1850

questions of property as administered by the Chancery Division of theHigh Court.

It is most satisfactory to know that steps are apparently nowto be taken to put an end to the state of affairs, almostunthinkable in a public hospital, but which now exists atthe infirmary as a result of the action of the governors lastFebruary in prohibiting any religious service in the infirmary.

Dec. 15th. ________________

SCOTLAND.

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENTS.)

Women Graduates and the University Franchise.AS has been noted in THE LANCET from time to time,

some of the women graduates of the Universities of St.Andrews and Edinburgh had carried to the Court of Sessionin the first place, and to the House of Lords finally, the con-tention that they were entitled to vote at the election of aMember of Parliament for the Universities in virtue of

having received the University degree and of being enrolledas members of the general council of their University. TheHouse of Lords gave its decision on Dec. 10th and, as wasanticipated by those who followed the case, the decision wasadverse to the claims of the women. The Lord Chancellorstated that two points had been raised : (1) the right to voteand (2) the right to get voting papers ; and he dealt withthe questions in that order. He held that no authentic and

plain case of a woman giving a vote had been submitted,although various anomalies may have occurred and beenoverlooked in confused times. A few equivocal cases hadbeen referred to and he was surprised how few they were.In regard to judicial precedents, two passages might befound in which judges are reported as saying that womenmay vote at Parliamentary elections, but these dictawere derived from an ancient manuscript of no weight.Lord Coke referred to the disability of women, and this

disability, the Lord Chancellor held, had been taken for

granted. He thought it incomprehensible that anyoneacquainted with our laws and the methods by whichthey are ascertained could think there was room for argu-ment on such a point. It was notorious that the right ofvoting has been confined to men. Not only has it been theconstant tradition but it has been the constant practice fromthe earliest times. Numberless rights rest upon a similar

basis; indeed, the whole body of the common law has noother foundation. He held that if this legal disability is tobe removed it must be done by Act of Parliament. Theappellants hold that it has been so removed, but the LordChancellor equally strongly sets aside this contention. LordRobertson followed the same line, arguing in detail againstthe view that Parliament in the case of the Scottish Univer-sities had departed from the fact that from immemorial timemen only had voted. The appeal was dismissed with costs.

Tlte Bill for the Registration of Nurses.On Thursday, Dec. 10th, a meeting was held in the hall of

the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh to considerthe application in Scotland of the Bill for the Registrationof Nurses. At a representative meeting the provisions of theBill were severely criticised and a small committee of ninepersons was appointed to consider the provisions in detail.

-Tnfantile Mortality in Edinburgh.Definite steps are being taken in Edinburgh with a view to

the lessening of infantile mortality in the city. It is intendedto concentrate effort on the Lawnmarket district of the oldtown. The scheme which is to be put in operation is to havea large number of voluntary lady visitors whose duty it willbe to visit when the birth has been intimated, the intimationnow requiring to be made within 24 hours of the birth. Thevisitors are to be instructed in the management and rearingof babies. The first of a series of lectures with this as theirobject was delivered last week by Dr. Elsie M. Inglis.Dr. A. M. Williamson, the city medical officer of health,occupied the chair and spoke of the great good which suchan army could do towards the uplifting and the educating ofthe poorer classes and was confident that all doors wouldbe opened readily for their entrance.

The Inebriates Act.A meeting of the Departmental Committee appointed to

inquire into the working of this Act was held in Edinburglbon Dec. 10th. Dr. J. Craiifiird Dunlop, inspector under the-Act, was examined as a witness.

Imbecile Patients in Fever 11-ospitolq.At a meeting of the eastern district committee of Stirling

county council held last week a minute of the hospital com-mittee was submitted in which it was stated that Dr. R. D.

Clarkson, Falkirk, had made application on behalf of theScottish National Imbecile Institution, Larbert, for the ad-mission of a number of fever patients from that institutioninto the county hospital. It was unanimously agreed thatmembers of the staffs of the Imbecile Institution and the

Stirling District Asylum, Larbert, should be admitted to the-hospital in the usual way and that lunatic or imbecile patients.should be not admitted.

Kingseat Asylum Statistics.A return of the salaries and wages paid to asylum officials.

and labourers for the years 1906, 1907, and 1908, which has-just been submitted to the Aberdeen Lunacy Board, shows thatthe average number of patients has increased during theperiod from 392 to 411 ; the staff from 79 to 89 ; salaries.and wages only from 2801 to .&3129 ; salaries and wages,including board, from E3595 to £4017; and under" provi-ding," the wages, including those of tradesmen and temporarylabourers, had risen from f.414 to £565. It was also stated thatthe amount of salaries and wages per patient at Kingseatwas well below the average for the Scottish asylums, and inthat item of the maintenance account Kingseat was about &1per patient lower than any of the new asylums.

