836 BERLIN.-ITALY.-CONSTANTINOPLE.

were subject to great fluctuations in proportion and characterand which might undergo the most varied combinations.The same subject was discussed by Dr. Gottstein of Berlinand Professor Flurschutz of Gotha, who said that a liabilityto tuberculosis manifested itself in the constitution of the

applicant long before the final illness ; the applicant’s con-stitution was below par and this condition could be verified

by comparative measurements. The insurance medical officerhad to take the precise numerical determination of the con-stitution of the applicant as the basis of all his further con-siderations. Dr. van Gesner of Amsterdam spoke on themortality caused by tuberculosis. He expressed the opinionthat it was not possible to diagnose with certainty the exist-ence of tuberculosis which did not make itself evident untilthe lapse of years after the time of application and that ifall the cases in which a possible doubt might exist werethrown out the number rejected would be excessive.Another subject of discussion was obesity and its importancein connexion with insurance. Dr. Richter of Berlin, drawinghis conclusions from the large experience of the VictoriaLife Insurance Company, said that the average duration oflife in obese persons was shorter than that of policy-holdersin general, the proportions being 47 years and 10 months inthe former class as against 50 years and 1 month in thelatter. Among the fatal diseases to which obese personswere liable heart disease, kidney disease, and apoplexy tookthe first place; these individuals were also less favourablycircumstanced for surgical operations than persons of normalweight, but on the other hand among them the mortality fromtuberculosis was below the average. The general result wasthat obesity increased the insurance risk in an appreciabledegree. Dr. Pfeiffer of Weimar discussed the vaccinationclauses in insurance contracts and called attention to theextremely small mortality from small-pox in countries wherevaccination was compulsory. He hoped that those companieswhich had struck out the vaccination clause from theirexamination form would re-introduce it. Dr. S. W. Carruthersof London read for Dr. R. Hingston Fox a paper on a methodof distinguishing between the harmless and dangerous typesof albuminuria. He pointed out the difference between

hæmatogenous and nephritic albuminuria and alluded tovarious researches published in THE LANCET by Sir A. E.Wright who by the administration of calcium lactatedetermined to which class a given case of albuminuria

belonged. If the albumin disappeared from the urine afterthe ingestion of calcium lactate it was probably hæmatogenousin origin, and these applicants might be accepted forlife insurance if they were otherwise quite healthy. Dr.Carruthers laid before the congress an elaborate system of astandard classification of lives having an under-average valuefor insurance purposes. Insurance against accidents, whichin Germany is carried out not only by private companies butalso includes the statutory insurance of workmen, occupieda relatively great part of the proceedings. Dr. Feilchenfeldread a paper on Injuries in Cases of Internal Diseases, withSpecial Regard to the Public Insurance. Other papershad for their subjects the aggravation of insanity throughaccidents, the influence of injuries on latent and organicdiseases of the brain and spinal cord, and the tests of theaggravation of functional nervous complaints throughaccidents. The meetings were well attended by medicalmen of various nationalities. The members were invited toa performance at the Opera House by command of theEmperor ; they were also entertained in the town-hall by themunicipal authorities and a banquet was given in their honour

Y

by the German Association of the Insurance Companies.The next congress will meet at Vienna.Sept.17th.

ITALY.

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

The Vatican and tke Quatercentenary of the University ofAberdeen.

Pius X. is much interested in the approaching festa of the"Granite City," and, as his representative on the occasion,has delegated Monsignor Fraser, Rector of the Scots Collegein Rome, who is also Postulator of the Causes of ScottishSaints before the Congregation of Rites. Another proof of theinterest taken in the quatercentenary at the headquarters ofthe Roman Catholic world is the article in the current issue

of the Vox Urbis entitled," De Aberdonia Urbe ejusqueS tudiorum Universitate." In flowing ecclesiastical Latinity thewriter describes the geographical situation, the climate, andthe physical character of Aberdeen generally, touching, more-over, on its industries, and dwelling, not without humour,on the keen business aptitudes of its inhabitants. He doesnot omit the well-known anecdote of the Jew who tried, inthe manner of his race, to make his living, if not his fortune,in Aberdeen, and who shortly afterwards returned to tellhis astonished family that he "had found the losttribes." But he forthwith proceeds to vindicate theAberdonians from the imputation of hardness. " Thoughthe city," he says, "is built of granite, neither theheads nor hearts of the citizens are fashioned out of thesame ’dour’ material." On the contrary, "humanissimivere omnes et alienigenas liberaliter comiterque solent

excipere." Then follows a eulogy on their love of litera-ture, science, and the studies proper to a University, inthe course of which he reminds his readers that not onlyAberdeen but also St. Andrews and Glasgow owe theirrespective seats of learning to the Holy See. A brief,but vivid, sketch of the new buildings of MarischalCollege- accompanied by effective illustrations fromrecent photographs-leads up to a paragraph on thecelebrities trained at the University, singling out for

special notice Arthur Johnston, of European fame as

a physician and Latin poet, whose version of thePsalms used to be a text-book in continental, particularlyDutch, schools. The whole article is well worth reading asa tribute, equally cordial and impartial, to a seat of learningwhich has long passed out of the jurisdiction of the LatinChurch, to which it owes its origin.

