1519IRELAND.

New Hospital for Skye.To perpetuate the memory of Dr. MacKinnon of Strath a

scheme has been formulated for the building and equipmentof a hospital at Broadford, Skye. An ideal site has beensecured and plans have been prepared and approved by thelocal committee. The estimated cost of the building isabout E1000. Already a considerable number of subscrip-tions have been received, the amount in the treasurer’s handsbeing a little over £1600. It has been decided, however,not to commence building operations until a sufficient sumis raised to endow the hospital, and a special appeal for therequisite funds has been issued. The proposed institutionwill supply a want which has been felt in the east end of theisland, as under existing conditions patients have to be con-veyed long distances before they can get hospital treatment.

Isolation Hospital for Dumfries and Maxwelltown.Dr. W. Leslie Mackenzie, of the Local Government Board,

performed last week the opening ceremony of the new com-bination hospital for Dumfries and Maxwelltown for thetreatment of infectious diseases at a cost of fully .S7000. In

declaring the hospital open Dr. Mackenzie spoke in appre-ciative terms of the vast amount of good work done byvoluntary institutions in dealing with infectious disease.Dumfries followed several other towns in providing isolationhospitals for infectious disease, and as these diseases werespread over all classes of the community, it was essentiallythe duty of the community as a whole to deal with them.He went on to emphasise the need of dealing in a strenuousmanner with phthisis, and expressed great satisfaction that,complying with the recommendation of the Local Govern-ment Board, local authorities representing over 50 per cent.of the population of Scotland, had already adopted com-pulsory notification of phthisis.

Dundee Royal Infirmary Staff and Time Gun.The Dundee Royal Infirmary staff have petitioned the

works committee of the Dundee town council on the questionof the nearness of the time-gun to the institution. Theypoint out that its firing is injurious to the patients and askthat it should be removed to some other place. The com-mittee, after discussion, agreed that the city engineer shouldreport on the subject at the next meeting and that meantimea less charge of gunpowder should be used.Nov. 15th.

IRELAND.

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDBNTS.)

Action by the Local Government Board against a DistrictCounozz.

LAST week, in the King’s Bench Division, before the LordChief Baron, Mr. Justice Gibson, and Mr. Justice Boyd, theLocal Government Board made application that a conditionalorder of mandamus issued a few months ago against theKilmallock rural district council should be made absolute.The order directed the district council to appoint a

veterinary surgeon as inspector of dairies and cowshedsto carry out the provisions of a sanitary Order of the LocalGovernment Board. In April, 1908, the council had con-sidered the Order, and refused to take any action, markingthe Order read. " The Local Government Board informedthe council that the Order was of general application. Dr.Browne, Local Government Board medical inspector, visitedthe union and reported that in the interest of the publichealth and the creameries of the Kilmallock district the pro-visions of the Order should be enforced. A long corre-

spondence ensued and the council remained obdurate. Even-

tually legal proceedings were taken, as stated above, by theLocal Government Board. The court unanimously refusedthe application, with costs against the Local GovernmentBoard, the Order being ultra vires. The decision is importantas the Order sought to be enforced against the Kilmallockcouncil was of general application to the country. Manyother councils have also refused to obey, and others havealready made these appointments, which they are now likelyto cancel on short notice. The decision, in fact, is likely torender nugatory the Dairies and Cowsheds Order of 1908.

A General Anœsthetics Bill.In view of the fact that the General Medical Council at

its present session is to consider a draft of an Anaesthetics

Bill sent down from the Privy Council, the President of theRoyal Academy of Medicine in Ireland (Sir Charles Ball)recommended a special meeting of the Academy to considerthe entire subject. As dentists are much interested in thequestion, the members of the Irish Branch of the BritishDental Association were invited to be present and to take partin the discussion. The dentists showed more interest thanthe Fellows of the Academy, some dozen and a half only ofthe latter being present and at least twice as many dentists.After discussion the following resolutions were adopted :-

1. That it is desirable in the public interest that the administration ofgeneral anaesthetics to render persons unconscious during any medical,surgical, obstetrical, or dental operation or procedure, should berestricted by law to registered medical practitioners, with the excep-tion of nitrous oxide gas and such other anaesthetics as may trom timeto time be sanctioned by the Privy Council, which may be adminis-tered by a registered dentist.

2. That provision should be made for the practical instruction inanaesthetics of medical and dental students.

3. That the specification of the anaesthetic substances or drugs whichmay thus be employed by registered dental practitioners duringdental operations or procedures should be made in a schedule to theproposed Act of Parliament, power being reserved to the Privy Council,on the recommendation of the General Medical Council, as the autho-rity charged with the publication of the British Pharmacopoeia, to addto or vary the specified list from time to time as occasion arises.

4. That the administration of local anaesthetics for producing insensi-bility to pain during any surgical or dental operation or procedure bythe introduction beneath the skin or mucous membrane of any fluid orother substance by means of a hypodermic needle or in any other way,should be restricted by law to registered medical practitioners, to-

registered dentists, or to persons acting under the immediate surer-vision of a registered medical practitioner or a registered dentist.

