1011MEDICAL AND SCIENCE STUDENTS AND THE INDIA CIVIL SERVICE.

death in an equal number of persons, in all respect!comparable as to age and sex. was 862 in Maidstone,as against 1000 in England and Wales at large, by which ijis seen that we continue to hold the same enviable positionfor comparatively low death-rate." As against this it shouldbe noted that the birth-rate is low and the zymotic death.rate is high. The average birth-rate at Maidstone for thedecade 1870-79 was 32 50 per 1000 and for the decade1880-89 it was 31-17, while last year it was only 23’91 per1000. The zymotic death-rate was equal to 2 01 per 1000,the corresponding rate for England and Wales being 2’18.M is obvious that in a small country town like Maidstonethe death-rate should be very low, for those special con-ditions which in great industrial centres favour a high death-rate should be absent. There was last year an excess ofmeasles, 1’31, as compared with 0’56 for England and Wales,and of diphtheria, 0’44, as compared with 0 29 for Englandand Wales. The other zymotic diseases were considerablybelow the average for England and Wales. When we add tothese figures, which are not altogether satisfactory so far aspreventable diseases are concerned, the devastation made bythe present epidemic there is evidence enough to justify thesuspicion that the general sanitary condition is not all thatcould be desired. Under these circumstances we thereforewelcome the announcement that two extra sanitary inspectorshave been appointed.

Letters published in the local papers bear further witnessto unsanitary conditions. Thus the Kent Messenger ofSept. 5th contained a letter from a local bailder, Mr. J. H.Bridge, in which he advises everyone not to stand near thestreet sewer ventilators, which he qualifies as .. a vilenuisance." He also observes that the sanitary authoritiesinsist on a ventilating pipe from the house drainsbeing carried up to the highest part of the build-

, ings. But they also require an intercepting trapplaced some five feet from the front door and connectedwith a fresh-air grating, "which every practical manknows full well is half the time discharging sewer-gas,while the fresh air is going down the higher pipe." Certainlyif the sewers are cut off from the smaller ventilators theyrequire a system of ventilation of their own, and under this’head Mr. J. S. Anscomb, formerly mayor of Maidstone, writesin the Kent Messenger of Oct. 2nd that some years ago herecommended that all rain-water pipes " should have sealedjoints the same as soil-pipes and communicate with thesewer. This, calculating two to each house, would open10,000 ventilators, which, although small in diameter, wouldrepresent a capacity of 7000 superficial feet, and every venti-lator, however small, in my opinion must be of importance."As there are now over 6000 houses in Maidstone the ventila-tion would be one-fifth more than the figures given by Mr.Anscomb. But if the sewers in the first instance had beenproperly laid and built, ventilation, though equally neces-sary, would not occasion the nuisance which is now thesubject of many complaints. A self-cleansing sewer does not.give off offensive odours.A great deal has been said concerning the hop-pickers who

came from the slums of London and are supposed to havecontaminated one particular water intake-that of Tutsham-in-Fields. This source of supply is stated to have been cut- off on Sept. 20th. If this had sufficed to put a stop to the’Epidemic there should now be no more or only very few freshcases of fever. But if the yield from the Tutsham springs was- cut off the mains were not disinfected, and there was someground for supposing that perhaps some of the other sourcesof the Farleigh supply were also contaminated. The SpecialSanitary Committee of the Maidstone District Council wroteon Sept. 25th to the water company asking them to cutoff the entire water-supply known under the generic termof the Farleigh Sapply. The Council held a specialmeeting on the 29th, and at that date this letter had noteven been acknowledged. It was further announced thatthe directors of the water company were not going to meetbefore the ensuing Friday. What excuse was given for suchdelay has not yet transpired. On the Friday in questionthe directors of the water company decided to cut offthe entire Farleigh supply, and this, it is believed, wasdone on the following day, Oct. 2nd, though, accordingto another account, the water was cut off on the 30th, theday previous to the meeting of directors. But again, on thisas on the former occasion, the mains were not disinfected, sothat the pure supply from Boarley and Cossington, where thewater is derived from the chalk, passed through the pipes that had probably been rendered impure by the former