Death of Mr. Wiliiana ulackae, M.A., M.D. tlbcrd.,J1Iiln:a u kee.

Information has just been received of the sudden death 01)Dec. 8th of Dr. William Mackie of Milwaukee. Dr. Mackiewas a son of the late Mr. William Mackie, Petty, Fyvie, andstudied at Aberdeen University, of which he was a graduatein Arts and Medicine. About 25 years ago he went toAmerica and in Milwaukee, where he ultimately settled, hebuilt up a large practice. He was married to Miss BellaMitchell, daughter of the late Mr. George Mitchell, St.John’s Wells, Fyvie, and is survived by his widow and oneson, who is by profession an engineer. Dr. Mackie was 54

years of age.

Notification of Pulmonary Ticbereulosis at Newport.In accordance with the suggestion of the Local Govern-

ment Board the town council of Newport has agreed tohave all deaths from pulmonary tuberculosis intimated to thelocal authority, so that the sanitary inspector can then visiteach case and suggest or carry out disinfection as the circum-stances may seem to warrant. A further recommendationwas also adopted that the necessary disinfectants should besupplied free to parties within the burgh where the medicalofficer considered that they should not be asked to bear theexpense, it being understood that the expenditure should notexceed Z5 a year. It was also suggested that antitoxinshould be supplied free in similar circumstances and underthe same conditions.

Appointment.Dr. A. Robb (Paisley) has been appointed medical officer of

health of Midlothian, Linlithgow, and Peebles. Dr. Robb,who is 38 years of age, is a graduate of Aberdeen University.For about a year he was attached to the public health depart-ment of Aberdeen under Dr. Matthew Hay. In June, 1896,he was appointed assistant and deputy officer of health ofthe county of Lanark and held the appointment for nearlyfive years. In March, 1901, he was appointed medical officerof health of the burgh of Paisley, a position which he hasheld up to the present time.Dec. 13th.

_______________

IRELAND.

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENTS.)

The Old Age Pensions Act and the Dispensary Medical Officer’sCertificate.

ONE aspect of the Old Age Pensions Act presents a flawwhich has been energetically exposed by Dr. G. E. J.Greene of Ferns in a letter to the daily press, as a factor

1851

likely to prove productive of much annoyance and unjustifi-able misrepresentation to the long-suffering dispensary medi-cal officer. He points out that: "It seems to be a frequentpractice of members of Pension Committees, to save themselvesthe odium and trouble of verifying, or rather falsifying, thestatements of naturally fluent and persuasive applicants, whomay often possess a better knowledge of the Act or how tocome within it than they, to refer all such applicants to the.district medical officer, with sometimes the injunction, ’He(the Doctor) can get it (the pension) for you, if he wishes.’

"

All of us who possess any intimate knowledge of the rurallife and medical practice of Ireland recognise the vivid truth-fulness of this representation. And as Dr. Greene indig-nantly—and most justly—asks: "Why endeavour to placemore trouble and responsibility on the shoulders of the long-suffering dispensary doctor which he is not legally bound to

. undertake, when a reference to the relieving officer’s or

clerk of union’s book would settle matters at once. A

straightforward and honest statement to these poor and

deserving, but most persistent and not always truthful,applicants- That they cannot obtain any benefit underthe Act till it has been changed by Parliament ’-wouldsave much time, troubling, and heart-burning." Dr. Greene,who is discussing the defect in the Act with regard to

recipients of out-door relief who under the Act are most

unjustly excluded from its beneficent provisions, is not

only a dispensary medical officer and the holder of an

exceptionally large number of other professional appoint-ments, but he is also a magistrate, so that he has had thefull opportunities of verifying his data and testing his ownopinions.

Death-rates in Irish Towns.

The principal capital cities and seaports of the westernIrish counties have been distinguishing themselves duringthe past week by the unenviable notoriety of an enormouslyhigh death-rate. Sligo leads off with the startling figure of43’2, while Limerick and Galway have each exceeded 30.The lowest record was that of Ballymena, which was 4’ 8,while Tralee (5’ 3) and Dundalk (8’ 0) were the only othertown areas of which the registration was below 10. The

aggregate record of the 22 principal town districts of Irelandfor the week was 203 ; the average of the four weeks

ending Dec. 5th was 19’6. The highest death-rate fromepidemic disease was that of Lisburn (4’ 5). 16 ofthe town districts reported no death from epidemics. The

.average for all Ireland was but 1’ 0. Two deaths from:scarlet fever occurred in Limerick ; two from enteric feverin Belfast ; while diphtheria accounted for 20 per cent. ofthe deaths in Lisburn. Dublin had 185 deaths and 196births ; 93 deaths of females outnumbered by one the birthsof girls (92). The week’s record shows a decline in thenumber of deaths from epidemic disease. 65 of the deathswere of children-under five years, 40 being of babies underone year. 51 of the deaths were of persons over 60, while27 were over 70, seven over 80, and one over 90 years of age.63 of the deaths occurred in hospitals and public institutions ;five of these were of persons who had been admitted fromlocalities outside the Dublin registration area.

