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medical man, I should be glad of a little advice on thefollowing:-- 1 Do recent authorities recognige ergot ag anabortive? 2. What is an pxtreme dose of ergot. liq. ? 3. Isit possible to anæsthetise a person by a few inspirations ofchloroform from the neck of a small bottle ? 4. How longwill ext. ergot. liq. keep fresh in a corked bottle ?Hoping our medical brethren will withhold judgment

until the case is retried, when I hope to clear myself ofthis most dastardly charge,

I am, Sirs, yours faithfully,F. A. RoBSON, M.B., B S.

Newcastle-on-Tyne, June 7th, 1891.F. A. ROBSON. M.B., B S.

DEATH UNDER CHLOROFORM.. To the Editors of THE LANCET.

SIRS,—In your report of the death of a man duringchloroformisation in Belfast there is no mention of themethod employed to give the anaesthetic, nor of the means"employed for the patient’s resuscitation. From the pub-lished accoun I consider that the inhalation of oxygen gJ..8would have been useful. Was it tried? Elsewhere I havedrawn attention to its value. As the liquefied gas can now’be readily obtained, I think a battle of oxygen with a suit.able inhalation apparatus attached should be in the ope-rating theatre of every hospital.

I am, Sirs, yours truly,Dublin, June 10th, 1391. GEORGE FOY, F.R. C. S.GEORGE FOY, F.R.C.S.

"THE SEQUEL TO A CASE OF OVARIOTOMY."To the Editors of THE LANCET.

SIRS,—Mr. Jordan Lloyd’s intervention in this discussionis doubtless well meant, but it is unfortunate. I did notsay that all abdominal sections were stopped at the Queen’sHospital, nor did I say that everybody was stopped doingthem. I do not know whether the word in the originalresolution of the committee was " ovariotomies," but theresolution had the effect; of stopping "abdominal sections,"and I think it is a pity that the original policy intended bvthe resolution was not rigidly followed, as it probably wille now that Mr. Lloyd ha, again raised the question.

I am, Sirs, yours faithfully,Birmingham, June Sth, 1891. LAWSON TAIT.

** Ia justice to Mr. Tait we insert the abo. e explanation,but, as we intimated last week, we are unable to find spacefor further discussion of the original matter in dispute.-ED. L.

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LAWSON TAIT.

CARBOLISED OIL INUNCTION INSCARLATINA.

To the Editors of THE LANCET.SIRS,—While attending a case of scarlatina, I was

astonished at the early and extensive peeling which occurred,and could scarcely make out the cause, till one day, noticingthe patient listless, with dry, brownish tongue, I began totry and fathom the meaning. The urine I found on exami-mation to be smoky, and it then occurred to me the sym-ptoms might possibly be due to carbolic acid poisoning.Upon questioning the nurse I found she had been using the- ordinary carbolised oil (1 in 40), and therefore I immediatelyordered it to be stopped, and plain oil, for the time being,at any rate, to be used instead. The symptoms quicklyabated, and the patient made a good and quick recovery.Upon reviewing the case I cannot help thinkmg it would beG good plan to use the ordinary carbolised oil, as in thisinstance, and stop it immediately any untoward symptomsoccurred. I am, Sirs, yours faithfully,

Surbiton, June 9th, 1891. F. P. ATKINSON.F. P. ATKINSON.

LIVERPOOL(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

The Murder and Mutilation of a Boy.AT an early hour on the morning of May 19th a seaman’s

oag was found near one of the docks, and was recovered by’two dock gatesmen and a police constable. It was foundto contain the dead body of a boy, with the throat cut and’both legs severed below the knee, presumably for the easierrpacking into the bag. Later on in the day it was identi-

fled by his parents as that of Nicholas Martin, aged ten.At the request of the coroner, Mr. Paul, Professorof Forensic Medicine a the Liverpool University College,made an external examination, and on the following day apost-mortem examination was made by him and Mr.Lowndes, surgeon to the Liverpool police. The cause ofdeath was found to be hæmorrhage from the wound of thethroat. Later on the police obtained a clue which enabledthem to discover the scene of the murder-an upper room ina house, the lloor of which was stained with blood. Theyarrested a man named Conway, against whom the coroner’sjury returned a verdict of wilful murder on the 29th nit,and on the 5th inst. he was committed for trial on a similarcharge by the stipendiary magistrate, Mr. W. J. Stewart.Much credit has been given to the local police for theirpromptitude in what at first appeared to be a most unpro-mising inquiry.

