999SCOTLAND.-IRELAND.

the purpose. Dr. Cullen seconded the recommendations ! ndpointed out that 80 per cent. of the deaths bad occurredin houses under £20 rental and held that their plain andpressing. duty was to provide the accommodation recom-mended. Dr. Robertson also supported the proposal. Somecriticism and opposition were offered by several of themembers 1 ut were ultimately withdrawn and the recom-mendation of the public health committee were unanimouslyagreed to.

Edinburgh Church of Scotland Deaooness Hcspital.At the eleventh annual meeting of the supporters and

friends of this hospital it was stated that during the pastyear there had been 415 patients received, as compared with341 the previous year. The death-rate had been 4’ 7 percent. fhe district nurses had visited 594 cases. The ex-

penditure for the year was £1808, making the expenditureper bed E57 6s. 8d. The income was, for the first time, notequal to the expenditure. In supporting the report Dr.J. Play fair, President of the Royal College of Physicians ofEdinburgh, spoke of the good work which the hospital wasdoing and thought that compared with the cost of other

hospitals they were getting good value for their money.Professor Sims Woodhead in Glasgow.

Recently Professor G. Sims Woodhead visited Glasgow inhis capacity as President of the Temperance Collegiate Asso-ciation and addressed several large meetings on the subjectof Alcohol and Disease. In his honour a banquet was givenby the Lord Provost and health committee of the city, alarge proportion of those present being medical men.

Vaccination in the Eye.An unfortunate accident has happened to a medical man

in practice in Greenock. While breaking a tube of vaccinelymph a splinter of glass entered his eye which in a fewdays exhibited the usual signs of successful vaccination. Itis probable that the resulting impairment of vision wouldhave been more serious but for the fact of his having beenrevaccinated two years ago.

Lane -Lecturer at San rrancisco.Dr. J. C. McVail, the medical officer of health of the

counties of Dumbarton and Stirling, has received and

accepted an invitation to be the next Lane lecturer in theCooper Medical College, San Francisco. This lectureshipwas founded some ten years ago, the first lecturer being SirWilliam Macewen, and since then several eminent Britishmedical men have been similarly honoured. The courseconsists of ten lectures in the month of August and they arelargely attended not only by the medical men of SanFrancisco but also by the general public. Dr. McVail’ssubject will be " Hygiene." The county councils of Stirlingand Dumbarton have readily consented to allow Dr. McVailthe necessary leave of absence.April 3rd.

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IRELAND.(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENTS.)

-Death of William Logan, M.D. St. And , , M.R. C.S. Eng.I REGRET to report the death of Dr. W. Logan which

took place at his residence Knocknagulla, Whitehead, co.Antrim, on March 26th, in his seventy-first year. Thedeceased gentleman was a native of Straidnahanna, nearCarrickfergus. In his early life he studied at Queen’sCollege, Belfast, for the medical profession and graduated in1862 M.D. of St. Andrews ; in the same year he becameM.R.C.S. Eng. For many years he practised in Belfast andafterwards in Yorkshire, where his arduous duties so under-mined his health that he had to retire from practice andto return to Ireland, where he lived near Whitehead. Dr.Logan is survived by his widow and he leaves two sons and adaughter, all three being members of the medical profession.

Royal Victoria Hospital, Be7fast.At the annual meeting of the friends of this institution

held on March 28th a very satisfactory report and financialstatement were submitted. As to patients, 2838 new internand 25 917 extern cases were treated, and 1117 surgicaloperations were performed with a 4’4 per cent. mortality.Patients are arriving in increasing numbers from all parts ofthe north of Ireland for surgical treatment. Financially,the net receipts from all sources were £14,877 11s. 7d. and

the disbursements of all kinds amounted to £14,735 Os. Id.,leaving a small surplus as balance of .E142 11.’’. 6d. Thechairman (Mr. R. H. Reade, D.L ) spoke of the Eingularcomfort and cheerfulness of the wards and of the plenumsystem of ventilation, which had answered its purposeadmirably. By it "they had," he said, "been able toobtain a fresh current of air without any draughts, thetemperature had been maintained at the desired point, and,further, there was an advantage not anticipated-namely, thatthey had been absolutely free from flies in the summer-time."It is interesting to know that the cost of the patients hasbeen only 2s. 22d. per day during the past 3ear, or 6d.less than in the preceding one ; in 1903 the time spent inhospital was, on an average, 26 days ; in 1905 it was 24idays. Dr. H. L. McKisack (secretary of the medical staff;,on behalf of his colleagues, said that they had every reasonto be satisfied with the administration of the hospital. Theyhoped the additional four wards would soon be opened.