The Queen’s University of Belfast.By the will of the late Mr. M. G. Megaw of London the

sum of E1000 is given to the University of Belfast for thepurpose of founding scholarships for the sons of farmers.

Infections Disease in Belfast.At a meeting of the Belfast public health committee held

on Dec. 10th the medical officer of health drew attention tothe fact that as compared with other populous centres a very.small proportion of the cases of dangerous infectious diseasewas treated in hospital, notwithstanding the fact that thepatients were without proper lodging or accommodation. Thedepartment looked to the medical practitioners to recommendcases occurring in their practice where there was not properaccommodation to go into hospital, as the departmenthesitated putting into force the powers conferred uponit by Section 141 of the Public Health Act; but inthe interests of the general public it would be obligedto do so if there was not an improvement. It is reallyvery amusing to hear this appeal made to the medical

profession now, when the Ulster Medical Society someyears ago sent a deputation to the public health committeeobjecting to the distance at which it was proposed to locate

the fever hospital from the city of Belfast, and pointing outexactly what has since occurred-that ’the people, that is,the relatives of those ill, would object, owing to the greatdistance of the hospital (especially in case of their beingsummoned in an emergency) from the city of Belfast. Allthis was brought out at the Health Commission, but now thepresence of fever cases in the city is frightening theauthorities who apparently think by appealing to the pro-fession whom they would not condescend to listen to formerlythey may get their position strengthened.

Ulster Medical Society.At a meeting of the Ulster Medical Society, held in the

Medical Institute, Belfast, on Dec. 10th, Dr. T. S. Kirk, thePresident, being in the chair, Dr. John Campbell read acommunication on Rupture of the Incarcerated RetrovertedGravid Uterus successfully treated, and showed a spleensuccessfully removed for extensive laceration due to injury.Mr. A. Fullerton read : (1) short notes of a case of Cancer ofthe Pylorus, treated by partial gastrectomy ; (2) of a case ofKidney Tumour of suprarenal type; and (3) of a case ofCalculus impacted in the ureter with somewhat unusual sym-ptoms. Dr. W. Calwell showed: (1) a specimen of Gastro-colic Fistula which existed without symptoms; (2) a

specimen of Calcareous Pleura ; and (3) a specimen ofSarcoma of the Lung. Dr. G. A. Hicks showed: (1) aHydatid Mole; and (2) a Gravid Fallopian Tube removedby operation from a case of repeated extra-uterine fcetation.

Enteric Fever in Londonderry.There have been three deaths from this epidemic and 15

cases remain under treatment in Foyle Hill Hospital. It issaid that the source of infection is the supply from one of thecity cowsheds in which a milker had enteric fever.

Complicating the outbreak has been a serious shortage ofwater, and for two days last week a large section of the citywas entirely without water. During the great storm ofOctober, the upper reservoir of water was injured, with theresult that the water in the middle reservoir became polluted.

Dec. 15th. _______________

PARIS.(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

L The Treatment of Epilepsy.AT the Hospitals Medical Society on Nov. 27th M. Roubino-

vitch stated that he had given to four epileptic patients sub-) cutaneous or intramuscular injections of 10 cubic centimetres

of cerebro-spinal fluid taken from other epileptics whose fits, occurred much less frequently than did their own. Of these; four two showed improvement. The fits of one patient were: reduced in number from 18 or 20 to four in a month. The, other had 60 or 70 fits a month ; he was in a very bad state

of health and, in fact, half comatose when the injections; were commenced. Since Nov. 1st he had only had ten fits,

his general condition has improved considerably, and he haspartly recovered his intelligence. The two other epilepticswho received this treatment only derived very slight andquite transitory benefit from it.

Rabies in Young Dogs.M. Remlinger brought this subject to the notice of the

Biological Society on Nov. 28th. Although rabies is alwaysthe result of infection from another rabid animal, and the

incubation period is nearly always a long one, the disease’ occurs in very young animals, even when they are but a,

month or two old. Young puppies are, indeed, much moresusceptible to rabies than are grown dogs. The incubation

period is distinctly shorter, sometimes not more than a week.Puppies, too, are much more dangerous because when theybite they only seem to be playing. As a rule, the virulenceof the organism is exalted in its passage through young dogs.

, When this reinforced virus is inoculated beneath the duramater of the rabbit it at once becomes a "fixed virus."Hence arises the necessity of early intensive treatment inthe case of a bite.

Cinnamate of Sodium in the Treatment of PulmonaryTuberculosis.

M. Paul Reynier made a communication to the Academyof Medicine on Dec. lst concerning the good results which