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his determination to be cremated. Sir Henry Littlejohnthen went on to relate how, through the request of Dr.Robert Lee, he had been induced to investigate the conditionof Greyfriars Churchyard and how, as the result of hisinvestigations, the town council at once agreed to the closureof that burying-ground. One churchyard after another wastaken up and closed, ending with that of St. Cuthbert’s.As one of the directors of the society he had carefullyexamined the crematorium at Glasgow and had been muchpleased with what he had seen and with the manner inwhich the operation of cremation was carried out there.-The report submitted by the honorary secretaries stated thatthe number of cremations in Scotland showed a steadyyearly increase, the total number since the opening of thecrematorium at Glasgow being 75. Dr. Ebenezer Duncan,speaking in favour of the adoption of the report, said thatthe late Duke of Argyll left definite instructions- that hisbody was to be cremated, but these instructions were dis-regarded by his relatives ; also that the late Marquis of Butewould have warmly advocated cremation if the Church ofRome had withdrawn its opposition.

Appointment of Medical Officer of Health of Leith.The post of medical officer of health of the burgh of

Leith, which had been rendered vacant by the resignationof Dr. W. Leslie Mackenzie on his appointment as medicalsuperintendent under the Local Government Board, was

filled up on Jan. 17th at a special meeting of the Leith TownCouncil by the appointment of Dr. William Robertson ofPaisley. The new medical officer of health will begin hisduties not later than Feb. 15th at a salary of £400 perannum.

The Scottish National Red Cross Hospital.The medical and surgical officers of this hospital who have

recently returned from South Africa were entertained at a-complimentary dinner in Glasgow on Jan. 18th. TheMarquess- of Breadalbane, K.G., occupied the chair and therewas a large attendance of medical men, including ProfessorOhiene, Dr. G. T. Beatson, Professor H. E. Clark, Dr. John M.Cowan, Dr. John Aitken. Dr. Alexander Garrow, Dr. RobertStirling, Dr. George M’Intyre, &c. In reply to the toast of"Our Guests, the Officers of the Hospital Staff," ColonelCayley, R.A.M.C., Commandant, and Professor H. E. Clarkgave an account of the work performed by the hospital andreferred generally to the demands made on the medical pro-fession by the conditions of war. Sir David Richmond, amember of the South African Hospital Commission and aformer Lord Provost of Glasgow, bore testimony to theexcellent work performed by the Scottish Hospital which hehad visited at Kroonstad. In the afternoon of the same daya reception was held by the Ladies’ Executive Committeeto meet the nurses of the hospital. This also was largelyattended. The main credit of the organisation of the RedCross Hospital is due to Dr. G. T. Beatson and Dr. DonaldMackintosh who by their enterprise and public spirit securedan appropriate method in which the patriotism of theScottish people could express itself. At one time some pettylocal jealousies threatened to interfere with the success ofthe movement, and though these were not altogether allayedthey exercised no practical effect on what was really a

national enterprise. The best testimony to the satisfactoryequipment of the hospital was the fact that the Governmentoffered to purchase it as it stood. In reply to this offer thecommittee resolved to present it as a free gift on conditionthat it was continued under the name of the Scottish NationalRed Cross Hospital, and it is on these terms that, with somemembers ot the original staff, the hospital now remains inSouth Africa.

Interesting Legal Case.A medical man in Glasgow has recently acquired a house

in one of the residential terraces in the west-end of the citywhich he proposes to use as a private hospital or nursinghome and has found himself in consequence involved in

legal proceedings, for the proprietors of the neighbouring.dwelling-houses object to his scheme and have sought tofrustrate it by an action in the Court of Session. In this,however, they have not been successful. Their case wasbased upon an agreement which provided that the buildingserected on the ground concerned " shall permanently con-tinue as dwelling-houses and shall not be converted into

shops, warehouses, or trading places of any description," andthey contended that the proposed use of the house amountsto the conversion of it into a trading place for the purpose ofmoney-making. They also uiged that "the unpleasant

sights and sounds, as well as the unpleasant odours of anti-septics and drugs, the great traffic entailed by the arrivaland departure of patients, nurses, consulting doctors, friendsof patients, and [most unkindly] undertakers constitutesa nuisance in such a neighbourhood. In reply the defenderdenied that any nuisance would be created and stated thatthe house " was not intended to be a direct source ofprofit." He therefore claimed that there was no breach ofthe agreement preventing the establishment of a tradingestablishment, and for this contention he has now receivedthe sanction of the law.

University or Glasgow.The official statistical report for the year 1899-1900 has

just been issued. It contains, as usual, a full list of theUniversity officials and their salaries, and numerous tablesshowing the number of the students in the various classes andthe graduates in the different faculties. In medicine therewere 221 degrees conferred. Three of the M.D. graduateswere awarded" Honours" and six received "Commenda-tion." Only one M.B. gained the highest distinction, butsix were " commended." Amongst the benefactions receivedduring the year are a sum of £11,000 from the trustees ofthe late James B. Thomson, to be applied in the reconstructionof the anatomical department ; a sum of .61000 given byLord Kelvin, to be used for the encouragement of experi.mental investigation ; ; £2500 from the late Rev. Alex.Robertson to found a lectureship in defence of the Christian

religion ; and numerous smaller amounts for the establish-ment of bursaries, prizes, &c.’, Hospital Sunday in Aberdeen

The results this year have been rather disappointing, asthere were collections in more churches than was the caselast year. The total amount subscribed up to date is about£1200.

