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way and to prevent the erection of the hospital. On Monday tlast the Dean of Guild Court, presided over by the Provost, fappointed that day fortnight for the debate on the question. i

The action of the Leith authorities will probably give a c

considerable impulse to the scheme for the amalgamation of the burgh with Edinburgh, and people begin to see the t

necessity of this from a public health standpoint. Edinburgh Royal Infirmary.

At the meeting of managers this week a report was sub- x

mitted regarding a fatality which recently occurred in theRoyal Infirmary. A patient in one of the top wards jumped out of a window and received such injuries that she died *soon afterwards. No blame was attributable to any of theofficials. An application was also made to the managers

‘

from the Scottish Branch of the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Families’ Association asking facilities for the training ofwives and daughters of soldiers and sailors in hospital work.The matter was remitted to the superintendent and the lady superintendent for report. ]

Hall of Residence for Women Medical Students in Edinburgh. ,

A movement has been started by a number of ladies in iEdinburgh to provide a hall of residence for women medicalstudents. A similar scheme has been in operation for yearsfor male students, and has proved such a success that build-ing has been added to building to accommodate an increasingnumber of applicants. A similar scheme in connexion with the Free Church College in Edinburgh has also been working for some time quite satisfactorily both financially and other-wise. A furnished house has been placed at the disposal ofthe ladies’ committee free of rent for a year with a view of

giving the scheme a start. Such a hall of residence wouldbe of great value to women medical students, and if properlymanaged would doubtless become popular, and it is impor-tant to know from the experience of similar places for malestudents that they can be made to pay.

The Oyster Scare after Stirling Ball.Mention has already been made of a number of cases of

typhoid fever, several of which have been fatal, whichfollowed a ball held at Stirling some weeks ago, and thatsuspicion had been thrown upon the oysters eaten. AGovernment inquiry into the matter has been instituted,and the opinion gains ground that the oysters were probablynot to blame. Meanwhile the scare has greatly affected theconsumption of oysters.

The Glasgow Crentcatori22nt.The new crematorium built for the Scottish Burial Reform

and Cremation Society in the grounds of the WesternNecropolis was formally opened on the 27th ult. A short

religious service was conducted by the Rev. DonaldMacleod, D.D., and addresses were delivered by the Rev.John Hunter, D.D., Sir Charles Cameron, and Sir HenryLittlejohn. Amongst those attending were a large numberof medical men, including Dr. Bruce Goff (the President ofthe Faculty of Physicians and Surgeons) and Dr. A. K.Chalmers (medical officer of health). The cost of the crema-torium and chapel has been £27CO.

Glasgow Western Infirmary.The annual meeting of the qualified contributors to the

infirmary took place on the 28th ult., Sir Jas. Bell, LordProvost, presiding. The report drew attention to the decisionof the managers to erect three new operating-rooms fullyequipped to meet the demands of modern surgery at anestimated expense of RIO,000. Plans for these have nowbeen prepared after a visit, on behalf of the managers, ofDr. Mackintosh, medical superintendent, and Mr. Burnet,architect, to the principal Continenal operating theatres. Itwas intimated that Lord Overtoun had generously given adonation of E3500 to build and equip one of the three newtheatres. Another handsome gift which the managers acknow-ledge is the sum of £10,000 presented by Sir William Hozierfor the purpose of founding an endowment fund for the

Lady Hozier Convalescent Home at Lanark, which is inconnexion with the Western Infirmary, and the house andgrounds of which were presented to the infirmary by SirWilliam Hozier a few years since. The financial statementshows the cost of each bed fully occupied during the yearto have been £55 7s. 8d. and the average cost per patienttreated £ 4 15s. 6d.

Glasgow Maternity flospital.At the annual meeting of this institution on the 26th ult.

Professor Murdoch Cameron in his medical report stated that

the number of cases attended during the year had bee&2721 and that 112 students had been in attendance. In

referring to the resources of the hospital Professor Camerondrew attention to the fact that the number of in-patients hadmore than doubled within the past twelve years, and urgedthat immediate steps should be taken to enlarge the hospitaland to establish a gynaecological department and dispensary.It was intimated on behalf of the directors that this recom-mendation had been favourably considered, and an appealwas made for funds to enable the directors to carry it intoaction. The increase in the number of students and of

young graduates attending the service of the hospital, andmore especially the introduction of women students, makea readjustment and extension of the present teachingarrangements absolutely necessary.

Glasgow Medical Mission.The annual report states that during the past year the

number of consultations held at the dispensaries by themedical ofiicers had been nearly 43,000, whilst nearly 6000,visits had been made by the district nurses. The severeweather of last winter put a great strain on the resources ofthe mission, and a deficit of £582 is reported.

Accident Ilospitalfc-r Wishaw.At a meeting presided over by Lord Belhaven on Nov. 28th

it was decided to erect a local hospital, at a cost of £1500,for the immediate treatment of men injured by the accidentsso frequently occurring in the iron-works and coal-pits. Thismovement has resulted from the manifest risk to whichpatients seriously injured are subjected by a journey of somefifteen miles to reach a Glasgow hospital, even though thejourney is accomplished in an ambulance van.

