962

there is no commensurate contribution. In the report ofthe Ear and Throat Hospital it was stated that 31’ 7 percent. of the in-patients and 26’1 per cent. of the out-

patients were from beyond Birmingham. The city in the

past has not suffered from the lack of charitable bequests norhave the working classes been behind in contributing, sincein addition to maintaining their own convalescent homes inNorth Wales they have for several years handed over anannual sum of .810,000 to the various hospitals. It is

extremely rare, on the other hand, for the hospitals to receiveany contribution from the outlying districts the poor in-habitants of which benefit so largely by them.

The Housing Committee and the Bordesley Green Site.Some time ago the housing committee, under Part 3 of the

Housing of the Working Classes Act, purchased 17 acres ofland at Bordesley Green with the view of building houses forthe working classes. The committee later considered it in-advisable to build the houses and determined to let the landto a private builder. An offer has recently been made by abuilder who covenants to build upon the site not lessthan 310 and not more than 340 houses. Each house willconsist of a living room, a kitchen, and two bedrooms, one ofwhich can be divided if necessary into two, and there willbe a water-closet attached. There will be an area in thecentre of the site unbuilt upon for the use and recreation ofthe residents. Not less than two-thirds of the houses areto be let at 4s. 6d. a week and the rest at 5s. The builder

agrees to pay a ground rent of e400 a year and to take theland on a 99 years’ lease. The whole scheme will be laidbefore the council at its next monthly meeting.

Mentally and Physieally Defective Children.Mentally and physically defective children formed the

subject of an interesting address given at the University afew days ago by Mrs. Hume Pinsent who is a member ofthe Royal Commission now sitting to consider the educa-tion of these children. She particularly emphasised thefact that they were weak in will power and stronglyimitative and that, in consequence, if taken from evil

surroundings, placed under supervision, and given manualwork there was every reason to hope that they would beself-supporting. To effect this result boarding schools werenecessary, for in day schools only during school hours werethe children protected from evil communications. It was

necessary, further, that provision for the education and pro-tection of such children should be compulsory, otherwisethere was the absurdity of one township spending moneyupon them, only to see them at the end of a year removed toa district where such provision was not operative and wherethey would speedily lose all the advantages which they werein process of gaining. The final problem was to render themwhen they were grown up self-supporting and to prevent themfrom aggravating the evil by becoming the parents of a newgeneration similarly defective. This it was proposed to solveby the institution of colonies where they could work underconstant supervision. The large audience which listened tothe address showed the interest which many in Birminghamtake in the question and gave reason for hope that someserious endeavour would shortly be made to grapple with thesubject.

Woreestershire and the Treatment of Conszcmption.The annual meeting of the Worcestershire Association for

the Prevention of Consumption was held a week ago. The

general committee, reporting upon the work done during theyear at the sanatorium for the open-air treatment of thedisease at Knightwick, was able to make the gratifyingstatement that in 87 per cent. of the cases in the earlystages of the disease the ’mischief was arrested. So satis-

factory were the results considered that the committeerecommended the purchase of a site and buildings at a costof f.6000, of which some <&2000 have already been promisedalthough no general appeal has yet been made.

The City Analyst’s Report.From the report by the city analyst to the health com-

mittee it is found that the adulteration of food is on thedecline..Of the samples analysed last year only 5’3 percent. were adulterated in other ways than by preserva-tives. Of the samples of milk examined 4’7 per cent.were adulterated with preservatives only and 6’ percent. by the addition of water or the abstraction of fat.These figures are lower than those of any previous year. Pre-servatives were detected in 37 samples of milk, 12 contain-ing borax or boric acid and 25 containing formic aldehyde.

Of the samples of butter 5 per cent. were adulterated in otherways than by preservatives. Perhaps the most interestinginformation referred to the examination of the water.

Samples taken from taps from January to October were ofthe old supply and contained from 26’ 6 to 36’ 8 parts ofsolid matter per 100,000 parts of water ; samples taken inNovember and December were of the new Welsh supply andcontained only 8 parts of solid matter in the same volumeof water. The amount of hardness had also decreased from20 parts to 3’ 5, and whereas the old supply always containednitrogen as nitrates the new supply is quite free from suchsuspicious constituents.

Local Beq1tests.By the will of Mr. Richard Cadbury the Birmingham

General Hospital and the Eye Hospital have each benefitedto the extent of <&5000, while the Ear and Throat Hospitaland the Orthopedic Hospital have each received 2500.&mdash;SirEdward Dolman Scott has bequeathed to the StaffordshireGeneral Infirmary and to the Queen’s Hospital, Birmingham,f.5000 each.-The residuary interest in his estate whichMr. Best, after directly benefiting certain charities, left to thegeneral purposes committee of the council to be disposed ofas it thought fit amounted to .B70, 000. This sum has nowbeen allocated and in consequence the University receives-<E20,000, the Birmingham and Midland Institute <&3000, andthe General and Queen’s Hospitals f.5000 each.

