1400 IRELAND.

of air, its contained organic matter from body exhalationsand excretions, and with its dust, humidity, and tempera-ture. The air volume must differ according to the numberand the occupations of the persons concerned. Much

painstaking study, investigation, and experimentation wereneeded. The cooperation of experimenters was necessary.There were physiological, medical, and engineering problemswhich must be solved simultaneously, and they were not tobe answered by merely throwing open a window to the

general discomfort.Professor C. E. A. WINSLOW, Curator of Public Health at

the American Museum of Safety, New York, complained ofthe lack of a proper theoretical basis. No distinctionexisted between competent and incompetent ventilatingengineers. Even when a good system of ventilation wasintroduced its regulation was entrusted to incompetentjanitors. Mechanical fans had become unpopular from thiscause. Systems of ventilation proved failures also becauseno provision was made for the removal of excess heat.

Cooling as well as ventilating was required. Dr. HowardEvans, at Chicago, had done some remarkable work on theselines. The first thing was to guard against overheatingand excessive moisture. This was best done by constantlysupplying air of lower temperature than that of the room.Inside the temperature should never exceed 680 to 700 F. Ifthe temperature was 600 each person required 2000 cubic feetof fresh air per hour to prevent the temperature rising in con-sequence of the heat the average adult produced. If intro-duced air was at a lower temperature it should enter by thefloor, but it should be tempered in cold weather so as not tocause discomfort. Downward ventilation failed when theroom temperature equalled that of the incoming air. Windowventilation might be satisfactory in hospitals, but it was

wholly impracticable in factories and assembly rooms, and itwas doubtful whether it would ever be generally adopted inschools. Finally, it was essential that the cool, temperedair should be evenly distributed from properly designedducts through openings sufficiently numerous to avoid

draughts.TAe Food-supply.

As might be expected cold storage and the supply andhandling of food were extensively discussed at the Congress.In this respect it is gratifying to learn that there is a hotelat Indianopolis where all the servants concerned with the

handling of food or laundry work are periodically medicallyexamined. State rather than municipal action seems

effective at Indianopolis. Five inspectors are appointedby the State to visit and check the work of localauthorities, and it is now insisted that local officers shall

pass technical examinations.Dr. MARY E. PENNINGTON, of the Food Research

Laboratory, Bureau of Chemistry, U.S. Department of

Agriculture, Philadelphia, who thus represents the CentralFederal Authority, added many explanations to the papershe contributed to the proceedings. The shortage of food-stuffs (felt even in the States) had compelled the Governmentto deal, not only with their adulteration, but also with theirpreservation. By checking deterioration the supply wasincreased, and the rise in prices controlled. The law mightprevent rotten goods reaching the market, but it did notteach carriers, warehousemen, and middlemen generally tohandle these things properly. Some knowledge of chemistryand bacteriology was required. The whole commercialroutine must rest on the fundamental facts concerning theorigin and results of decay. Therefore industries must

coöperate with the scientific investigator. Only thus hadthe citrus fruits of California become so stable a commoditythat it had almost been forgotten that they were perishable.The orchards of Oregon provided the Atlantic seaboard withfruit, and the Atlantic supplied Colorado with excellentoysters. On the other hand, ignorance and carelessness

played cruel havoc with the poultry trade. The unhappybirds were sent alive to large cities, arriving wounded,thin, fevered, and altogether undesirable for food. Withscientific care eggs previously cooled were more appetisingand ’fresher after a week’s transit in a refrigeratingcar than eggs from a farm close at hand, where themethods of handling were antiquated and careless. Eventhe frozen and dried eggs used by bakers, she said, could be,and were being, prepared with a degree of care and skillthat approximated to the routine of the bacteriological labora-tory ; and the cold storage industry was working with the

authorities, represented by the Department of Agriculture, to.establish a satisfactory system of food preservation. The

speaker had visited many farrns and had given instruction inbacteriology till the farmers began to understand that afteropening a bad egg it was necessary to sterilise everythingthat had come into contact with it. The women-originallythe roughest among underpaid foreign immigrants-em-ployed to open eggs were now , taught to observe

scrupulous cleanliness, and were rewarded incidentally bythe increased beauty of their hands. These big, active,quick girls were now working with earnestness and

energy because they had realised the importance of whatthey were doing, with the result that they were no longerunskilled labourers, but part of a vast scientific organisationdestined to save the food of the nation. Photographs wereshown illustrating the contrast between the old insanitaryand the modern scientific methods of dealing with eggs.

(To be continued.)

IRELAND.(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENTS.)