The T17eather and the Influenza.There was a sudden outburst of fine warm weather about

the end of May, and cases of influenza became fewer. Butthe weather again became cold and wet, and the generalappearance of the suburbs and the country around is notwhat might be expected in the month ot June, and onestill hears of cases of influenza of greater or lesser severity.Even "the oldest inhabitant" can scarcely remember so pro.tracted a continuance of cold weather.

The Lock Hospital.The building erected in 1834 for a lock hospital was used

as temporary medical wards during the building of the newinfirmary, and is now being got ready before being reopenedfor its original purpose. A matron has been chosen outof a number of candidates, and a resident medical officer isto be appointed shortly. There is one male and one femaleward, each to contain twenty beds, and adjoining each asmall ward, in each of which it is proposed to place threebeds, making forty-six in all. It is expected that thehospital will be ready for reopening in July.

The Royal Infirmary.The contest for the election of an assistant surgeon to the

Royal Infirmary was a very close one, Mr. George G.Hamilton being only twenty-nine votes behind Mr. R. W.Bickersteth, who was elected. This is in all probabilitythe last occasion on which the election will be by thetrustees, elections in future being left to an elective boardor committee.

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MANCHESTER.(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

New Hospital or Infirmary Extension ? ?THE unfortunate deadlock between the Infirmary autho-

rities and those of the Owens College still continues; inthe meantime, correspondence in the public pres appearsalmost daily. In addition to the members of the medicalstaff of both institutions, members of the governing bodieshave published their views as to the best means of arrivingat some satisfactory modus vivendi. It is to be feared thatin the minds of a large number of the public the impressionproduced is that which "an old subscriber to the Infirmary"expresses in a published letter-i.e., that the whole troublehas arisen from professional jealousy between the medicalstaff of the two bodies, whilst another anonymous writer,signing himself "An Infiro’ary Trustee," asserts, what hasbeen frequently stated before, that the fons et origo ofthe whole dispute was the appointment made a yearor two ago to a chair in the College. Dr. Leech,who has warmly championed the Owens College side,has come forward with a practical suggestion. Heproposes that a committee, consisting of the Bishop ofManchester, the Mayor, and ten leading citizens, should beasked to act as a court of reference, to hear the evidence onboth sides, and thereupon issue a report to guide thetrustees and the public at large in their judgment; becauseit is to be borne in mind that, whether the Infirmary beextended upon the pre-sent site, or whether the College pro-posal to erect a new hospital in Oxford-road be adopted,the final tribunal must be the public, as from them mustcome the funds to carry into effect either scheme.

Influenza and Deaths of Public Men.The epidemic of influenza through which we are passing

has apparently been much more fatal than in last year’s

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outbreak. Upwards of 200 deaths have been recorded fromit, whilst the deaths from respiratory diseases have been100 per cent. in excess of the normal numbers at this periodof the year. Amongst the victims has been Mr. W. ScottBrown, who a few years ago, as a member of the CityCouncil, the governing body of the Ro3al Infirmary, andother charitable institutions, took an active share in thepublic work of the city. Another old Manchester man, inthe person of Dr. Samuel Crompton, has also lately passedaway. Although at the time of his death he was living inthe South of England, his life’s work was all done here.More than half a century ago he was a student at the oldManchester School of Medicine ; be afterwards became

connected with several of our public charities, but his nameis chiefly associated with the prominent part he took in theaffairs of the Blind Asylum at Old Trafford and the sisterinstitution for the deaf and dumb.

Victoria University.At the recent meeting of the University Court one or

two important matters pertaining to the granting ofdegrees were considered. In the faculty of medicine it wasresolved that in future honours be granted in medicine andsurgery at the second and final examinations for thedegrees of M.B. and Ch.B. The lists will therefore nowcontain the names of candidates classified into first-classhonours, second-class honours, and simple " passes." Itwas also resolved that five years be the minimum period ofstudy for a medical degree. At the same court it wasdecided to establish degrees in music. Degrees cannot begranted at this University in any subject which is nottaught in one or other of its colleges. Musical instructionhas long been given in its higher branches at Owens, andits students will now be able, under proper regulations, toobtain the degrees of Mus.B. and Mus.D. from their ownalma mater.

The Census.

The census returns for both Manchester and Salford arenow to hand, and show one or two curious results. Thus inManchester, with a population of more than half a million,the estimate upon which the mortality &c. has been

calculated is singularly near the truth, and shows a

discrepancy with the census returns of less than 150 ; whilstin the much smaller community of the adjoining boroughof Salford the population has been over-estimated by morethan 50,000, so that its death-rate, which has usually beenconsidered below ours, is in all probability quite as high, ifnot higher. This is another illustration of the need for acensus of our large towns being taken oftener than once inten years.