The Health of Birmingham.For the week ending March 18th the death-rate was 15 ’9-

per 1000, the zymotic death-rate being 1’ 2. During thatweek two fresh cases of small-pox were notified ; there werefive cases in the special wards at the end of the week. Forthe week ending March 25th the death-rate was 14’3 per1000, the zymotic death-rate being 1’1. There was one freshcase of small-pox notified during the week.

April 4th. __________________

LIVERPOOL.(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

University of Liverpool: Graduation Ceremony.AN interesting ceremony took place at the University on

April lst when the degrees of Bachelor of Medicine andBachelor of Surgery were conferred by Vice-ChancellorDale upon Mr. J. A. M. Bligh, Mr. D. Elder, Mr. W. D.Higson, Mr. E. F. Hoare, Mr. L. Hutchinson, Mr. J. S.Rowlands, Mr. J. C. Thorburn, Mr. H. W. L. Waller, andMr. H. F. Woolfenden. The ceremony was witnessed in theSenate room by a number of the graduates’ relatives andfriends. The candidates were introduced to the Vice-Chan-cellor by Professor B. Moore, the Dean of the Medical

Faculty. In an address to the new graduates the Vice-Chancellor reminded them of the Old Students’ Associationand of the invaluable services which it had rendered totheir corporate life.

Infirmary for Ohildren and the Finanee Oommittee of theCity 6MMCtZ.

I understand that a deputation from the committee of theLiverpool Infirmary for Children recently waited upon thefinance committee of the city council for the purpose ofadvising the council to grant a sum of money towards thecompletion of the new hospital, for which there is urgentneed. The finance committee could not see its way twoaccede to the request of the deputation. The supporters oftwo other Liverpool hospitals at their recent annual meetingshave advocated corporate help but so far as I know there isno precedent for such an expenditure.

The Livepool ltTediecl Instit1diIJn.A special general meeting of the Liverpool Medical

Institution was held on March 23rd to consider proposalsmade by the council of the society for enlarging theaccommodation by the absorption of the resident librarian’shouse adjoining the building and for the provision of greaterfacilities for members and associates. The structural altera-tions will involve an estimated expenditure of 1700, only athird of which can be safely met by funds at the treasurer’sdisposal. The meeting sanctioned the proposals of thecouncil in so far as the necessary alterations were concernedbut adjourned the consideration of the financial proposals toa future special general meeting.

963

The Midwives Act, 1902: : Registration in Linerpool.The Midwives Act, 1902, which came into operation on

I

April lst, makes the registration of midwives compulsory I

and. to be entitled to registration women must either holda recognised certificate or have been in the discharge of thecalling of a midwife a full year previously to July, 1902. Dr.E. W. Hope, the medical officer of health of Liverpool, hascharge of the registration in Liverpool and of the enforce-ment of the rules which have been made by the CentralMidwives Board and approved by the Privy Council.Already a large number of midwives have registered in

Liverpool. The city is well supplied with qualified mid-wives. 70 per cent. have been trained at the LiverpoolLying-in Hospital, whilst others hold certificates from theObstetrical Society of London. The supervising authorityhas power to inspect every midwife’s case-book, appliances,&c., and, where thought necessary, her place of residence,the object in view being to prevent the spread of puerperalfever.

The Skeleton of Ambush II.The skeleton of Ambush II., the famous race-horse which

carried His Majesty’s colours to victory in the Grand Nationalsteeplechase of 1900, recently presented by King Edward tothe University of Liverpool, has just been mounted on anebony base. The skeleton at present occupies a temporaryposition in the centre of the dissecting room of the veterinaryschool where every detail can be readily seen.St. Paul’s -Eye Hospital: Recognition by the University of

Liverpool.AT the recent annual meeting of the supporters of the

above charity it was announced that the hospital is now

recognised by the Royal Colleges in London and that it formsan integral part of the United Hospitals Clinical School inconnexion with the University of Liverpool. The committeehas not yet been able to procure a site on which to erect anew hospital. The managers have approached the corpora-tion several times with reference to certain plots of land buthave been unable so far to arrive at an arrangement.

April 4th.

LEEDS.