Ireland and Medical Benefits under the National, Insurance Act.I MEDICAL men in Ireland were much astonished at a recent

communication to the Standard purporting to be the accountof negotiations between Mr. Thomas J. Kelly, of Enniscorthy,described as "President of the Irish Medical Association,"’ and certain prominent Members of Parliament, relating to.the extension of medical benefits under the Insurance Act toIreland. It was stated that terms had been agreed upon,and were to be referred to a Select Committee of the Houseof Commons. The terms, of which some were mutuallycontradictory, were given in detail. They bore no rela-

tion, however, to any demands put forward hitherto.on behalf of the medical profession here. Moreover,Mr. Kelly is not President of the Irish Medical Associa-tion, and it is well known that the conduct of aU

negotiations on behalf of the Irish profession has beencommitted to the Conjoint Committee of the Associations.Under these circumstances, readers were at a loss to under-stand the meaning of the statement in the Standard. Mr.

Kelly lost no time in disclaiming any share in the allegednegotiations. He wrote stating that he had never met orwritten to any of the Members of Parliament mentioned,that he has not and never had been President of the IrishMedical Association, that he had not been authorised to.conduct negotiations on behalf of that or any other body,and that he had conducted no such negotiations. The whole

story appears to have been an invention, but its publicationmay have done harm. There is a certain amount of agita-tion among the public in favour of the extension of medicalbenefits to Ireland. The Lord Mayor of Dublin took theopportunity last week of speaking in public in favourof such extension, and it is probable that he representsthe opinion of most of the city and town populations.The rural communities, on the other hand, are, forthe greater part, against the extension. One thing,however, is clear, those becoming members of the.

Approved Societies and all the friendly organisations wishmedical benefit to be extended to all parts of the UnitedKingdom. The great difficulty at present is to find any wayto provide sanatorium benefit. For instance, the Tyronecounty council on Nov. llth decided unanimously torescind a resolution passed at their previous meeting to takebeds at Peamount Sanatorium, and they agreed to appoint acommittee to go into the whole question and to confer withDr. E. C. Thompson, chairman of the Tyrone Medical Officers’Association, who was asked to place a scheme-which hehad at a previous stage of the proceedings put before themembers-in the hands of the secretary of the countycouncil for further consideration. Dr. Thompson objectsto Peamount Sanatorium, and thinks the best solution wouldbe for the County Tyrone council to erect a sanatorium toaccommodate 25-30 beds, and to retain the grant coming tothem in the county. At a meeting of the Belfast LocalMedical Committee held on Nov. llth a resolution was passedto the effect that, in addition to what is paid to any hospitalfor the upkeep of an insured person for sanatorium treat-ment, a sum of at least 5s. per week be paid the medical staff,

1401IRELAND.-PARIS.

the idea being to affirm the principle that the State mustpay those attending its insured people.

Poor-law Medical Officers as County Coieoacillors.For some time past Mr. W. Hennessy, medical officer of

the Galbally dispensary district, has been a member of theLimerick county council. The Local Government Board took

exception to his occupying this position, and some weeks agothreatened to deprive him of his office under sealed orderunless he resigned. Thus coerced he has sent in his resignationto the council. Both the board of guardians and the countycouncil have requested the Local Government Board to alterits decision. It is doubtful, indeed, whether, had the Boardcarried out its threat, the order would have been held goodin a court of law.

Local Conditions of Employment ot Medical Officers.A vacancy having occurred for a medical officer in the

Swinford Union, county Mayo, the guardians decided thatthey would, as a condition of appointment, require can-

didates to agree to abide by a scale of fees in their privatepractice. A scale was drawn up by a committee of the

guardians, and no opposition was offered by the LocalGovernment Board. One candidate was found who con-

sented to sign an agreement to abide by the scale of fees,and he was elected. This is the first instance in Ireland inwhich a Poor-law medical officer has definitely consented togive the guardians authority over his relations to privatepatients, though several boards of guardians have, on theinstigation of the Local Government Board, made attemptsto impose scales of fees.

Sanatorium burned to the Ground.Last Sunday the Queen’s County Sanatorium at Mary-

borough was totally destroyed by fire. The sanatorium,which was only opened last year, was in the grounds of theCounty Infirmary. When the fire was discovered the patientswere safely removed, but the damage is estimated at £1000,which is said to be covered by insurance.

Royal Humanw Society : Award to a Medical Man.At the last meeting of the Kilkee town commissioners

the chairman presented the testimonial of the RoyalHumane Society to Mr. C. Cornelius Hickey, medical officer ofthe Kilmihill dispensary district, who last July saved a boyfrom drowning near Kilkee. Though encumbered by hisclothes and boots Mr. Hickey plunged into the sea and withgreat difficulty brought the lad safe ashore.

Ulster medical Society.The opening meeting-for the present session-of the

Ulster Medical Society took place on Nov. 7th, when theoutgoing President, Dr. H. L. McKisack, introduced his

successor, Dr. R. W. Leslie, who gave an interestinginaugural address on infectious disease as met with in a

public school. It was based on his experience as physicianto the Campbell College. On the motion of Professor J. A.