presence of the Farleigh water. Dr. Theodore Thomson,the Local Government Board inspector, is stated tohave urged that the pipes should be disinfected with limepreviously to receiving a new and pure supply. This, however,was not done and the epidemic still continues. Well maythe inhabitants of Maidstone clamour for a public inquiryinto all these circumstances, for there is certainly urgentneed of a full and ample explanation. Doubtless the LocalGovernment Board is justified in replying to the requestmade for a public inquiry that " they do not consider thatthe holding of a public inquiry would in any way further theinvestigations of Dr. Thomson," but they have less reasonto add "or assist in dealing with the outbreak." Even thislast sentence, however, may be true so far as immediatemeasures are concerned ; but it should not be forgotten thatultimately it is the electors who will have to deal with thematter, and how are they to know for what measures to voteif there is not a public inquiry ? The figures as to the number of notifications, it is urged,

look more favourable if instead of the daily returns theweekly averages be taken. Thus for the first week, beginningSept. 16th, there was a daily average of 67 cases, for thesecond week of 81 cases, for the third week of 59 cases, andfor the following six days the average is only 23 cases-anaverage, however, that will be somewhat increased by thelater returns. These figures seem to indicate that the

epidemic is gradually subsiding ; but if it is entirely due tothe water-supply, and that water-supply has been suddenlycut off, should not the epidemic cease, if not with equal, atleast with corresponding, suddenness ? That this is not thecase suggests that the mischief due to the water has not beenentirely removed, that the pipes are still infected, or

that there are other causes at work besides the water-

supply. Food kept in houses and placed close to in-

efficiently trapped and flushed drains may be contaminated.Some little time ago it was discovered that a vendor ofpenny ices in Maidstone used to store his ice in his closet asa convenient place because he could easily drain the waterfrom the melting ice into the pan of the closet. Now thatthere is so much typhoid fever in the town the closets arelikely to be exceptionally dangerous. Let us remember alsothat hop-pickers did not confine their attention only to thehop-fields. It is computed that about 10,000 hop-pickerstravelled through Maidstone last season; many of them

lodged in Maidstone. There are seventeen public-housesthat take in from four to fourteen men lodgers, and there is alarge number of registered fourpenny common lodging-houses.One proprietor of these common lodging-houses let out 500beds in the course of one month during the hopping season.Then there are many unregistered houses that take in hop-pickers. The tramps frequent the south-eastern district innumbers, and here there have been a great many cases oftyphoid fever. The district council so far recognised thisdanger that they decided to build a municipal commonlodging-house, but some seven months ago the matter wasreferred back till a site in a suitable position at a moderateprice could be found. Nothing has been done since then. If,previously to the contamination of the water-supply, someportion of the drainage system had received typhoid dejec-tions from these hop-pickers or from other persons, and if thedrains are not properly cleaned and ventilated, mischiefmight be done and its effects might not be entirely removedthe moment the water-supply is altered. If the sewers arenot only deficient in respect to their ventilation and cleanli-ness, but also leak and contaminate the surrounding subsoil,then we have unhealthy and dangerous conditions which willonly be modified with the advent of copious rains or with therebuilding of those sewers that leak. All these are con-siderations which gain in importance as we find that the

epidemic still lingers in spite of the alteration of the water-supply.

MEDICAL AND SCIENCE STUDENTS ANDTHE INDIA CIVIL SERVICE.

(FROM A CORRESPONDENT.)

THE advantages of the Indian Medical Service are suffi-ciently appreciated by students of medicine of the UnitedKingdom. It is probable, indeed, that many more wouldcompete for these valuable appointments, were they fullyaware of the stress and the hardship of competition in the

1012 MEDICAL AND SCIENCE STUDENTS AND THE INDIA CIVIL SERVICE.

medical profession at home. Still, the number of candidatescompeting is adequate testimony to the knowledge of theadvantages of the Indian Medical Service among the classfrom which competitors should be drawn ; and there is no

ground for extending to this service the criticism andcharges which have for some time operated as a deterrentagainst properly qualified men offering themselves freely andnumerously enough for corresponding posts in the army. Butwe are here concerned with a service even more dignified,responsible and pecuniarily attractive than the IndianMedical Service-I mean the India Civil Service itself. In

directing the attention of " medical students " (as appears inthe heading) to this service I am well aware that I am raisinghopes where they have not been wont to be entertained, and,further, that I am even entering upon ground which isterra incognita to the bulk of the "medicals" and sciencemen of our universities and colleges. Let it be understood,then, that I am dealing with facts and not mere conjecture.And, first, be it remembered that the India Civil Service isstill the prince of public services open to competition. Theinitial salary is good—300 to £400, according as the rupeeis reckoned for England or for India. Opportunities forrapid promotion may not be as plentiful as they wereunder the old ’l’égime before the days of unrestricted com-petition, but they are regular and are deemed satisfactory.Entering the service when he is between twenty-one andtwenty-three years of age, the successful candidate is atonce launched on a career in which he is spared all anxietyin the matter of a competence both in active life and onretiring. When he is still under fifty he may leave theservice with a pension of from £800 to £1000 per annum.Such is the epitome of the normal career-the lot of theman who has not been favoured of fortune, but has merely" gone through " the service and done his plain duty fromday to day.That this career, with prospects even in excess of those