Outbreak of Small-pox in North Scotland.Several cases of small-pox have been discovered in

Burghead (on the Moray Firth) and Elgin, and the infec-tion has been traced as coming from Glasgow. Three caseshave also occurred in Aberdeen since the beginning of theyear.

Epidemio of Small-pox in Glasgow.Glasgow is suffering from a somewhat severe epidemic of

small-pox. Upwards of 50 fresh cases have occurred sinceyesterday, making a total of 253.Jan. 22nd.

________________

IRELAND.

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENTS.)

The Irish Local Government Board and the Isolation ofTuberculous Patients.

THE Irish Local Government Board have notified the

Downpatrick Board of Guardians that, having regard to theinfectious nature of pulmonary tuberculosis, it was, in their

opinion, highly desirable that provision should be made inworkhouse infirmaries for the treatment of persons sufferingfrom this disease in separate wards-that was to say, wardsto which patients otherwise affected were not admitted.The guardians have been requested to be so good as to givethis matter their early and careful consideration. The in-

spectors of the Board have from time to time called attentionto the matter and the guardians are now strongly advised tohave steps taken to isolate consumptive patients. Themedical officer of the workhouse was on Jan. 12th directedto prepare a report on this most important question for theguardians.

Medical -Fees.

One of the frequently discussed questions in medicalcircles came up for a legal decision before the Recorder ofBelfast on Jan. 10th. Dr W. Calwell, of Duncairn-gardens,Belfast, sued a man in his neighbourhood to recover one

guinea "for professional services rendered." Dr. Calwellhad been engaged to attend the wife of the defendant at thetime of her confinement, but when this occurred he was notcalled in, a pracuce apparently common enough among theworking classes. Evidence having been given Dr. Calwellwas nonsuited on a technical point, as he based his action"for services rendered" instead of upon a "breach ofcontract." It is a pity that such an unsatisfactory con-

clusion was arrived at, as medical men are sometimes put to

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great inconvenience and distinct loss by treatment such asDr. Calwell received in this case.

Bangor Dispensary, County -Do7vn.Mr. J. F. Mitchell, of Newtownards, has been elected dis-

pensary medical officer for the Bangor district of theNewtownards Union at a salary of .f:110 per annum, and £14per annum as medical officer of health to the Bangor RuralDistrict, and £10 per annum as medical officer of health ofthe Urban District of Bangor, together with vaccination andregistration fees.

The Belfast Lunatic Asyluni.At the monthly meeting of the committee of this asylum

held on Jan. 14th the resident medical superintendent,Dr. William Graham, submitted a valuable report upon thevilla or colony type of construction, in which he pointedout that the special features in this type of asylum construc-tion are the segregation of the inmates into communities,where they live in more domesticated and home-like stylethan would be possible in a large building. The accommoda-tion for patients consists of two sections, one a hospitalwith special arrangements and the other a congeries ofvillas with simpler arrangements. The advantages claimedfor this system are: (1) more homeliness and less institu-tional character ; (2) more careful classification of patients ;(3) lessened cost of construction ; and (4) facility for en-largement. Two great advantages of the villa type are:(1) a small part may be erected and occupied bit by bitbefore the completion of the whole ; and (2) in case ofenlargement a villa or villas can be added as requiredwithout any disturbance of existing arrangements. Ananimated discussion followed, and it was finally decided toprint and circulate the report among the members of thecommittee and to consider the matter at the next meeting ofthe committee, the medical superintendent in the meantimeto collect all possible information in regard to the matter.At the same meeting the report of the inspector of lunacy,Mr. G. P. O’Farrell, was brought forward, in which it was

pointed out that the overcrowding on the female side of theasylum was very serious, and that the necessity for relievingit had become pressing and urgent. While the estate atPurdysburn had been acquired five years ago no steps hadyet been taken towards the actual building of any part ofthe new asylum. Although all credit was dne to themedical superintendent for his efforts too modernise theold building, yet nothing, the inspector said, couldmaterially alter the back part of the asylum, which wasdingy and cheerless in the extreme, and it was herethat the larger part of the accommodation was situated.When the forward condition in Scotland in reference to thetreatment of the insane was contrasted it was remarkable howlittle a desire for progress pervaded the general populationof the North of Ireland. Unless some definite action was takenin reference to the female patients he (Mr. O’Farrell) couldnot report to the Lord-Lieutenant that the committee hadfulfilled the duty of providing and maintaining sufficientaccommodation for the lunatic poor of the city which wasimposed on them by the Local Government (Ireland) Act,1898, and the fulfilment of which duty was made a conditionto the payment of the Government grant in aid of main-tenance. The inspector regretted that pulmonary phthisis(the most fatal of all diseases amongst the insane in Irishasylums) showed a tendency to increase, as might be

expected in an old and overcrowded institution. This reportof the inspector, so serious in the faults which it points outin the present condition of the asylum, it has been arrangedshall be considered at the next meeting of the committee.It is to be hoped that, taken in connexion with the report ofthe medical superintendent on the villa type of asylum,we shall in the end have in Belfast an asylum constructed onmodern lines worthy of the city and of the North of Ireland.Jan. 22nd.