Lindsay, seconded by Sir W. Whitla, a hearty vote ofthanks was passed both to the outgoing and incomingPresidents. The annual dinner will take’ place on Nov. 21st.

The Belfast Union Infirmary. ’

It is understood that the Belfast board of guardians areabout to appoint a special medical attendant with care ’’,of the Children’s Hospital and the Workhouse School,and it is hoped that, as they did in appointing an ophthalmicsurgeon, they will select for this important position one who ’,has really devoted specialised attention to a study of thediseases of children. No other form of selection will givesatisfaction to the profession and to the medical school, asthe union infirmary is now a place recognised by the Univer-sity where students may receive clinical instruction.

Nov. 12t.1t. _______________

PARIS.(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

The Treatment of Sterility in ivoinun.AN important part of the much discussed problem of

depopulation was dealt with at the Societe Obstetricale deFrance in October last, when M. Funck-Brentano andM. Planchu took up the treatment of female sterility. Thistreatment, they said, was at present in a state of uncertaintyand obscurity. There were two kinds of sterility-viz.,primary, where fecundation had never taken place, and

secondary, where sterility followed on previous fecundation.The frequency of sterility among patients in the hospitalgynaecological services, taken en masse, oscillated between14-3 and 16-9 per cent. But it might be consideredthat in about a quarter of the marriages the sterilitywas due to the man. An important factor of sterilityin woman was the gonorrhoeal infection conveyed on

marriage by the man. Too often the cause of the sterilitywas overlooked. The sterility of peritoneal, tubal,or ovarian origin was very often incurable. Genitalinfantilism also defied treatment. Sterility of septicorigin was much more serious than that of mechanical

origin. The authors discussed sterility due to generaldiseases or causes, such as syphilis, diabetes, chronicalbuminuria, tuberculosis, obesity, intoxications, andmenstrual tronbles ; and next, to those of local origin,such as congenital and acquired atresia, functional atresia,and vaginismus. Functional anomalies in the genital act,congenital malformations of the vagina, acquired malforma-tions, abnormal communication with neighbouring organs,vaginal tumours, acute or chronic inflammations, might alterthe secretions. Anomalies of development of the uterus,such as uterine malformations, uterine aplasia and hypo-plasia, cervical obstacles, septic inflammations, uterine

misplacements, and uterine tumours were considered. Itwas stated that of all these obstacles those that hadtheir origin in disease of the tube or the ovarywere the most grave, the least curable, and the most

frequent. Finally, the authors dealt with secondary sterility,of which lesions of the uterus, tube, ovary, or peritoneumdue to gonorrhoeal infection were a frequent cause.

T7te College of Athletes.A provisional committee has been constituted to establish

a college of athletes for the study of questions relating tophysical education, training, and the physiology of exercise.It will be a training school for civil and military instructorsand for specialist physicians. Chosen athletes selected withan eye to championships will be trained there. A central

college is to be built in the environs of Paris, with annexesin the provinces, to study more in detail the racial qualitiesof each locality. The college will be situated on about12 acres of ground, on which will be erected a vast

stadium, where all athletic sports can be practised in theopen air. In its centre will be a swimming pool 100 metresin length. A huge building will be built near the stadium toallow of the practice of all sports in bad weather. Grass

spaces also will be constructed for games and sports, such asfootball. Competitions may be organised later in which

prominent athletes can meet.

Hygiene as a Study for Ministerial Officials.The Minister of Justice has issued a circular stating that

his attention has been called to the defective hygienicorganisation of certain public and ministerial offices.Frequently the quarters in which the clerks work are tooconfined for the number of persons who have to occupythem, or they are damp or badly lighted, and insufficientlyventilated and aired. As such a condition favours tuber-culosis among other evils, the Minister calls on the permanentofficials to signify to those concerned the importance attach-ing to the maintenance of hygienic conditions. He callson them to have such places inspected, with a view to theremedying of any existing imperfections in this regard, andhaving them brought into conformity with modern ideas.He further demands a complete report from the proeitreur-généraux on this matter by Jan. lst.

Lodging and Growth.M. Gindes has made a study of the injurious influence of

overcrowded dwelling-places. He deals particularly with thedevelopment of little children, as evidenced by the eruptionof the first teeth and the first effort to walk. In a healthydwelling the first tooth appears in 60 per cent. of casestowards the eighth month. As to walking, normally a childshould begin to walk at an age between one year and a yearand a half ; but in overcrowded dwellings only 25 per cent.of children begin to walk at this age, and 50 per cent. donot begin until after two years. Air, light, and sunshine,he says, are as indispensable for children as good milk is,and it is surely a little wonderful that this lesson has still tabe learnt.

Radiography iza Hydronephrosis.On Nov. 6th M. Legueu communicated to the Societe de