Tughan v. Darnell.A joint meeting of the Ulster branch of the British

Medical Association and the Ulster Medical Society washeld in the Medical Institute, Belfast, on March 29th. Dr.W. Calwell occupied the chair and there was a very largeattendance of the members of the medical profession.Sincere sympathy was expressed in reference to the result ofthe action with Mr. C. K. Darnell. After a long discussionit was decided to take the opinion of counsel as to the effectof the law on the medical profession as it was interpreted bythe judge in the case, Chief Baron Palles. I understandthat a meeting of the profession will be called later ; in themeantime notice of appeal has been given.

Action by a Nurse against a Medical Man.Mrs. Harvey, a midwife, brought an action for slander

against Mr. Richard Dalton, a physician practising in Cork.The case came on for hearing on March 24th before the LordChief Justice, and the court was crowded. Mrs. Harveyusually takes what are called "running cases"-that is tosay, she might attend several women in labour in the oneweek. She attended a Mrs. Donovan and some time after-wards Mr. Dalton was called in to see the baby. The nursestated that she was present on the occasion of his visitand that he informed her that the child was "rotten with

syphilis." In further evidence she said that havingheard rumours that she had conveyed contagion froma case of puerperal fever to the infant she, accompaniedby her mother who is also a midwife, called on Mr. Daltonwho then told them that the child was suffering from cellulitisand they asked him why he had changed his diagnosis in themeantime. Describing the condition of the child on theoccasion of Mr. Dalton’s first visit she stated that theumbilicus was quite healed. Mr. Dalton in his evidencedenied positively that he bad ever stated the child had

syphilis and added that it was from the nurse herself the

suggestion came ; that she had said to him that the illness ofthe child was due to the condition of the father’s blood. Heswore that he never treated the child for syphilis, as it wasfrom omphalitis and spreading cellulitis that the little patientwas suffering and that he bad registered the death as beingdue to spreading cellulitis. In the course of further evidenceit appeared that Mrs. Harvey, some days after she haddelivered Mrs. Donovan, attended a Mrs. O’Veill whodeveloped puerperal fever, was removed to the workhousehospital, and died there. The nurse swore that when inattendance on Mrs. O’Veill she was not aware that she wassuffering from puerperal fever, that she delivered severalother women soon afterwards, and that all of them recoveredwithout exhibiting any abnormal symptoms. It furthercame out in evidence that the father of the child Donovan,who was very indignant on hearing the rumour that he hadtransmitted syphilis to his child, put the sanitary authoritiesin motion, with the result that the corporation van arrivedat the nurse’s residence for the purpose of removing herclothes for disinfection. The case was at hearing during thewhole day and the judge, when addressing the jury, chargedmarkedly in favour of the plaintiff. The jury retired andafter about an hour’s deliberation brought in a verdict forthe defendant and judgment was marked accordingly. Asthe evidence was so contradictory many considered that thetask of the jury was a difficult one, but it now turns outthat they did not discuss the question of veracity, as theycame to the conclusion that the communication made by thedefendant to the plaintiff in the presence of her mother wasprivileged. It is interesting to note that the judge in the

1000 PARIS.-BERLIN.

course of his charge informed the jury that according to lawa statement could be malicious though the person utteringit entertained no ill-will. The following day another actionfor slander by the same nurse against the father of the childDonovan was at hearing before Mr. Justice Johnson, the otherjudge of assize. The defendant in the course of his evidencestated that in notifying the sanitary authorities he wasinfluenced by the desire to prevent other people fromsuffering as he had suffered. The jury that tried the casebrought in a verdict in his favour. The nurse had an actionfor slander against a third party, also in connexion with thedeath of the child Donovan, but counsel of both sides askedfor a postponement till next assizes and the judge ruledaccordingly.April 3rd.

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PARIS.

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

The Prevention of Contagious Diseases in Bathing Resorts.AT a meeting of the Academy of Medicine held on

March 20th M. de Rance called attention to the fact thatthe danger of the propagation of contagious diseases is muchless in villages, where the population is more or less scattered,than in the urban mineral water resorts, where at the heightof the season there is decided overcrowding in some hotelsat certain periods of the year. The aggregation of in-dividuals and the special predisposition to further illnesswhich exists among persons who are already in bad health,weakened, or depressed, are also favourable to the trans-mission and propagation of disease. Moreover, if suchtransmission of disease cannot be prevented and an epidemicis threatening the result may be a panic which will emptythe hotels and villas. Interests which deserve considera-tion are therefore at stake, The medical man oughtaccordingly to place the patient in the best conditionsfor recovery, ought to take all necessary measures for

preventing infection, and in the general interest ought toallay public apprehension. If there is no isolation hospitalreserved for contagious diseases the patient might beremoved to a house or villa fulfilling the conditions necessaryfor isolation and disinfection. Sometimes, however, a patienthad to be kept in an hotel and prophylactic measures, nomatter how carefully designed, were a failure. For theefficient carrying out of such measures it would be necessary,in the first place, to confer the requisite authority on themedical man and the mayor of the district and, secondly, toplace at their disposal a building where strict isolation anddisinfection could be enforced.

