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the greater part of the anterior aspect is attachedto the margin of the patella, which bone moves withthe quadriceps, and also tends as a rigid area to

prevent folding of the capsule. I may also advert to thefact that the cartilages themselves, which are certainly heldbetween the bones, are invested on both aspects by the

synovial membrane. These remarks have been called forth

by those contained in a clinical lecture by Mr. Moullin,published in THE LANCET of May 18th, and in a less degreeby the fact that during the past session a speaker at one ofthe London societies gravely suggested that since Mr. Suttonhad shown these structures to be in some sense vestigialthe knee-joint would be better without them. In writing theabove I in no way dissent from the practice of removingbroken cartilages, and should always resort to this treatment,but on the other hand I would maintain that the knee-jointwithout the semilunar cartilages has lost one of its most

perfect means of fine adjustment.I am, Sirs, yours faithfully,

Charles-street, W., May 20th, 1895. G. H. MAKINS.G. H. MAKINS.

"KINGSCLERE DISTRICT COUNCIL ANDMEDICAL REMUNERATION."

To the Editors of THE LANCET.

SIBS,—My attention has been directed to an annotation inTHE LANCET of May 4th under the above heading. Thereporters were premature in their statement. The appoint-ment (!) was offered to me on Tuesday, the 14th inst., andrespectfully declined. I am, Sirs, yours truly,Kingselere, May 17th, 1895. REG. MAPLES.REG. MAPLES.

SMALL-POX IN CALCUTTA.To the Editors of THE LANCET.

SIRS,-Seeing that in Calcutta the deaths from small-poxfor eight weeks only of the quarter do really exceed in the Iratio of nearly three to one the number of deaths from thesame disease in all the capitals of the world put together fora whole quarter, those in Calcutta proper being 872 and inthe other capitals for thirteen weeks 333, I should like toask someone well acquainted with the city the presumablereason. Is there no legal requirement of vaccination, andare there no public vaccinators ? Is the Hindoo and Mahom-medan feeling against the operation so strong that it cannotbe put in force ? It certainly does not say much for theoperation or its performance if, in our principal colonialcity, the disease exists unchecked to the terrible extent it

appears to here. Who is to blame ? I am, Sirs, yours truly,

Gravesend, May 20th, 1895. J. H. GRAMSHAW, M.D.J. H. GRAMSHAW, M.D.

"ARE APOTHECARIES, OLD OR NEW,ENTITLED TO ADVERTISE?"

To the Editors of THE LANCET.SIRS,—I am also prompted, like your correspondent

"Ethics," to reply to his letter. He accuses the holders ofthe L.S.A. diploma of being advertisers. I have beenassociated with general practice in London for the lasttwelve years, and I can honestly say that the majority ofadvertising cases that I have come across have not beenfrom holders of that diploma. The new L.S.A. is nowas fully qualified as anybody ; why, therefore, should hewish to advertise any more than an M.D. Lond. ? It appearsto me that jealousy has a great deal to do with these attackson the L.S.A.’s. I am in practice in a large London suburb,and three of the most professional men in that district areholders of the L.S.A. I am, Sirs, yours truly,May 18th, 1895. JUSTICE.

MEDICAL AID ASSOCIATIONS.To the Editors of THE LANCET.

SIRS,—I have always been under the impression thatTHE LANCET would not support in any way any medicalaid company or association. Jadge of my surprise last weekwhen I beheld an advertisement emanating from theAccrington Medical Dispensary. This is one of those

businesses that of late have been the subject of inquiryby the General Medical Council. For reasons best knownto themselves the name of "Medical Aid Association" isgradually being dropped by the committeemen of thesebusinesses, and other names substituted, as "Medical Insti-tute," "Medical Dispensary," &c. For some reason, at

present unknown to me, I perceive that in this year’s list ofmedical aid associations the statistics relating to Accrington,showing the numbers, profit, and loss, total worth, &c., were

not supplied by the secretary. In conclusion, I may men-tion that an advertisement for an assistant appeared inTHE LANCET about three weeks ago from another association.

I am, Sirs, yours faithfully,May 21st, 1895. DETECTOR.

* We do not insert the advertisements of medical aidassociations or of like bodies if we have any reason to

suppose that they act on objectionable lines, but it is

obviously impossible to absolutely ensure the rejection ofsuch advertisements. Our clerks have strict rules to thiseffect which they carefully follow, but unfortunately theyare not all "Detectors." The advertisement in THE LANCETof last week did not on its face appear to contain anythingto which exception could be taken. If our correspondentwill furnish us with the means which he apparently possessesof infallibly detecting the character of every "Dispensary "we shall be greatly obliged to him.-ED. L.

