total amount of the claims for addi-tional assistance from public revenues was approximately&pound;55,000. The committee, however, thinks that capitalexpenditure on buildings should not be included in annualgrants, but dealt with as occasion demands, and that anyclaim then made should be accompanied by proper detailsand estimates, and the grant, if any, be regarded as an aidto other sources rather than a substitute for them. Thecommittee reports : 1. That a good claim has been madeout for an additional grant of public money to the uni-versities of Scotland, and that in its opinion &pound;40,000 wouldbe a fair and reasonable contribution to their more pressingneeds at this time. 2. That this sum of E40,000 maybe allocated as follows between the four universities:to the University of Edinburgh, ,612,500 ; to the Universityof Glasgow, .612,500 ; to the University of Aberdeen, &pound;9000 ;and to the University of St. Andrews, ’.66000. 3. That thesegrants should be made and accepted on certain conditions-viz. : (a) the administration of the grants shall be in thehands and on the responsibility of the university court ineach university, but the court shall submit annually to theTreasury a report of its dealings with the grant and an accountin a prescribed form of all moneys received and expended,the Treasury, if they see fit, to institute an independentinquiry into the whole circumstances at intervals of five

years ; (b) in the apportionment of the grant of .E6000 tot. Andrews University, not less than E1500 thereof shall be

devoted to the Conjoint Medical School at Dundee, it beingthe intention that the sums available for the purposes of themedical school from this grant and from the foimer grantunder Ordinance No. 46 shall, when taken together, never beless than .E4500. 4. That in addition to the above grant of&pound;40,000 there should be paid to the council of UniversityCollege, Dundee, for the purposes of the college an annualsum of &pound;3000, the administration of this grant to be in thehands and on the responsibility of the council of the college.5. That if the grant of an annual sum of f:3000 be made toUniversity College, Dundee, as indicated in recommendation(4), the grant hitherto paid to the college from the universitycolleges (Great Britain) grant should be discontinued.

Scarlet Fever Outbreak at Perth.A serious outbreak of scarlet fever has taken place in Perth

and the number of cases reported has grown so large that thepublic health committee of Perth town council has con-sidered the advisability of having the small-pox hospital atthe Shore opened as an emergency hospital. Over 50patients have been admitted to the Friarton Hospital duringthe past week and the committee authorised the paintingand cleaning of the small-pox hospital being carried outimmediately.

Bignold Hospital, Wick : Fintcncicial Crisis.A financial crisis has occurred in the affairs of Bignold

Hospital, Wick, in consequence of the intimation that SirArthur Bignold will not continue his annual donation ofR300 to the funds of the hospital. A public meetingwas held in Wick on July 27th, to consider the matter.Sheriff Stuart presided over a very representative attendance.It was explained that Sir Arthur Bignold had spent about

E600 in building, equipping, and partially endowing thehospital, and since its opening in 1903 had given an annualdonation of R300 to the funds. The annual outlay was about&pound;500. The income from endowments and subscriptions wasabout &pound;124. It will, therefore, be necessary to find somemeans of raising an additional E350 or more a year if theinstitution is to be carried on. It was resolved to expressregret at the loss of Sir Arthur Bignold’s support, but tothank him for his generous gift of the institution. It wasalso agreed that a direct personal appeal should be madeannually to the people of Wick, Thurso, and the county ofCaithness on behalf of the funds of the hospital.August 2nd.

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IRELAND.(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENTS.)

The Registrar- General’s Report.THE annual report of the Registrar-General for Ireland for

he year 1909 shows that the natural increase of population, orexcess of births over deaths, was 27,786, and the loss byemigration 28,676 (which number is greater than the numberof emigrants enumerated in 1908-namely, 23,295, but lessthan the average number-37,141-for the ten years 1899-1908). There would, according to these figures, appear tohave been a decrease of 890 persons in the population onDec. 31st, 1909. The remarkable decrease in emigration inthe past two years is not, at any rate in the main, a measureof increased prosperity in Ireland, but is the result ofcommercial depression in America. The marriages regis-tered during the year numbered 22,650, representing a

rate of 5 18 per 1000 of the estimated population.This rate is 0-02 below that for the previous year, butD 06 above the average for the ten years 1899-1908.There were 102,759 births during the year 1909, including52,726 boys and 50,033 girls, the ratio to the estimated popu-lation being 23.5 per 1000, which is 0.3 above the averagerate per 1000 for the ten years 1899-1908. 99,997, or 97-3per cent., of the children were legitimate, and 2762, or 2-7per cent., illegitimate. These results bear favourable com-parison with the returns for most other countries. Thenumber of deaths was 74,973, or 17 2 per 1000 of the popu-lation, which is 0-4 under the rate for the year 1908 and3 6 under the average rate for the previous ten years. An

interesting feature of the report is a marked decrease in thenumber of deaths due to tuberculous diseases from 11,293 in1908 to 10,594 in 1909.

Reforms in Trinity College.For some years past it has become more and more plain