Action of the .Extract of Cotton Seed on Human Milk.At the same meeting of the Academy of Medicine

M. Gilbert communicated a paper by M. Barlerin on thechemical modifications presented by human milk under theinfluence of extract of cotton seed. M. Barlerin adminis-tered the extract to women who attended the Belleville dis-

pensary and were about to wean their infants on account oftheir milk being deficient both in quantity and in quality.Among all these women in from two to eight days aftertaking the extract M. Barlerin found an improvement in thequality of the milk. This improvement had reference chieflyto the proportion of the fatty and albuminoid constituents ;the amount of fat contained in the milk increased on anaverage by 18 grammes per litre, or 50 per cent. of the

quantity existing before the experiment. The caseinincreased on an average by from five to seven grammes perlitre, or 48 per cent. of the previous proportion. Fromthese experiments it therefore seems that the administrationof small quantities of extract of cotton seed to women whoare giving milk brings about a considerable increaseof the fat and casein in the milk. This discoverymay have important consequences. All medical men

are unanimous in the opinion that artificial feeding is oneof the causes of the considerable infant mortality whichprevails in France, and especially in some of the large towns.Extract of cotton seed may therefore in the majority of casesrender maternal suckling possible. It must, however, beremembered, on the one hand, that milk which is deficientin fat and casein does not adequately nourish the infant,while, on the other hand, milk which is too rich in casein,and especially in fat, is no less objectionable on account ofits liability to produce gastric and intestinal derangement.

Extract of cotton seed seems to be an active substance andtherefore ought not to be used unadvisedly. The medicalman ought always to watch its effects, to regulate itsadministration according to the weight and state of thechild, and to stop it when the object in view has beenattained.April 3rd.

BERLIN.(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

Infant Life Protection.AN exhibition dealing with the question of infant life

protection has been lately opened in Berlin under the

management of a committee including medical men and

philanthropists. The care of infants is a subject of deepinterest at the present time, especially in Berlin, where anenormous mortality prevails among the infants of the poorerclasses. The researches of Professor Behring on the trans-mission of tuberculosis bv food, the endeavours which havebeen made to provide the infants with pure milk, and othertopics which have been discussed in the newspapers havefixed the attention of the general public on the matter.The exhibition is therefore of a popular as well as a

scientific character and has for its object the instruc-tion of the public, and especially young mothers, in the

upbringing of infants. The exhibition includes six de-

partments, the first of which is devoted to statistics anddisplays statistical tables compiled by the Imperial HealthOffice and the statistical offices of several towns showingthe mortality of infants and the dependence of this mortalityon food, climate, the prevalence of tuberculosis, &c. Thesecond department deals with the development and thediseases of infants. Graphic curves showing the weight ofchildren reared on natural and on artificial food respec-tively, anatomical specimens, &c., may be seen here. Thethird department is concerned with the physiology andpathology of nutrition. Chemical researches on human milkand on that of the lower animals, specimens of the bacteriapresent in milk, and descriptions of the method ofmilking are the principal objects of this department. Thefourth department gives details of the official work done forthe health of infants, such as the providing of dispensariesand homes for them, the examination of milk and thecontrol of its sale by the authorities, model cow houses, &c.Much apparatus and many appliances for the sterilisationand the transport of milk and for the supply of it to thelarger cities are striking features of this department. Thefifth department has for its subject the care of infants infamilies; it contains model nurseries with beds, milk bottles,sterilising instruments for ;private use, &c. The sixth andlast department deals with the care and supervision offoster-children and the control of the foster-parents by theauthorities and by societies. It may be seen from the abovedescription that the exhibition contains abundance of

interesting material. It has been visited by thousands ofmothers and it may therefore be hoped that it will contributeto the welfare of the future generation.

Poisoniwg by Saccharin.Dr. Luth of Bajohren, a town on the Russian frontier,

writing to the Berliner Tilinische Wochenschrift, describesthe case of a woman who after a dispute with her husbandhad swallowed about two grammes of saccharin. Whena medical man arrived about 15 minutes later he found herlying on the floor and her condition was at first supposed tobe due to alcoholic intoxication. She was unconscious, herface was flushed, she foamed at the mouth, and sufferedfrom convulsive attacks with choking ; her respiration wasfrequent and her pulse was weak, very quick, inter-mittent, and irregular. Under artificial respiration andmassage of the heart the pulse within half an hourbecame stronger and regular and the respiration becamenormal. After about 45 minutes the patient awoke and wasquite well. Poisoning by saccharin is rather rare. It isremarkable that severe symptoms occurred within only a fewminutes and as rapidly disappeared. In Germany saccharinis sold to the public only on medical prescription and thewoman had therefore purchased the drug from a neighbouringRussian pharmacy.

The Association for the Prevention of Venereal Diseases.The German Association for the Prevention of Yenereal