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occurred in the quarter always first attacked, and a largernumber of undoubted cases with a smaller proportion ofsuspicious deaths having been reported. Small-pox, however,is raging in the city and this caused 120 deaths last week.From previous experience elsewhere there is no evidence toshow that this disease running at the same time effects anymodification in the course of the plague outbreak. Else-where the disease does not indicate any marked virulence.More caFes have occurred in Karachi which seem toherald an impending outbreak, and the plague has at lastshown itself in Benares city. In many villages around it isstill spreading. The Madras Presidency returns only 44deaths, the North-west Provinces 14, the Punjab eight, andthe Mysore State 269.Famine in certain districts still continues. Some idea of

the cost both to the Government and to the country has beenpreviously published. The thirty-fifth list of subscriptionstowards the famine fund has just been published and showsover 144 lakhs of rupees, equal to nearly a million poundssterling. Assistance has been received from all parts of theworld, which shows the sympathy of other peoples in prob-ably the greatest famine that India has ever known.The hospital ship Grvalior, which is maintained by the

munificence of His Highness the Maharajah Scindia ofGwalior and which is estimated to have cost that prince120,000, has sailed again for China. The following officersare in charge :—Lieutenant-Colonel A. M. Crofts, I.M.S.,Lieutenant-Colonel W. Coates, I M.S., Captain Jay Gould,I.M.S., and Lieutenant G. Tate, I.M.S. Reliefs are beingtaken out, and it is hoped that the Grvalior will be able tobring away the sick and invalids from Peking which theCarthage, recently returned, was unable to do owing to therivers being frozen.An Indian memorial to Queen Victoria is contemplated

and the support it has already received is unparalleled.Before a meeting was held or a subscription list openednearly 200.000 were promised. It is proposed to erect amagnificent hall on the north end of the Maidan of Calcutta.and to surround it with gardens. This will be the nationalmemorial and it is fitting that it should be placedin the capital. Other cities are already arrangingto have memorials of their own. Some of the

princes of India have already shown their loyalty by asplendid munificence, the Nawab of Dacca having promisedRs.50,000, the Maharajah of Gwalior Rs.1,000,000, theMaharajah of Kashmir Rs.1,500,000, and the Maharajah ofJeypur Rs.500,000.

Feb. 9th. ________________

MANCHESTER.(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

Progress at the Manchester Royal Infirmary.THE admission of women students to the wards of the

Manchester Royal Infirmary would have been scouted 50years ago as revolutionary and worse. Now, however, thechange is made without exciting surprise or feeling and thematter occupies just three lines of the report of the infirmarythat has just been issued: "Qn the application of theCouncil of the Owens College and with the concurrence

of the medical staff it has been decided to admit womenstudents to the hospital practice of the Infirmary." Asecond important and wise decision has also been arrivedat. The report says : " Your board have come to theconclusion that it would be desirable in the interests of theinstitution that the honorary staff should be more intimatelyconnected with its management." Four of the staff beingtrustees-i.e., being subscribers of three guineas or moreannually-may be elected annually by their colleagues toserve on the board of management. The question of re-

building on the present site or removing the infirmary isalso apparently settled in favour of the former and has sofar advanced that plans and estimates are now beingobtained.

Crusade against Tuberculosis.Dr. Harold Coates, the special medical officer employed by

the city council to assist in the crusade against tuberculosis,has been making investigations as to the infectivity of thedust found in the dwellings of tuberculous patients. Thesamples were collected with strict aseptic precautions. Thedust was mixed with sterilised water and was then used toinoculate guinea-pigs. In many cases the animals died

within 48 hours from septic disease due to germs other thanthe tubercle bacillus. The others were killed a month after-wards ; post-mortem examinations were made, and wheretuberculous lesions were found microscopical preparationswere made and the bacilli were demonstrated. The housesexamined were divided into three classes : 1. Dirty houses,where consumptive patients take no precautions to dispose oftheir expectoration so as to prevent infection of theatmosphere. Of this class 23 were examined. 2. Very cleanhouses, but where consumptive patients were living who werenot sufficiently careful. 10 of this class were examined and infive-i.e., 50 per cent.-infective dust was found. 3. Verydirty houses in which there had been no case of tuberculosisfor some years past. A number of houses, all very dirty, butwhere there was a clear history that no case of tuberculosishad occurred for three years or more, were selected, and inno case was infective dust found in them. It has been the

practice of the Manchester Hospital for Consumption forseveral years past, with the cooperation of Dr. Niven and thehealth department of the corporation, to have the houses ofthe patients disinfected, for it was found that many of thesepatients who were apparently cured became re-infected onreturning to their homes. The plan adopted in Manchesteris that of disinfection of walls, floors, ceilings, furniture, &c.,by washing with a solution of chlorinated lime, one and ahalf ounces to the gallon, which is found to be thoroughlyefficient. The importance of precautions in the disinfectionand disposal of expectorations is by now becoming knownto the more educated portion of the community, but thereis a great amount of apathy and ignorance among those whoform the bulk of the out-patients of the hospitals.