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

The Water-s1lpplyof Leeds.THE rapid growth of the city of Leeds has necessitated

certain developments and extensions in connexion with itswater-supply, some of which will be immediately com-menced. The subject of the " Leeds Waterworks, Old andNew" was dealt with in a most interesting manner by Mr.Councillor Armitage, the chairman of the waterworks com-mittee, in a lecture which he delivered before the Leedsbranch of the Society for the National Registration ofPlumbers. The earliest mention of waterworks in connexionwith Leeds was of the date of 1694, when a company wasformed for pumping water from the river Aire at a positionclose to Leeds Bridge. 60 years afterwards this supply wasincreased and in 1790 the first Act of Parliament was appliedfor and this Act, amended by another in 1809, was concernedpurely with the water from the Aire. In 1837 another Actwas applied for as the water of the Aire had become unfitfor use. That Act was to impound the water and springs atAdel, Allwoodley, and Harewood in a reservoir at WoodhouseMoor. In 1847 the company obtained powers to pump2,500,000 gallons per day out of the Wharfe at Arthington.In 1852 the corporation purchased the undertaking fromthe company for <E225,000. In 1862 the amount allowedto be pumped out of the Wharfe was increased to 6,000,000gallons per day. In 1867 the great Washburn valleyscheme was entered upon. Three reservoirs were con-

structed at Fewston, Swinsty, and Lindley respectively,the last being used as a compensation reservoir. Thescheme was finished in 1869 and it was decided to constructthe reservoir at Eccup to take the overflow water. TheWashburn area was ten and a half miles long and sixmiles broad. Mr. Armitage then gave an interesting accountof the steps taken by the corporation to open out new areasof supply. Extra ground had been secured in the Washburnarea to increase the supply and to insure purity, but it wasclear that some large scheme was necessary and the Urevalley scheme had been decided upon. The estimated costof the Ure valley scheme is R2.200,000, including pipe

laying. The plans show four reservoirs-viz., those at

Colsterdale, Leighton, Carlesmoor, and Laverton-with a

capacity of 4,543,000,000 gallons and a daily yield of

15,500,000 gallons. The Colsterdale reservoir will be the

largest of the series ; it will cover an area of 170 acres andits capacity will be 1,852,000,000 gallons. The daily yieldto Leeds will be 7,296,000 gallons and the compensa-tion water will be 3,648,000 gallons. The structure ofthe embankment was fully discussed by the lecturer.This will be 110 feet in height and will involve the

putting together of some 800,000 cubic yards of earth.

During the winter months a great deal of discussion went onin the local press and at numerous meetings as to whetheron humanitarian as well as economic grounds the workshould be done by the corporation which would thus be ableto afford employment to those out of work. The matter was

fully considered by the corporation which, very wisely as I

think, decided that the work should be done by contract.Among the unemployed there may, indeed, be some with thephysical strength required for the work of a navvy but asthe result of a natural system of selection it is the leastskilled and the weakest physically who swell the ranksof the unemployed and certainly the unemployed of a

large city are quite unfit for laborious work of thiskind. Subject to the approval of the corporationthe waterworks committee has accepted the tender ofMessrs. R. McAlpine and Co. of Glasgow for the Colsterdalereservoir, which is &pound; 297,000. Some conditions attach,however, to the making of the trench. The nature and thedirection of the strata it appears are open to doubt, andshould these factors prove unfavourable the cost to the

corporation may amount to .6500,000. The committee hasalso recommended the appointment of Mr. Henzell,M.LC.E.,as waterworks engineer to the city at a salary of &pound; 1000 withstaff and office. Accommodation has been provided forabout 1000 navvies in the form of a village of huts, withwater-supply and drainage system, isolation hospital,surgical hospital, mission room, canteen, and recreationrooms. The corporation is also going to try the experi-ment of tree-planting in the Washburn valley and a barrackis being erected for the accommodation of about 50 men whowill be recruited mainly from the class of the unemployed.March 4th.

__________________

IRELAND.

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENTS.)

Direct Representation for Ireland on the General Medical001lncil.

Dr. Leonard Kidd of Enniskillen has announced that hewill be a candidate for the representation of the medicalpractitioners of Ireland at the election for the GeneralMedical Council in January, 1906, Dr. Kidd holdingthat the Direct Representative should be a generalpractitioner. Sir William Thomson has addressed a

circular letter to the registered medical practitioners ofIreland referring to the work which he has alreadydone for them on the committees of the Council and tothe fact that the Direct Representatives are intended to bethe protectors, not of any class in the profession, butof the whole body of the profession as distinguished fromthe representatives of university and licensing corporations.Apart altogether from anything personal towards the candi-dates a great many medical men both in Dublin and inthe provinces think that the time has come when a

provincial Irish practitioner should get a seat on theCouncil. In Ireland at present there are 2632 medicalpractitioners and there are seven representatives on theGeneral Medical Council from that country, one eachfrom the Royal College of Physicians, the Royal Collegeof Surgeons, the Apothecaries’ Hall, the University of

Dublin, and the Royal University of Ireland, one Crownappointment, and one Direct Representative, every oneof whom resides within the four walls of Dublin.England and Wales, with 24,351 practitioners, have 17representatives on the Council and of these only sevenreside in London, while ten come from the provinces ;Scotland, with 3733 practitioners, has nine representatives,of whom three come from Edinburgh and six from otherparts of that country. Surely, following the analogy ofEngland and Scotland, it is hardly fair that in Irelandevery representative on the Council should be a Dublin