DETECTOR.

LIVERPOOL.(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

The Assizes.’

MR. JUSTICE HAWKINS concluded the criminal business ofthe Assizes on the 15th inst. with the trial of William Mille!rfor the wilful murder of Edward Moyse on Feb. 19th last,The trial ended in a verdict of "Guilty," such being, indeed,the foregone conclusion. This city has been too often thescene of a brutal murder, and this most recent one offers noextenuating circumstance, but several of great aggravation.The deceased was an a2.ed man who on the fatal nightoffered the prisoner hospitality and a bed for the

night. In the morning at an early hour John Needham,a boy aged fifteen, saw the prisoner rummaging the house, andwas suddenly attacked by him and wounded. He defendedhimself as well as he could, and on the prisoner leaving thehouse he went and found his master (Moyse) wounded andapparently dead. Needham went for assistance, became faintfrom loss of blood, and was taken to the Northern Hospitalwhere he remained for some time. Moyse was found to havebeen dead some time, and from the state of the body it wasevident that he had been stunned while asleep and thenkilled by heavy blows on his head and face with a hatchet.The prisoner was arrested a few days later and identifiedby Needham. In addition to this direct evidence therewas a long chain of circumstantial evidence againstwhich there was practically no defence, the prisonerbeing quite unable to account for his movements on thefatal night. Mr. Justice Hawkins passed severe sentenceson six women who had inflicted grievous bodilyharm on a boy who had been a witness against the husbandof one of the prisoners. The prisoners were all respectablecharwomen, against whom there was no previous charge, butin this their first offence they had been guilty of wantonviolence against a boy who had simply done his duty asrequired by law. He had been left by them on the road inan unconscious state, and he was in the Royal Infirmary forsome time after. The judge awarded severe sentences forother crimes of violence, and observed that drink wasthe exciting cause of many of them.

Fatal Effects of Yight-Zacing.The city coroner held an inquest on the 15th inst. upon the

body of a domestic servant aged eighteen years who wasattacked on the llth inst. with pains in the stomach. Shewas seen by Dr. McCormick, who found her corset so tightlylaced that it had to be broken off. She was taken home andtreated, but died on the 12th. At the post-mortem examina-tion an ulcer was found in the stomach, which the medical

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man attributed to tight-lacing. It is remarkable how this, ,like other foolish fashions, dies very hard. ’,

Electrical Communication with Lightships and Lighthouses.The river Mersey has been the scene of many a wreck and

many deaths from drowning. These are not due to any lackof courage on the part of the lifeboat men, who are only tooready to risk their own lives. The Royal Commissionershave recommended that the Formby Lightship shall be con-,nected with the shore by means of an electric cable, whichwill enable the crew to communicate promptly by telephonethe exact position of any vessel in distress and so savevaluable lives. They will also be able to call for medicalaid when this is required.

Hospital Saturday.Saturday, the 18th inst., was observed as Hospital Satur-

day in the city. A new departure was made this year by anumber of ladies, who paraded the streets from an earlyhour, collecting contributions from the large number of

passers-by. The number of persons who enter the city from;all points of the compass every week-day is marvellous, and-it is to be feared that only a very small proportion contribute.anything to the medical charities. This new arrangementhas, therefore, at least something to be said in its favour.The amount accruing from the Hospital Saturday Fund has;steadily increased since its commencement in 1870, and alarge increase is looked for this year.

Deaths of two Liverpool Surgeons.Within a very short period two members of the profession

who formerly practised in Liverpool have passed away, eachhaving passed the age of fourscore. The first, Mr. RichardHutchinson, died at Heswall, Cheshire, where he had beenliving in retirement for some years past. Mr. Hutchinsonbecame a Member of the Royal College of Surgeonsof England in 1837, and had for many years a

large practice, being also honorary surgeon to the SouthDispensary. -The other gentleman was Mr. John

Nottingham, F.R.C.S., who was honorary surgeon to the.’Southern Hospital for many years and had a considerablereputation as a surgeon and general practitioner. For some

years past he had lived in retirement at Whitchurch, Salop,where he died.May 20th.

_______________

NORTHERN COUNTIES NOTES.