The Statistics of Malaria.

That only 11 Italian provinces are exempt from thisscourge is one of many striking facts to be culled from thereport recently issued by the " Direzione Generale di Sanità"on the prevalence of malaria in Italy. The immune pro-vinces referred to are Ancona, Arezzo, Cuneo, Florence,Genoa, Lucca, Macerata, Parma, Pesaro-Urbino, Piacenza,and Porto Maurizio, in some of which, it may be remarked,the mosquito is "strong on the wing." The conditions,indeed, under which it prevails are many and various.While Florence escapes it, Rome on her outskirts and im-mediately beyond her walls is quite within its sway, whichintensifies with every step taken into the Campagna. Theverdant hill-side and the wind-swept seaboard are equallysubject to it with the sun-baked hamlet of the plain. Thesecontrasted conditions are illustrated in the 2650 communesin which it prevails-the islands of Sicily and Sardinia beingnot more heavily visited by it than the confines of theprovince of Udine in Upper Italy. Turin, also in the AltaItalia, shows unfavourably in the report, while, strange tosay, on the rim of the Turinese province, there is but onecommune officially returned as " malarico "-that ofYerolengo !

Sept. 17th. ________________

CONSTANTINOPLE.

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

Hospital Reform.AN Imperial irade sanctions the division of the Turkish

infirmaries of the capital into different sections with specialcliniques for gynaecological cases, for eye diseases, forsyphilitic maladies, &c. Students leaving the ImperialSchool of Medicine will have to take a definite course oflectures in these cliniques before engaging in actual practice.

Hygienio Measures.The High Commission of Public Hygiene has decided to

submit, after each summer season, all the houses let totuberculous patients on the beautiful Princes Islands in theMarmora Sea to a thorough disinfection. Thus the dangersof the spread of the disease will be very considerablydiminished. These islands are in every way a delightfulhealth resort, not only for those suffering from pulmonarytuberculosis but also for neurasthenics, persons debilitatedin any way, &c. Unfortunately the municipal authoritieshave taken, up to now, very little interest in the sanitation

837CONSTANTINOPLE.-CANADA.

of the islands, but there now seems some likelihood of achange in this respect.

Typhoid Féver.The Levant Herald says that in the seventh municipal

circle of Constantinople numerous cases of enteric feverhave occurred. The High Commission of Public Hygiene,which holds its sittings in the municipal buildings of themetropolis, has been informed of this fact and also of thefact that the water of several fountains used for drinkingpurposes is very impure. The municipal circle in questionhas received strict orders to clean all these fountains and tosend, at the same time, certain quantities of water forchemical and microscopical analysis.Sept.15th.

CANADA.(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

Meeting of the British Medical Association and of KindredBodies.

LOOKING at the recent meeting of the British MedicalAssociation in a broad and liberal sense the Canadianmust have been struck by three particulars : the regularityof the sectional work; the brilliancy of the openingfunctions; and the large attendance from Canada present.The first and the last especially will make a lastingimpression upon the future gatherings of our own nationalmedical organisation-the Canadian Medical Association.The official registration figures give an attendance from theDominion of Canada of 1078 out of a total attendance of1986 and out of a medical population in all Canada ofsomething approaching 6000 practitioner?. When it is

brought to mind that the largest medical meeting ofCanadians which has ever been held did not total an

attendance of 350, one cannot but feel that the attractionwas not all due to the prestige of the British MedicalAssociation but to a strenuous organisation campaign andto excellent transportation arrangements. Every effort,however, was put forth on the part of the profession inToronto to make the meeting a pronounced success, andnot alone to extend a warm welcome to the members ofthe Association from the home country but to those aswell from other colonies, from the adjacent land to thesouth of us, and from foreign countries. For, after all, theprofession of medicine is cosmopolitan and knows nobarriers or distinctions except those won by true merit.

Canadian Medical Association.The week appointed for the meeting of the British Medical

Association began with the annual meeting, the thirty-ninth, of the Canadian Medical Association, held on

August 20th, in the afternoon. Dr. A. McPhedran, professorof medicine in the University of Toronto, was in the chairas President, and called upon Mr. Irving H. Cameron, LL.D.,F.R.C.S. Eng., to present the report of the special com-mittee on reorganisation. This was the chief item of businesstaken up and after a short discussion it was decided to takeup and deal with it fully at the next annual meeting. The

report took the form of an entirely new constitution and by-laws, which will provide for incorporation, the affiliating ofpresent existing societies in the Dominion, the establishmentof branches, and the publication of a journal which shall bethe official organ of the Association. It was decided to meetnext year in Montreal. Professor McPhedran was re-electedPresident and Dr. George Elliott (Toronto) was re-electedgeneral secretary. All the other officers were re-electedwith the exception of the executive council, which this yearwill be made up of three practitioners in Montreal, Dr. F. J.Shepherd, Dr. E. P. Lachapelle, and Dr. Frank R. England.