Poor-law Reform.A conference on Poor-law reform will be held in the

Mansion House, Dublin, on Wednesday, Dec. 7th. Invita-tions have been addressed to the clerk of each union inIreland in the hope that one or more members of each boardof guardians will attend. The object of the conference is toelicit a definite expression of opinion from guardians infavour of some one of the methods of reform which have beenproposed in the report of the Viceregal and Royal Com-missions. The conference has been organised by the

Philanthropic Reform Association and the Irish WorkhouseAssociation.

Conferring of Degrees in University College, GalwayFollowing on the conferrings of degrees in Dublin and

Cork a meeting of the Senate of the National University washeld last week, in University College, Galway, for the purposeof conferring degrees. It was the first time that such aceremonial had taken place in Galway. It is gratifying toknow that the scenes of disorder which took place at Dublinand Cork were not repeated in Galway.

The Ulster Medical Society.The session 1910-11 opened on Nov. 10th. A very

hearty vote of thanks, moved by Dr. H. O’Neill and secondedby Dr. A. G. Robb, having been accorded Dr. J. J.Austin, the retiring President, the incoming President

(Sir Peter O’Connell) proceeded to give his intro-

ductory address on "The Present Position of the Poor-law Service in Ireland as bearing specially on theMedical Profession," and advocated a State medicalservice. The President invited a discussion, in which thefollowing gentlemen joined : Dr. Robb (who said that 95 percent. of the practitioners of Ulster and 90 per cent. of thosein Connaught had signed the paper in favour of a Statemedical service, and he hoped that Leinster and Munsterwould go equally united for it), Dr. C. Kevin, Mr. R. Hall,Sir John Byers, Dr. O’Neill, Mr. W. Burns, Dr. J. S. Darling,Professor T. Sinclair, and Dr. J. Walton Browne. Therewas a marked unity of opinion in favour of a Statemedical service, which it was recognised would be best forthe country, would raise the status of the medical professionin the Poor-law service, and would improve the public healthof the country. On the motion of Dr. John Campbell,seconded by Dr. W. Calwell, a hearty vote of thanks waspassed to the President for his address.

Women’s National Health Association of Ireland.Lady Aberdeen, founder and president of the Women’s

National Health Association of Ireland, spoke at the annualmeeting of the Belfast branch on Nov. 8th and at Ballymenaon the next day at the yearly assemblage of the Mid-Antrimbranch. Very encouraging reports were presented at bothmeetings. In Belfast (the Lord Mayor presiding) theModerator of the General Assembly, the Catholic and theProtestant Bishops, Dr. Marion Andrews, and Mr. H. W. Bailie

1520 PARIS.

took part, while at Ballymena Mr. R. Cunie and Dr. W. R.Davison addressed the meeting.

Belfast Asylum.The report of the Inspectors of Lunatics (Dr. E. M.

Courtenay and Mr. 1. M. Considine) was read on Nov. 14th at a meeting of the asylum committee of the city council ofBelfast. They write in the highest terms of the Purdysburnasylum and hope that no time will be lost in disposing of theold institution in Grosvenor-road, Belfast, and transferringthe inmates to new quarters at Purdysburn, where they willenjoy all the advantages of country life and pure air, togetherwith the advantage afforded by beautiful buildings and goodsurroundings. 1245 people are now on the books of the

asylum-583 males and 662 females-792 in the old asylumat Belfast, 339 at Purdysburn, and 54 in Ballymena work-house. The medical officers are all praised for their workand their care of the inmates.

A Case o ’f Cerebro-spinal Meningitis in Belfast.An inquest was held on Nov. 9th at the Recorder’s Court,

Townhall-street, to inquire into the death of a child aged6 years. Professor W. St. Clair Symmers, who made a post-mortem examination, stated that death was due to cerebro-spinal meningitis.Nov. 15th.

_________________

PARIS.(FROM OUR OWN OORRESPONDENT.)

Trephining in SimpZe Fractzcmes of the Skull.AT a meeting of the Society of Military Medicine held or

Nov. 8th M. R. Picque recommended lumbar puncture as OnEof the first steps in the treatment of simple fractures of theskull. He said that it was indispensable as a means oj

diagnosis, but a further operation was required if the genera]symptoms persisted after the puncture, and the surgeonshould trephine as soon as the least local sign indicated theprecise locality. M. Moty said that trephining was plainlyindicated when there was severe intracranial pain whichresisted ordinary treatment ; opening and draining thearachnoid cavity distinctly relieved the pain. M. Jacob,M. Sieur, and M. Rouvilois said that lumbar puncture wassufficient in a great number of cases ; they thought that

systematic trephining was not necessary when the patientdid not present any sign of cerebral localisation or com-pression and when there were only symptoms of excitement;lumbar puncture gave the patient the same advantages astrephining. In support of their opinions they quoted casesin which patients suffering from fracture of the base of theskull had recovered without any operation other thanlumbar puncture.