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

Newcastle-upon-Tyne Eye Infirmary.AT the annual meeting of this valuable charity, recently

Sield in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Dr. C. S. Jeaffresoi3, the’honorary house surgeon, called attention in his report to thenumber of patients treated in the out-door departmentwhom he considered to be "not fitting recipients of charity,"many of whom he said were "in receipt of large wages." If,the complaint thus publicly made be correct, and it is not byany means the first time that Dr. Jeaffreson has made it, the- charity is undoubtedly being grossly abused. The financialstatement was not altogether satisfactory, and one wouldthink nothing would tend more to alienate support than therepeated statements by a responsible officer that the charityis abused. The Eye Infirmary is a very perfectly arranged- and equipped hospital doing a great deal of excellent work,and it is much to be regretted that it should be made use ofby a class for whom it is not intended. Some means of- checking abuse at this as well as at other similar institutionsshould be possible.

Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.At the annual meeting of this admirable society, held

- recently at Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Colonel Coulson said that" a few days ago, while he was in the south of England, a manbrought a very beautiful little dog to a friend of his for sale.:Enraged because he could not sell it the man took his

dog into a wood and there skinned it alive." " It seemsalmost incredible that such a thing could have happened inEngland, but Colonel Coulson added—"the man was arrested.and sent to prison for two months, with hard labour, bythe magistrates." This was received with applause by hisaudience, though why it should have been it is difficult toexplain. The punishment was about the same as is not in-frequently awarded to some homeless wretch for sleeping out

or to a poacher for stealing a hare. Surely penal servitudewould not have been too much for such an offence. ColonelCoulson suggested that a Bill should be brought in permittingjudges and magistrates to flog men for acts of gross crueltyto women, children, and animals, and he added that he him-self would be quite willing to flog such offenders free ofexpense to the Government. It is quite time such an Act waspassed. The argument that the lash would degrade a mancapable of skinning a live dog is absurd. How could such aman by any means be degraded ? On the contrary, to floghim soundly would be the sole means of appealing to anyfeeling he possessed which was capable of responding.

Health Exhibition.The sum of £105 has just been divided by the Mayor

among the medical charities in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, theproceeds of the first day’s receipts at the Health Exhibitionnow being held in Olympia. Mr. Engel, the manager of thisvery successful and interesting exhibition, deserves thethanks of the charities which his enterprise and kindnesshave benefited.

Newcastle-upon-Tyne, May 21st.

SCOTLAND.(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENTS.)

A Hospital Caravan for Infectious Diseases,A NOVEL departure in providing for the isolation and treat-

ment of infectious cases has been adopted by the localauthority in one of the districts of East Lothian. Itconsists in having a movable hospital in the form of acaravan. The caravan has four wheels and can be drawnby two horses ; it has an air space of 1520 cubic feet,being 19 feet long, 10 feet high from floor to roof, and8 feet wide. It has double walls, with an interveningspace of one and a half inches. One end of the caravancan be dislodged to allow of the vehicle beingplaced corridor fashion against another. Each van hastwo beds, and is thoroughly equipped. It is proposedto provide a tent with each van for the nurse

or for cooking. The cost of each vehicle is £ 100.The advantages claimed for this novel method are that thevan can be taken to the patient, and that the vans in theseveral districts can be brought together wherever an out-break of infectious disease occurrs. The local medical manwould have charge, and it is thought that the system will bean economical one. The originator of the idea was Mr.James Wyllie of Pathhead, the brother of the senior ordinaryphysician to the Royal Infirmary.

_ Edinburgh Royal Infirmary.At the meeting of the managers of this institution on

Monday a letter was read from the clergyman on the Islandof Foula enclosing the sum of £15s. 6d. from the islandersas a contribution to the funds of the hospital. This humble

recognition of the services rendered by the Royal Infirmarymight be taken to heart by many who have more of thisworld’s goods than these poor and isolated people have. If wemistake not the clergyman not only acts as the spiritualguide of the people but also as their medical guide, andtakes charge of them at both ends of life.

Glasgow Samaritan Hospital for Women.The foundation-stone of this hospital was laid on the

18th inst. by Lord Blythswood. The ceremony was per-formed with Masonic honours, and was witnessed by a largegathering of the profession and the general public. Whencompleted the hospital will provide accommodation for

twenty-eight patients. There will also be a lecture-room forstudents, and the necessary administrative buildings andnurses’ home. The estimated cost of the building is E8000,in addition to which a further sum of £1500 will be spenton furnishing. The present hospital is small and unsatis-factory in many respects, so that the new hospital will be auseful addition to the charitable institutions of the city, andwill still further increase the clinical resources of the GlasgowMedical School.

Glasgow University.One of the earliest and most impressive experiences of the

Glaqgow undergraduate is the dignified and important bear-ing of the Bedellus and Janitor as he carries the University