Canadian Medical Protective Association.

Following the meeting of the Canadian Medical Associa-tion, the Canadian Medical Protective Association held itsannual meeting. Dr. R. W. Powell, the President (Ottawa),occupied the chair and presented the annual report. Thesociety, which seeks to defend suits brought against any ofits members for alleged malpractice, is an offshoot of theCanadian Medical Association and was formed in 1901 at theannual meeting of that body in Winnipeg in that year. Ithas done remarkably good work, as although it has defendedseveral suits in that time not one which it ever defended has

been lost. It is year by year becoming more popular withthe medical profession in Canada and the membership isnow approaching 500. Dr. Powell was re-elected Presidentand Dr. Fenton Argue (Ottawa) secretary-treasurer, insuccession to Dr. J. A. Grant, jun. (Ottawa), resigned.

Ontario Medical Association.This society held its annual meeting in the evening of

August 20th, but only met in executive session. Dr. GeorgeA. Bingham (Toronto) was re-elected President, and Dr.Charles P. Lusk (Toronto) was re-elected secretary. It wasdecided to meet in Toronto in 1907.

Tuberculosis Exhibition.In the same building as these societies met there was going

on all the week and the week following a tuberculosis exhibi-tion, including photographs, charts, diagrams, maps, modelsof shacks and tents, &c. This was open to the public andwas well patronised, thus exhibiting the interest the publicis taking in the prevention and treatment of this disease.Popular lectures were given as well at which some well-known gentlemen delivered addresses.

British Medical Association.

By the morning of August 21st, the opening day of theBritish Medical Association meeting, upwards of 1000members had already registered and then began a round ofscientific work and pleasure from which a good many are atthe present time resting. It would be impossible for me togive even a short synopsis of the work done in the sectionsand as THE LANCET has already published the addresses’noparticular attention need be paid to these except to say thatthey were most thoroughly enjoyed. The social side of themeeting seemed to be well patronised and good fellow-ship reigned supreme. Amongst the numerous private func-tions one may be mentioned-namely, the reception andgarden party given in honour of Sir Victor and Lady Horsleyby Dr. Herbert A. Bruce, whose guests they were. Amongstother entertainments of note were the reception given by thePresident and Mrs. Reeve ; the garden party on the magni-ficent lawns of Mr. Osler, M.P. ; the reception at the CityHall by the mayor and Mrs. Coatsworth ; the reception byhis honour Lieutenant-Governor Mr. Mortimer Clarke andMrs. Clarke ; the garden party by Mr. and Mrs. Herbert Cox ;the garden party at the Toronto General Hospital ; and,most noteworthy, the reception on the evening of thelast day at the Royal Canadian Yacht Club by CommodoreDr. Albert A. Macdonald and Mrs. Macdonald. The annualbanquet in the roller skating-rink of the Victoria Club wasanother popular gathering, and the management of thisreflects much credit upon Dr. F. Le M. Grasett, the chairmanof the dinner committee. The exhibition of pharmaceuticalpreparations, books, and instruments and appliances was wellarranged by the chairman, Dr. Arthur Jukes Johnson. Justa word as to the work of the Publishing and Printing Com-mittee, with Dr. Adam H. Wright as chairman. Thiscommittee issued an artistic souvenir pamphlet which wasthe admired of all. It shows to what a high degree theprinting art has attained in Canada. In its production twomembers of the committee deserve special mention-namely,Dr. J. T. Fotheringham and Mr. Edmund E. King (Toronto).The Methodist Book Room, Toronto, may deservedly feelproud of this production.

Sept. 1st.

THE SANCTITY OF RUSSIAN INFIRMARIES.—TheNovoo Vremya relates that, owing to the intelligencethat an individual wanted by the police is beingtreated in one of the Moscow hospitals, instructions werereceived from St. Petersburg that these institutions wereto be searched by the police. The search was madebut without the desired result. A striking incidentoccurred at the University Psychiatric Clinic, namedafter Morossoff, where the presiding official, ProfessorSerbsky, positively refused to allow the police to carry outtheir search on the ground that the bustle would excite hispatients. The city governor proposed that the police shouldenter the clinic disguised so as to meet the scruples of theprofessor. But he would have none of the compromise, sohis clinic had to be entered by force. It is added that at theEkaterininsk infirmary the appearance of the police pro-duced a state of wild alarm amongst the patients and thedirector of the institution is making a complaint to the

governor on the subject.