Typhus Fever in Ancoats.Since Dr. Niven’s first report to the sanitary committee of

the Manchester City Council 25 more cases of typhus feverhave broken out. So far as ascertained the total numberamounts to 60. Nine of the patients who were removed tohospital have died. It seems that most of those " by whomthe disease has been introduced into households or by whoseinstrumentality the disease has been spread " have been rag-sorters or tobacco workers. But the original cases have beentraced beyond them and the connexion is now considereddoubtful between these trades and the outbreak. Meanwhilethe outside source of infection has not been discovered.There is nothing in the work of the tobacco factory to aid inthe spread of the disease, "and it is possible that the largenumber of cases occurring in this occupation and in thesorting of rags is due rather to the poverty and wretchedhomes of the workers than to the character of the work,"but the possibility ot its spread from rags or tobacco hasbeen taken into account and preventive measures have beentaken. Dr. Niven expresses himself indebted for assistanceand counsel in dealing with the outbreak to Dr. C. H.Braddon, the chairman of the hospitals sub-committee.

The Owens College Jubilee Memzorial Fund.The fiftieth anniversary of the opening of Owens College

will occur on March 12th. It is unnecessary to say anythingas to the important work that has already been done by theCollege for higher education, not only locally but throughthe country at large. Since it was founded other universitycolleges have sprung into being, as at Birmingham, Bristol,Leeds, Liverpool, Newcastle, Nottingham, and Sheffield,having had their origin, Manchester may claim, to a greatextent in the example set them in Manchester. But the growthof the College and the extension of its work involve financialnecessities, and it is proposed to commemorate this Jubileeyear by raising an endowment fund equal to that be-

queathed by John Owens. This means at least .6100,000.Another sum of £50,000 is to be raised so as to clear offdebts and "to repay the deficit on income account in pastyears." The largest of the debts is P,22,000,," the balanceof the sum which was required. to complete the buildings ofthe Medical School on a scale commensurate with its highrank among the medical schools of the kingdom." Already

, five sums of e5000 each have been promised and it is hopedthat the remaining large sum will be obtained without anyextraordinary difficulty. The appeal draws attention to the

’ large amounts raised in America for educational purposes, it, having been computed that since 1883 at least .622,000,000! have been given by private citizens (apart from State aid) to

promote advanced education in their country-an exampleto be followed, it may be hoped, by some of the wealthy

) Lancashire people.-At the half-yearly meeting of the CourtL of Governors, held on March 5th, the appointment of Dr.

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R. B. Wild to the Leech Professorship of Materia Medicaand Therapeutics was confirmed.

The Port oj Mane7tester.A meeting of the Manchester Port Sanitary Authority

was held on March 4th. The medical officer’s reportshowed an absence of serious sickness on the 93 vessels. which had entered the port since the last meeting. Dr.J. H. Crocker is leaving for Richmond, where he has beenappointed medical officer of health, and his resignation hasbeen accepted with regret. In this, his final report,he says that he " had never felt quite sure that somecases of plague or small-pox might not escape him

owing to his inability to be present at the arrival of everyvessel." Fortunately, no case of plague has escaped him,and, indeed, a most assiduous watch has been kept up. Hestated that it was advisable to appoint a medical officer whoshould devote the whole of his time to port sanitary work,and as his time would be fully occupied at Manchester itwould be necessary to arrange for deputies at other

parts of the port. Rats were mentioned as a greatsource of danger, and it was suggested that the shipsshould be kept four or six feet from the quay and the ropesguarded to prevent the rodents from swarming upon them.In all ships the rats should be exterminated and in thewarehouses, too. After some discussion it was agreed" to advertise for a medical officer to devote his whole timeto the work outlined in the report, the salary to be Z350 ayear." This gentleman must, of course, be well qualified,must have a diploma in public health, and must be always onthe alert, for his responsibilities will be great and constantlyincreasing with the increase of traffic, so that the salaryproposed does not err on the side of liberality.March 6th.

WALES AND WESTERN COUNTIES.(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENTS.)