Death of Dr. G. R. Mather of Glasgow.The death of Dr. G. R. Mather, which happened on the

29th ult., took place under peculiarly distressing circnm-stances. As a Fellow of the Faculty he attended the annualdinner of the Faculty of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow.and had just completed an enthusiastic reply to the toast of" The Navy, Army, and Reserve Forces," when he suddenlybecame unconscious. He was promptly removed to a neigh-bouring room, but the measures taken to restore him provedunavailing. The funeral on the 3rd inst. was attended by thePresident and other officials of the Faculty and a large numberof the Fellows. Dr. Mather was in his fifty-sixth year. He wasa well-known practitioner in Glasgow and an enthusiasticpatron of Scottish art. A year or two ago he published avolume entitled "The Lives of Two Great Scotchmen:William and John Hunter."

Presentation to Sir Charles Cameron, l’IT.D. Dub.The numerous friends and admirers of Sir Charles

Cameron in the west of Scotland have, as a means of ex-pressing their kindly feelings towards him, presented himwith his portrait, the presentation being made on behalf of’the subscribers by the Lord Provost of Glasgow. Sir CharlesCameron has represented Glasgow in Parliament for the longperiod of twenty-one years, but he was amongst the un-successful candidates at the last general election. Amemorial in his honour is to be erected in a prominentsituation in the city.Dec. 4th.

___ ___________

IRELAND.

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENTS.)

The Rotunda Hospital. °

THE Thomas Plunket Cairns Wing" of the RotuntlaHospital was formally opened last week by her Excellencythe Countess Cadogan in the presence of his Grace theArchbishop of Dublin and a large assemblage. His;Excellency the Lord Lieutenant occupied the chair andalluded in his interesting speech to a committee of the Houseof Lords of which he was a member some years ago andwhich had for its object an investigation into the managc-ment and circumstances of the various London hospitals.After remarking that there was some reason to doubt the-need for some of the smaller and special hospitals of whichthere were so many in London, his Excellency said : " Butthere are three classes of hospitals which to my mind atleast are proved by the evidence before us as being bothvaluable in their nature and important in their main-tenance. In the first place there are hospitals for women, in

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the second place hospitals for children, and in the third t

place hospitals for treating diseases of the eye. These are z

the three classes of special hospitals the necessity for which, fin my humble opinion, has been amply proved before us. e

We have in London no hospital for women of anything c!ike the importance and size of this one." His Excellency iwould, I think, have been accurate in stating that neither in 1London nor in Europe is there any institution for the treat- c

ment of women of greater size or importance than the a

present Rotunda Hospital of Dublin. t

Trinity College, Dublin. The election of’a parliamentary representative for Trinity t

College is causing great interest and excitement among c

the friends of the candidates, Mr. Lecky and Mr. cWright. The students have from the first taken a most rlively and active interest in the proceedings-the medicalundergraduates being as usual in the van. The demonstra-tions have not been confined within the College precincts,but have been frequently evident in the streets in the shape Iof marching regiments of good-humoured but very noisy 1

young men cheering for whichever candidate they happened E

to favour.

Annual Dinner of the Ulste;- Medical Society. The annual dinner of the Ulster Medical Society was held in the Grand Central Hotel, Belfast, on Nov. 28th. The Pre- fsident, Professor Sinclair, F.R.C.S. Eng., occupied the chair, and there was a very large attendance, including the Lord (Mayor of Belfast (Sir W. M’Cammond) and the President of 1Queen’s College (Rev. Dr. Hamilton), both of whom were xinvited guests. The following were the toasts: " The tQueen and other Members of the Royal Family," proposed by the President ; " The Lord Lieutenant and Prosperity to ‘Ireland," proposed by Dr. W. A. McKeown and responded tto by Dr. Henry Bingham ; ’’ The City and Corporation of Belfast," proposed by Mr. Fagan, to which the Lord Mayorand Councillor Henry O’Neill, M.D., replied ; " The Queen’s fCollege and Belfast Medical School," proposed by Brigade- xSurgeon McFarland and responded to by the President xof Queen’s College, Belfast, Dr. Walton Browne, and Pro- 1fessor Whitla ; "The North of Ireland Branch of the British 1Medical Association," proposed by Dr. Kevin and responded Eto by the secretary of the branch ; "The President of the IUlster Medical Society," proposed by Dr. Dempsey. The President having replied to this, he concluded by proposing 1"The Secretary of the Society," to which that gentleman,responded. During the evening a capital musical programmewas contributed by Mr. Mackenzie, Dr. Lindsay, Dr. McCaw,Dr. McKisack, Dr. R. C. McCullagh, and Dr. Leslie. The I

evening passed off very successfully.