just sketched, is well within the reach of the "reading"men among our medical and science students it is the specialobject of this article to show. The character of the IndiaCivil Service examination was changed by the authoritiesfive years ago. The age-limits were raised from 17-19 to21-23 years, and the subjects of examination and the marksassigned to each were greatly modified. It was the inten-tion of the authorities that the university student mightenter himself for the examination without breaking theline of study which he was following for a learned

profession or for his own culture at collfge. Hence the verywide scope of the examination, and hence also the non-

obligatory rule in respect of subjects: no subject is com-

pulsory ; a candidate may take up as many or as few as hepleases, and with the exception of English compositionand mathematics the marks assigned to candidates in eachbranch are liable to deduction in order to secure that "acandidate be allowed no credit at all for taking up a subjectin which he is a mere smatterer." The Oxford classic,accordingly, does not take up mathematics; the Cambridgewrangler shuns Greek and probably Latin; the History" First" tries to score something in classics and to be strongin his own special branch as well as in the cognate studies-political science and political economy, and perhaps Englishor Roman law. Under these conditions the medical andscience student has an equal-an "even"-chance with theclassical, the mathematical, or the history man, perhaps evena superior chance. A few facts and figures will make thisclear. To Latin and Greek 750 marks each are assigned, andan exceptionally strong Oxford classic will make from 700 to850 in the two combined. To mathematics (which only veryfair mathematical students attempt) and to advancedmathematics 900 marks each are assigned, and a very strongCambridge man may be considered safe for from 800 to 950in the combined subjects, to judge by the marks obtainedduring the last four years. Both the classical andthe mathematical man have a number of subsidiary or

cognate subjects in which they naturally offer them-selves for examination. Now, in addition to the threegroups of students whose interests, ai we have stated,are consulted in the competition-the classical, the mathe-matical, and the history man’s-there is anothH. Sevensubjects are grouped together in the syllabus of examina-tion under the head of natural science. They are thefollowing : elementary chemistry and physics, higherchemistry, higher physics, geology, botany, zoology,and animal physiology. To each of these 600 marks are

assigned-subject, as usual, to a deduction in the case of the

marks gained by each student, to ensure that the meresmatterer shall be discountenanced and discomfited. It i&evident that, were a student free to offer all these sciences aa-given above he would be at a very material advantage com-pared with the non-science man. It is, therefore, provided(1) that not more than t7tree of them can be taken up; and(2) that elementary chemistry and elementary physics (onesubject) may not be taken up by those who offer eitherhigher chemistry or higher physics or both. Even with this-expedient and reasonable restriction, however, the scienceman has a fair field-perhaps, indeed, favour, if one mayreckon from the marks obtained by those few who have takenup this branch in the examination.Every year a number of our best reading medical students

find themselves unsuited to the profession for which they are.registered students. Some of them are drawn to scienceand the more or less uncertain prizes (in the worldly sense)which its pursuit promises to the fit ; others are stranded.Not only, however, on those who withdraw from the profes-sional study of medicine, but on all students of medicine ofmore than average merit I would impress the followingt.definite facts and conclusions :-1. For the last three yearsovery sixty appointments in the India Civil Service have.been offered annually ; this year (August-September) thenumber is sixty-six. Besides, there are now offered,as the result of the same examination. Eastern cadet-ships (for Ceylon, &c.) and "Class I." clerkships inthe Home Civil Service, which, taben together, makeabout thirty appointments more. 2. The medical student;at the close of his second annus medicus is very oftenjust of age to compete-twenty-one years; and out ofhis prescribed professional course of study during hisfirst two years he can offer three subjects conveniently,since he has four at his command-elementary chemistryand physics, botany, zoology, physiology. 3. The intendingcandidate will have to specialise on his three sciences. Hewill have tostudy the subjects carefully for himself and beguided by good men. But he may rest assured that thequestions set are fair questions’, and the practical examina-tions should especially commend themselves to the studentwho knows his work. 4. An excellent man may mak&1100 to 1250 marks in his three sciences. Severalhave made 400 in a science subject already. Like theclassical man and others the science man has other subjectson which to draw-say, English composition (as a certainty),for which 500 marks (without deduction for "smatterers")are allowed, French :(500), German (500), and political’science (400), which subject almost all take up. 5. In 1896the last successful candidate for the India Civil Service made1492 marks; fewer were required for an Eastern cadetappointment.The writer will give an illustration from the case of a