Cardiff Infirmary Local Public Spirit.THE annual meeting of the supporters of the Cardiff

Infirmary has of late years been a gathering at which thesingle story has been told of increasing expenditure andlessening income with the natural accompaniment of a

standing debt mounting higher and higher. Year afteryear suggestions have been made for lessening the expendi-ture or for increasing the income of the institution. Wardshave been closed and small economies have been effected,while bazaars, balls, and concerts have been organised forthe purpose of reducing the adverse balance. In spite, how-ever, of every effort the amount of indebtedness increaseduntil at the beginning of the year 1900 it stood at £10,700and although there was an increased income during the yearof .B825 and a decreased expenditure of £612 the executivecommittee managed to spend e633 more than they received.At the end of 1900, therefore, the standing debt was .611,333.The decrease in the expenses is attributed to the closingof the special gynaecological wards which contained30 beds and were opened three years ago. The reduc-tion of the number of beds in the infirmary constantlyavailable from 150 in 1899 to 120 in 1900 is said toaccount for the increase in the annual cost per bedfrom .B54 5s. in the former year to .663 15s. in the latter.It had long been felt that only by a great effort, and onewhich was supported by the leading men in the town, couldthe institution be cleared of its incubus, so that when thenewly elected mayor (Mr. T. Andrews) announced on

Nov. 9th last that he was determined to wipe out the debtbrighter prospects seemed in store. Although subscriptions,some of considerable sums, came in rapidly in response tothe mayor’s appeal it is doubtful if he could so speedily haveachieved his purpose without the assistance of one of theCardiff daily papers, the Western Mail, the managers ofwhich inaugurated a ’’ shilling fund" and placed at thehead of it their own munificent subscription of 500guineas. In a little over three months, at the annual

meeting on Feb. 27th, the mayor was able to hand over acheque for .611,272, a sum which was practically sufficientto extinguish the debt and which included .B5697 sent to themayor’s fund, .B5375 sent to the Western Mail, and Z200sent to a fund established by the Mayor of Oowbridge, asmall town which is joined to Cardiff for Parliamentarypurposes.

Refuse Destructors.The large towns in South Wales have been slow to adopt

the methods of refuse destruction which have for manyyears been employed in other parts of the United Kingdom,notably in the manufacturing towns of the north ofEngland. At Cardiff, at Swansea, and at Mertbyr houserefuse is still carted out to large "tips" " in the suburbs ofthose towns. In the Rhondda valley there is approachingcompletion a destructor of the type known as "Mason’sgasifier," which appears to have recommended itself to thesanitary authority in consequence of the small chimneywhich is required, a factor that can be appreciated in thoselocalities where the refuse to be destroyed cannot readily bebrought to a central depot, but has to be dealt with indifferent parts of the district. At Barry a destructor wasformally started on Feb. 27th and is actually the first to beerected in South Wales. It is of the Beaman and Deas typeand consists of two cells which are said to be capable ofburning 30 tons of refuse per day of 24 hours. The entirecost of the installation is £7500.

Pembrokeshire and Haverfordwest Infirmary.The annual report of this institution states that during the

year 1900 there were treated 99 in-patients and 673 out-

patients at a cost of .6869. The total income for the yearfrom interest upon investments and from subscriptionsamounted to £860. It is anticipated that the alterations inthe drainage, &c., which are now being carried out will becompleted and will permit of the wards being reoccupied bythe beginning of May.

The Medical Officers of Health of Haverford7vest.Mr. George Griffith has resigned his appointment as one

of the four medical officers of health for the Haverfordwestrural district. The population of the whole district is about32,000 and the area 160,000 acres. Each of the medicalofficers of health receives a salary of £20 per annum.

Public Health Labortory at Cardiff, The Cardiff and County Public Health Laboratory has beenestablished nearly three years, and the increasing usefulnessof the undertaking is demonstrated in the report of thebacteriologist (Dr. W. G. Savage) for the year 1900. Three

suspected cases of plague were bacteriologically investigatedduring the year-two with a positive and one with a negativeresult. For suspected diphtheria 243 specimens were

examined and in 72 instances Klebs-L6ffler bacilli werefound ; Widal’s reaction occurred in 73 specimens examinedand tubercle bacilli were demonstrated in 36 of the 86specimens of sputum examined. There were bacteriologicallyexamined 119 samples of wa’er and 198 additional sampleswere submitted to chemical examination. A small fee is

paid by medical practitioners or medical officers of healthwho forward material for bacteriological examination. butall samples of water sent by medical officers of health withinthe administrative county are examined both bacteriologicallyand chemically free of charge.Royal West of England Sanatorium, Weston-super-Mare.The annual meeting of the subscribers of this institution

was held on Feb. 23rd. The medical report stated that 2120patients had been admitted during 1900-an increase ofthree as compared with the previous year. 8462 hot and coldsea-water baths had been given and had afforded much reliefin rheumatism. The financial statement showed that the totalincome for the year was Z3788 and that the expenditureamounted to £3471. Mr. F. J. Fry was re-elected president.

Exeter Dispensary.The annual meeting of the governors of this institution

was held on Feb. 23rd. The medical report stated that 5571patients had been treated during 1900, against 6256 in 1899.The financial statement showed a favourable balance of £212.The chairman (Mr. S. Ward) said that by a rule of the dis-pensary members of clubs who were entitled to medicaltreatment and medicine were not eligible as patients.March 5th.

SCOTLAND.(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENTS.)

Small-pox in Edinburgh.As was to be expected several fresh cases of small-poxhave shown themselves in Edinburgh. At the date of