Increase of Lunacy.It is reported from our County Asylums that they are

full to overflowing, and patients have had to be refusedfrom Manchester. The guardians upon whom the respon-sibility falls of making provision for poor persons of unsoundmind are placed in considerable difficulty in dealing withthis question, and one of the boards last week had a lengtbydiscussion upon it. It was suggested that the CountyCouncil ought to make all needful provision for lunatics,and it appears that that body has at present a Bill beforeParliament to obtain powers to deal with the whole ques-tion as it affects Lancashire. Whether the proportion oflunatics to population is actually increasing, or whether itis merely the normal increase due to increased population,appears somewhat uncertain.

International Hygiene Congress.More than fifty gentlemen have been appointed as de-

legates from various parts of this district to the forthcomingCongress in London. Amongst the bodies represented are theCorporations of Manchester and Salford, the various MedicalSocieties, the Victoria University, the County Council, &e.June 9th.

NORTHERN COUNTIES NOTES.(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

Death under Chloroform at Newcastle.A CASE of sudden death under chloroform took place at

Newcastle last week under somewhat similar circumstancesto the one at Hartlepool which I noted last week. The

case was one of empyema, and fatal syncope took place-under the operation. An inquest has been held, and the.jury found that the deceased died from syncope while-under the influence of chloroform, which had been carefullyand properly administered.

Cumberland.

Within the past week influenza is reported to have.spread with great rapidity in Maryport and the surrounding:district, and the medical men are very busy there.—Aninquiry was held at the Court House, Keswick, on lastWednesday, into the alleged pollution of the river Greta,.by sewage from the town of Keswick, and from the leadmines as Threlkeld. It was stated that Maryport anddistrict, numbering a population of 19,000, derived their-water supply from a mill-race on the river Derwent, which.was joined by the Greta, so that Maryport was deeplyinterested in any pollution of the rivers which might take"place. Samples had been taken by the Maryport health,officer, and had been analysed by Dr. Frankland. Theresults gave evidence of serious pollution, and his reportshowed that the water was very dangerous and quite unfibfor drinking or dietetic purposes. All the sewage of Keswick and the refuse from the pencil works were dischargedinto the river.

Durham University Honours.The announcement that, at a convocation to be held at,

Durham University on Tuesday, June 23rd, amongst>others down to receiving degrees, it is proposed to conferthe new degree of D.Hg. (Doctor in Hygiene) on Mr. H. E.Armstrong has given general fatisfaction to the professionhere. Mr. Armstrong’s work as a sanitarian is well known,,while his position as medical officer of health for this cityand as lecturer on Sanitary Science at the Durham College’of Medicine has afforded him opportunities of which hehas fully availed himself for the cause and advance ofpublic health.

British Gynœcological Congress in Newcastle.The attendance at the Congress of the following;

professors has been announced: Professors Engelmanof St. Louis, U.S.A.; Johnstone of Cincinnati, U,S.A.;..Maunsell, Professor of Surgery in Otago University,New York; and Thompson of Rome; and other distin-guished foreigners have promised to be present, and have-offered papers. At the end of the week an excursion hasbeen arranged to the Roman Wall, which will be con-ducted by Dr. Hodgkin, after which the party will be-entertained by Dr. William Murray of this city at his seat,.S tvinburne Castle, on the North Tyne.

A Neiv Convalescent Home at Hexham.

Tbe Newcastle Cathedral Nurse and Loan Society, find--ing their convalescent home at Shotley too small for therequirements of their poorer patients, have taken steps to-erect a new one at Hexham. The house will stand within-its own grounds, and will accommodate twelve patients.

Fatal Accidents in the Durham Mining District.Mr. Thomas Bell, the Government inspector of mines for-

the Durham district, has issued his annual report. TheDurham district comprises the southern part of the countyof Durham, the county of Westmoreland, and the NorthRiding of Yorkshire. The summary of deaths resulting from.fatal accidents shows that the number of deaths caused bythe giving way of the roof and side in coal mines has beenthirty, which is nine less than last year, and six less thanthe average of the preceding five years. The deaths fromthis cause in the Cleveland ironstone mines have beeneight, and are nearly the same as the average of thepreceding five year!? The number of deaths from mis-cellaneous causes underground in coal mines were twenty--two, which is six less than the average of five years. As.to the metalliferous mines, the inspector says that theyhave been remarkably free from serious accidents, and no,death has taken place during the year, which is the first,time since they came under inspection that so long a periodhas elapsed without a fatal accident. Metalliferous mining inthe north of England is now at a low ebb, and would appear-to be gradually dying out. Foreign competition has cutdown the price of minerals to such an extent thatthe mines are unremunerative, even when the miners.are working at starvation wages.Newcastle-on-Tyne, June 10th.