PARIS.(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

Magnetisers officially declared to be Illegal Practitioners.THE medical profession has, from a professional point of

view, recently won a signal victory in the law courts-avictory, too, which is all the more gratifying because suchvictories are so rare. The Oourt of Cassation has given afinal judgment in a matter which has been undecided for

years, and has pronounced that persons who treat illnesses bymagnetism without possessing the degree of doctor of medi-cine are guilty of the offence of illegal practice. Hithertothe law on the point has been very indecisive from thelegislative point of view. The law of 1892, which laid downregulations for the practice of medicine in France, saysabsolutely nothing about magnetisers-a fact all the more-singular when it is remembered that these gentry had severaltimes been mentioned in the course of the Parliamentarydebates which preceded the passing of the law. On thisaccount the courts of law, in the event of a magnetiser beingprosecuted for illegal practice, gave the most contradictoryjudgments. In 1893 the Tribunal of the Seine convicted’a magnetiser and found him guilty of illegal practice. In1894 a woman was convicted of the same offence by the-Tribunal of Mans, but she appealed to the Angers Court ofAppeal, which acquitted her, giving as its opinion that shewas not guilty of illegal practice because she used neitherdrugs nor surgical manoeuvres. This judgment had theresult of filling the whole district with magnetisers whopursued their industry unchecked. In 1896 a magnetiser, by.name Mouroux, who was prosecuted by the Medical Associationof Angers, was acquitted by the Correctional Tribunal ofthat town ; the association appealed to the Angers Court of-Appeal, which, however, only confirmed the judgment. TheUnion of the French Medical Associations came to the aid ofthe Angers association and the case was carried to the Courtof Cassation so that a final judgment might be obtained in a.matter affecting the whole medical protession. The Courtof Cassation, however, had its hands quite full with the-Dreyfus affaire and took four years to decide the.question. During the interval, however, in 1898, a magne--tiser was convicted by the Tribunal of the Seine. At last,on Dec. 26th, 1900, the Court of Cassation deliveredjudgment in the Mouroux case. The counsel in charge ofthe case (conseiller rapporteur) had decided in favour ofthe magnetiser, but the court, evidently influenced bythe remarkable report laid before the recent Congress ofDeontology by M. Dupr6 and M. Rochet, had no hesitation.in giving judgment against magnetism. As a matter offact the situation was very delicate. The magnetiser arguedthat as all medical men declared that the practices of histraternity were pure charlatanism and of no value whatever,he and his colleagues employed no real medicaments andthat therefore they could not be guilty of illegal practice.True, they might be accused of swindling, but it would be

necessary to prove that they had demanded money frompatients-a thing almost impossible to confirm and onewhich would need a careful consideration of every par-ticular case. The counsel for the medical associations got outof the difficulty very cleverly. He argued that magnetismwas a therapeutic agent of the very first order, one whichshould not be used except by skilled hands and the use ofwhich should be forbidden to those who had not a medicaldiploma. It certainly cost the dignity of the medical pro-fession something to allow such honour to the fantastic

gesticulations of magnetism, but it was the only way inwhich to arrive at the desired result-namely, the forbiddingof magnetisers to 11 practise."

Mitsele Serum.

At the meeting of the Academy of Sciences held onDec. 31st M. Riche proposed to call by the name ofco muscle serum," or " myoserum," the juice obtained bypressure from meat, which is, according to him, the soleportion of the raw meat gifted with curative properties asregards experimental tuberculosis in the dog. Using rawbeef in a strong press 33 per cent. of juice can be obtained.It is a red fluid, amphoteric or feebly alkaline in reaction,and coagulable by heat or nitric acid. Besides mineralmatters one kilogramme contains about 50 grammes ofalbuminoids, of which 10 per cent. is hasmoglobin. Despiteits richness in albuminoids the serum passes through filterpaper like water and so can be easily freed from its fat andformative elements. It is very unstable and even if kept ata temperature of 0° C. putrefies in a few days. In summerat ordinary temperatures it undergoes change within an

hour or two. It must therefore be used as soon after pre-paration as possible. Administered by the mouth to dogs.in doses of 20 cubic centimetres per kilogramme of body-weight it brought about a cure in cases of experimental,tuberculosis. Given subcutaneously or intravenously it is.

very toxic and a dose of five or even three cubic centimetresper kilogramme of body- weight brought about a very notable