successful candidate last year, the particulars of which arewell known to him. It is not a case of a medical student,for he believes that owing to ignorance of the conditions ofthe examination no medical student has yet competed. Buton that very account the instance is the more striking. Thecandidate in question had no leanings towards science. Hewas a history man, strong in English history, but not suffi-ciently strong in the other history subjects and in cognate-branches to warrant his dependence on these solely. In-November, 1895-that is, ten months before the examina-tion-he began geology and botany. During these tenmonths he had to keep up his work in English history, readwidely in Roman and general modern history (most of it newground), begin political science (apart from a general know-ledge of the subject from history), and brush up Latin andFrench, which he had not touched for two years. Yet withall these drawbacks and without going through any univer-sity course in the two sciences mentioned the candidatein question scored an average of ZOO in each of them-rathermore in geology, rather less in botany. Had he specialised’in science he might easily have doubled his marks in these-two subjects.

Hitherto (since the coming into force of the revised regu-lations) the two most outstanding features of the IndiaCivil Service examination have been the predominance ofOxford and Cambridge men in the successful list and thevirtual absence of candidates offering natural science. It isthe main purpose of this article to remedy this defect bycalling upon the student of natural science to claim his placein this examination. If he is a medical student and isdrawn by the examination to the study of one or two

subjects which fall rather under belles lettres than within the

1013BIRMINGHAM.-MANCHESTER.

scope of his professional curriculum he may not have reasonto regret his decision, even should he not be successful.Wider reading, more liberal interests, and some sound

pretensions to culture are just what most of our students ofmedicine especially stand in need of at the present day.What has been said applies still more forcibly to "students

of science "-those studying for B.Sc. and similar examina-tions-in our various colleges. The published reports of theexamination during the last four years prove unmistakablythat the character of the examination and the advantages ofthe service a’e to them practically unknown. And yet thescience man is usually also a mathematician ; he prideshimself on knowing his pbysics, his chemistry, his geology,and his boaoy; he should be able to write a tolerable essayon one of the three or four themes prescribed with com-mendable catholicity of choice; he is not generally a

"duffer," and he should be able to find in the long list ofthe examination subjects one or two subsidiary ones bywhich to make success assured. Let him do so.

BIRMINGHAM.

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

Mu,sical Festival.THE proceeds of the triennial musical festival go to the

Ganeral Hospital and form a substantial element in thefnnds of that charity. This year the programme was

arranged for the 5th, 6tb, 7th, and 8th of the present month.There was a large attendance, favoured by fine weather, andthe highest musical talent. The total receipts amounted to£13,874 4s. 11d., being E635 more than the last festival. Itis estimated that the sum of Z5000 will be handed over tothe new hospital committee ; it will be gladly welcomed inthe face of the numerous and heavy expenses incurred in theremoval from the old building.

S1ldden DeatA of Dr. F. W. Barry.Dc, Barry, senior medical inspector to the Local Govern

men’! Board, was found dead in a bedroom of the GrandHotel this morning. He was expected at the parish officesfor official purposes and left word to be called at 7.30 in themorning; no reply being received to this summons the roomwas entered, when Dr. Barry was found lying upon the floordead and cold. An inquest will be held in due course.

Dr. Barry’s high attainments in sanitary science and hisability as an administrator will cause his death to be

deeply regretted apart from the sad circumstances of itssuddenness.

Midland Medical Society.The inaugural meeting of the present session is announced

for the 21st inst., when Sir Richard Thorne Thorne willdeliver an address on ’° Soil and Circumstance in their Controlof Pathogenic Organisms." It is expected that a largegathering will be present. :

Death of the Coroner for South Staffordshire.Mr. Edwin Hooper, whose death occurred on Oct 3ed at

the age of sixty-six years, held the office of coroner for SouthStaffordshire for a period of thirty-seven years, and for the borough of West Bromwich since it was constituted a countyborough. For some years Mr. Hooper had been the subject of cancer of the tongue, for which he had undergone severaloperations. His death finally was attributable to pneumonia.It is estima.tfd that he held over 13 000 inquests during his 1tenure of office. His duties were conducted with dignity and clearnes3 of judgment. Already there are several can- ididates in the field, two of whom are med’ca.1 men practisingin the locality.