The Floods.The river Seine is once more in flood and rising in so

alarming a manner that the inhabitants of the banlieue arehastily removing their furniture and leaving their homes.In Paris the water is making its way into the cellars of thehouses along the quays and the steamboats have had to stopfunning. At Javel and at Auteuil the water washes over thewharves. The cellars of the wharves on the Quai d’Austerlitzare being emptied, ventilators on the ground-level are beingclosed, and it is feared that the Hopital Boucicaut may have,to be evacuated. The whole of the banlieue in the neighbour-hood of the river is flooded and other parts are threatened.On all sides the officials of the Department of PublicWorks are taking measures of protection against the risingwater and are endeavouring to prevent a breakdown of the-supply of electric current such as the floods caused last year,with the result that tramway traffic was stopped in a greatmany parts of Paris.

New Organic Preparations of Arsenic.At a meeting of the Academy of Medicine held on Nov. 8th

M. Armand Gautier said that although he had not spoken onthe subject of organic arsenical compounds since the year1901 he had, nevertheless, been the first to obtain suchorganic preparations of arsenic as the cacodylates, the

methylarsenates, and arrhenal, in which toxicity was reducedto a minimum, while their therapeutic value in certaindiseases was truly remarkable. He showed that in syphilisa combination of mercury with arsenical preparations gaveexcellent results. Since the year 1895 the cacodylates have

been employed in the Hopital Saint-Louis, in the wards ofwhich Dr. Danlos had charge, injections of them being givenin doses varying from O. 60 gramme to 0 - 80 gramme perday ; they have also been prescribed in the Hôtel-Dieu andthe Hopital Boucicaut.

Provincial Sanitary Conference.The first Provincial Sanitary Conference organised by the

Society of Public Medicine and Sanitary Engineering washeld recently at the Pasteur Institute. Dr. Roux, whopresided, said that this society last year played an importantpart in connexion with public health legislation, and hadnow brought together the superintendents of the healthoffices, the departmental inspectors of health, and variousadministrative authorities for the purpose of consideringthe applications of the new statute. M. Herriot, mayorof Lyons, then explained his views on the subject ofmodern hospitals, with especial reference to the suburban

hospital which was about to be built at Lyons. Itwould occupy a site of 156,000 square metres and wouldcontain 1200 beds, of which 150 would be reserved forinfectious cases. M. Herriot has adopted the system of

separate compartments, such as were in use at the PasteurInstitute. The hospital would naturally consist of detachedpavilions, of which there were 18, all communicating bymeans of underground passages. The laboratories wouldbe in the basement, the ground floor and the first floorwould be occupied by patients, and the upper floors would beused for the accommodation of the officials. M. Lemoine,principal medical officer at Val de Gdce, then presented areport on the etiology and prophylaxis of typhoid fever, anda discussion followed in which M. Guillemin, M. Chantemesse,M. Zipfel, M. Panel, M. Granjux, M. Julien, M. Calmette,M. Gautrez, M. Courmont, and M. Rossi took part.

The Use of Radium in Dermatology and Rhinology.At a meeting of the Societe de Medecine de Paris, held on

Nov. llth, M. Lagarde and M. Masotti presented a com-munication on the Use of Radium in Dermatology andRhinology. They said that in a number of cases patientssuffering from conditions included under these headingsmight derive benefit from the employment of radium. Thissubstance was already in daily use for the treatment of n2vi,cancroid growths, lupus of the nose, cancers, leucoplasia,and lichen of the oro-pharynx. It seemed probable,moreover, that other tumours of the nasal fossæ (sarco-mata, epitheliomata, and tuberculous growths) might benefitfrom the same applications, and that certain zones ofthe nasal mucous membrane, localities liable to polypusand varix, might be favourably influenced. Some otherdiseases such as maxillary sinusitis, hypertrophied tonsils,and laryngitis might also be successfully treated byradiferous

! substances combined with insoluble salts. Lantern picturesof patients who had recovered under this treatment wereshown. In the subsequent discussion M. Druelle said thathe recognised the features of one of the patients who hadbeen shown on the screen as recovered, and he believed thatthis person had recently died from epithelioma in the HopitalSaint-Louis. M. Levassort said that when photographs of

patients were publicly exhibited care should be taken tomake individual recognition impossible, but recognition inthis case may have corrected a blunder.

A Codperativ6 Restaurant for Female Students.A General Association of Female Students was formed in

Paris last June, and a cooperative restaurant for the use ofthe members has now been established at No. 55, Rue Saint-Jacques, where a repast consisting of soup, meat, sweets ordessert, bread, and wine is provided for 1 franc ; for 5 o’clocktea the charge is 25 centimes. A number of gentle.men occupying official positions attended the inauguralceremony when the restaurant was opened on Nov. 6th, thecompany including M. Liard, vice-rector of the Academy;M. Lavisse, director of the ]cole Normale Supérieure; thePresidents of the Municipal Council and of the GeneralCouncil; and Professor Landouzy, dean of the Faculty ofMedicine.Nov. 14th.

Mrs. Amy Mary Macdonald, M.D., widow ofthe late Dr. Donald Macdonald of Stornoway, and eldestlaughter of Mr. J. Galloway Weir, M.P., died at her resi-lence, " Lyndale," Harlesden, N.W., on Monday, afterlong and painful illness.