Belfast Medical Students’ Association. A very largely attended meeting of the members of this

society was held in one of the class-rooms of Queen’s College on Nov. 29th ; the President of Queen’s College and several of the College professors and of the medical men in Belfast iwere present. The business of the evening was to hear the (

opening address of the new president of the association, Dr. Magowan, who gave a most interesting account of theorigin, objects, and present aims of the society. The meet- iing was subsequently addressed by the President of Queen’sCollege (Rev. Dr. Hamilton), Professor Byers, and Professor 1Sinclair. This association, the object of which is to promote the interests of the Belfast medical students as regards theirprofessional training, is at present in a most vigorous condi-tion and is sure to be of the greatest benefit in bindingtogether the students of the Belfast Medical School.

Belfast Royal Hospital.At a special meeting of the governors and board of

management of the Royal Hospital held on Dec. 2ndDr. R. Strafford Smith was appointed physician in place ofthe late Dr. Ross, and Dr. Calwell was elected, by a large ]majority, assistant physician in the vacancy created by Dr.Smith’s promotion. ,

Health of Belfast. The report presented to the city corporation on Dec. 2nd

.showed the health of the city of Belfast to be in a most un- 1

satisfactory condition. During the previous four weeks a ilarge number of cases of zymotic diseases were reported- viz., scarlet fever, 118 cases ; measles, 35 cases ; and typhoidfever, 30 cases. In this period there were 689 births and 532 deaths in Belfast; 84 deaths were from zymotic diseases, 60from phthisis, and 178 from other respiratory diseases. In

the corresponding period of last year the deaths from

zymotic diseases were 60, those from phthisis 57, and thosefrom other respiratory affections 110. During the four weeksembraced in this report 145 children under one year of agedied, and 84 persons at or above sixty years of age, whilein the corresponding period of last year the numbers were104 and 81 respectively. The annual death-rate from allcauses was 26 3, that for children under one year old 6’8.and that for those of ten years and upwards 3’9 per 1000 ofthe population. It will be thus seen that the deaths fromzymotic diseases are very numerous, as are also those fromchest diseases, and contrast very unfavourably with those ofthe corresponding period of last year, especially in the matterof diseases of the chest. We have at present an epidemicof scarlet fever and measles, and there have been a greatmany cases of typhoid fever.

A Clever Impostor in one of the Cork, Hospitals.A series of impositions has been practised in Cork by a

French Canadian, a recent inmate of one of the generalhospitals. He exhibited well-marked symptoms of hystero-epilepsy. He had hysterical hemiplegia and also the hystero-genic spots. Touching the latter produced well-markedspasms, which seemed to be very distressing to the patient.He expressed his strong conviction that the end was

approaching, and he asked to have a solicitor sentfor to draw up his will. The legal gentleman dulyprepared the document, and the invalid soon found an

opportunity for darkly hinting that in return for theirkindness one of the house surgeons and one of thenurses had been remembered. Even swindlers have learned

that " gratitude is a lively sense of favours to come."He pointed to a package neatly tied up and sealed,which he stated contained valuable securities, and requestedthe American Consul to see that it was carefully locked in asafe. It was so important that his will should be properlydrawn that he sent for a second solicitor, and as it was allforeign money he had he requested one of the legal gentle-men to furnish him with a temporary loan in coin of therealm. Soon afterwards he left the hospital, and the sealedpacket was examined. It was found to contain, not securities,but two copies of an illustrated newspaper. The policeexhibit a decided interest in his previous history, and inmedical circles the question is asked whether an impostorwould be likely to know all about the various phases ofhystero-epilepsy.

The Battle of the Clubs at Cork.I mentioned some time ago that the Cork medical

men proposed to form a club to be managed entirely bythemselves. A committee has been appointed to formulate ascheme, and they have already made an important report.Amongst other things they recommend that the club shouldsupply, not alone medical attendance, but that it should alsoprovide sick pay and the ordinary benefits such as are

available in connexion with the older clubs. In that way itis hoped a very large number of members from the recal-citrant clubs would be induced to join. One of the rules

adopted by the profession at the commencement of the

fight was that no medical man should form a new club tillthe year 1896. That rule was made in the interest of themen who had resigned their clubs so that they could getthem back intact, and a movement is now on foot with aview to extend the limit of time with regard to the rule.Dec. 3rd.

____________ __

PARIS.

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

The Trials of Country Medical Practitioners in France.THE English parish medical officer is wont to deem

himself-and not unreasonably so-the worst-used individualin existence. A stipend that a labourer would spurn, a massof work that the same labourer would never consent to per-form, unjust criticism on the part of guardians who haveno conception of the dignity appertaining to - our calling-these and a thousand and one other miseries would sufficeto break the heart and sap the courage of a member of anyother profession. This state of things is not, however,peculiar to the British Isles, unless the experiencesof Dr. Boyron of Amagne are exceptional. This gentle-man had the misfortune to be a club medical officer, andthe mayor treated him accordingly much as he would treat a