A Sad Coincidence. 1

An inquest was recently held on the body of a boy,aged seven years, whose death occurred under singular cir- cumstances. The child came with his father and mother intothe town. In a crowded street the father was knocked downby a cab; in the confusion which followed the child was runover by a cart and killed-a disastrous ending to the visit.

rThe Workhouse Imfirmary.

An unpleasant incident has led to the resignation of the 1infirmary management committee. For a long time the com- c

mittee state that they had felt that they had not the con- 1fidence of the board in their authority over the scrubbers and c

charwomen employed. These servants number about’ fort3fand are paid at the rate cf 2s. a day, the annual sum for-scrubbing alone amounting to about £1200.

Oct. l2th.

MANCHESTER.

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

Large Gifts to Orvens College.THE half-yearly meeting of the Court of Governors of

Owens College was held on the 5th inst., when the chairmanMr. Alderman Joseph Thompson, who regretted the unavoid-able absence of the Duke of Devonshire, said that he had three-very important and gratifying announcements to make. Mr.R. C. Christie, for long a member of the Court and the-Council of the college and one of its most generons bene-factors through his gift of the building of the Christie Library,had now given one-third of the balance of the estate of thelate Sir Joseph Whitworth-as one of the three residuarylegatees-amounting to not less than Z50 000, and probablysomewhat exceeding that sum. It would enable the Governors,to complete the quadrangle and erect a college hall. The.-chairman farther announced that two friends of the.college who did not for the present wish their names to

appear had offered through the Principal sums of £10,000and £5000, the first for the erection, and the second towards’the maintenance, of suitable buildings for the physicallaboratory of the college. A further sum of .gSOOO would be-needed to provide fully for the maintenance of the laboratory,and this the chairman hoped the college would in some way,obtain. Another very welcome gift had been made byMr. Edward Holt, one of the city councillors. who had given.61500, the cost of the new gymnasium. In a resolutionthanking the donors of these munificent gifts, moved bySir Ughtred Kay - Shuttleworth and seconded by thePrincipal (Dr. Ward), hopes were expressed that the council)would take steps " to associate the name of Mr. Holt in some:-permanent manner with the new gymnasium." A resolution.was also moved by Sir W. H. Houldsworth, M.P., and’seconded by Sir Henry Roscoe, expressing the great regretof the Court at the "impending resignation of the distin-.guished principal of the college, Dr. A. W. Ward," and,desiring to place on record its sense of .. the immeasurable-value of his services for more than thirty years as professorand eight years as principal." Mr. Alfred Neild and Mr.Thorburn supported the resolution, the latter speaking as arepresentative of the alumni of the college.

Salford Board of Guardians.At the last meeting of the Salford guardians it was

resolved: "That in future, with the consent of the Local.Government Board, the period of training for probationer-nurses be three years instead of two as heretofore, and that.the scale of payment be as follows-viz , first year, .68 8s. ;.second year, &pound;12 12s. ; third year, &pound;15 15s." At 2 P.M. themeeting was made special to consider the best means ofrelieving the congested state of the workhouse and infirmary.Mr. H. Jenuer-l’ust, jun., general inspector of the Local*.Government Board, and Mr. W. M. Moorsom, assistant generalinspector, were present. After some discussion it was resolved :"That a new workhouse be at once proceeded with, and the.Sheffield system of scattered homes for children be adopted"experimentally." In the course of the discussion Mr.Jenner-Fust addressed the board in favour of a new work-house-for which, indeed, the land has been bought-and’discountenanced the amalgamation of the workhouse and<infirmary, and said that the epileptics should be lodged innew blocks. He also advocated entirely separate manage-ment for the two institutions. He was in favour of cottagehomes-which one of the guardians characterised as.,

nothing better than juvenile workhouses" -where theyhad 370 children to deal with. The resolution was carriedby 9 votes to 5.

T7ie Police and .First aid.Since 1891 it has been made a condition of service in the

Manchester police force that applicants should pass an exami-nation as to proficiency in the work of first aid. The orderwas not made retrospective, so that many of the men hav&have not passed this examination. The week before last-certificates for proficiency were given by the Lord.Mayor to a number of the mfn. Out of 44 entitled to the-certificate 41 were present. There are now in the force 771.