1604 THE GENERAL MEDICAL COUNCIL.-MEDICAL NEWS.

Mr. TEALE seconded this proposal.Sir JOHN BATTY TUKE, in reply on the whole debate,

expressed regret that the only amendment to the com-

mittee’s proposal had come from a member of thecommittee He was sorry to inform some of the

lately appointed members of the committee that as theMedical Acts were generally read the General MedicalCouncil had comparatively little power over medical education,but he had always held, and still held, that they had greatpower in this-the loyalty of the various licensing bodiesto the General Medical Council. That was a moral force.If it had not been for it medical education would not have i.arrived at its present advanced state. And he must say that the speeches of the two representatives of the two EnglishColleges ought not to have been heard that day. He was.charitable enough to believe that there was a considerableamount of misunderstanding as regards the loyalty of thesetwo bodies to the General Medical Council, and he hopedthat their future action would show that that was correct.

The Council divided on the amendment proposed by Dr.Church, with the result that nine voted for the amendmentand 16 against it. On the names being called and the,numbers taken it was found that 17 were against the amend-ment and nine for it. ’

The amendment accordingly was rejected.Mr. BRYANT rose, he said, to propose a further amend-

.ment. He did think that his College-the Royal College of-Surgeons of England-or rather the Conjoint Board of

England, had on this occasion been badly treated by theCouncil. Whether it was an intentional misunderstanding- of the fact of the case he did not know, but he thought theyhad not been well treated. It was not their fault if therewas anything wrong in regard to teaching institutions reco-gnised by the Council, for he had repeatedly stated thatthe principle of the management of the two Colleges hadbeen to visit and inspect every institution which had been- recognised by them. No doubt at the beginning some had!been excluded at the instance of the South Kensingtonauthorities, but what he distinctly told the Council now wasthat they would be perfectly willing to undertake the visitingand inspection of even these excluded institutions. He

proposed :-That the following be adopted instead of the recommendation of

the committee-namely, that the list of recognised teaching institu-tions forwarded to the Registrar at the beginning of each year bereturned to the next following meeting of the Executive Committee;and printed in the minutes of that committee for the information of,the Council.

Sir J. BATTY TUKE said that this amendment was no morethan a repetition of what the Council had already voted upon.and rejected.On a division eight voted for the amendment and 18

against. On the original motion being put to the vote itwas carried by 18 votes to six, five members declining to vote.and one being abseht.On the motion of Sir J. BATTY TUKE, seconded by Dr.

MACALISTER, it was unanimously agreed that the Registrarshould be directed to call the attention of the licensingbodies to the resolution just arrived at.

Penal Cases Committee.On the motion of Dr. BRUCE, seconded by Dr. ATTHILL,

it was agreed-That the number of the members of the Penal Cases Committee be

’the same as that of the Executive Committee-viz., eight, exclusive.of the President, four from England, two from Scotland, and two fromIreland.

The Council adjourned.

PROVIDENT MEDICAL ASSOCIATION.—By the’Invitation of Lady Hope and Mr. T. A. Denny a drawing-room meeting was held at 7, Conn aught-place on Tuesday,.June 6th, in support of the work of the MetropolitanProvident Medical Association, the object of which is to

provide efficient medical treatment for those of the workingclasses who are unable to pay the usual fees on a systemof mutual assurance by small periodical payments. Thereare 20 branches, 15 of which are dispensaries and five medicalelubs, from which 11,441 membership cards, family andsingle, were issued last year, the payments amountingto £5304 A resolution to the effect that it was necessaryto work in cooperation with the hospitals under rulesapproved by the medical profession, and that branchesshould be formed in every district in London on thesystem of this association was carried.

Medical News.FOREIGN UNIVERSITY INTELLIGENCE.—

Amsterdam : Dr. H. Timmer has been recognised as privat-docent of Orthopædics.-Bahia : Dr. Joaquim Mathena MoaSantos has been appointed Professor of Hygiene.- Gratz:Dr. E. Payr has been recognised as privat-docent of Surgery.- Kieff: Dr. J. Landenbach has been appointed to the chairof Pharmacology.

ROYAL COLLEGE OF PHYSICIANS OF IRELAND.-At the monthly meeting of the College held on June 2ndMr. George Thorpe, L S.A., having passed a special exami-nation for the Licence in Medicine of the College, was

admitted by the President and Fellows to the Licence.

ROYAL COLLEGE OF SURGEONS IN IRELAND.-Ata meeting of the Fellows held on June 5th the followingofficers were elected for the ensuing year :-President : Mr.Robert Lafayette Swan. Vice-President: Dr. Thomas Myles.Honorary Secretary: Sir Charles A. Cameron, C.B. Council:Professor Archibald H. Jacob, Professor Edward HallaranBennett, Sir Philip Crampton Smyly, Sir William Stokes, Mr.Henry Rosborough Swanzy, Professor William Stoker, Dr.William Ireland Wheeler, Sir William Thomson, Mr. AustinMeldon, D.L., Sir Charles A. Cameron, C.B., Dr. L. Hepen-stal Ormsby, Dr. Richard D. Purefoy, Dr. John J. Cranny,Mr. Henry Gregg Sherlock, Professor John B. Stojy, Dr.Henry Fitzgibbon, Dr. Francis T. Heuston, Mr. JohnLentaigne, and Dr. Richard Bolton M’Causland.

THE DEVON QUEEN VICTORIA COMMEMORATIONFUND.-The Finance Committee of this fund reported onMay 29th that the fund now consists of £5800, giving a netincome of L173 together with reversions which will come inat the expiration of existing leases. A scheme is to be sub-mitted for the distribution of this amount among hospitalsand convalescent homes. The committee appeal for furthersubscriptions and hope that a renewed effort will be made toendow the County Hospital Fund with an income sufficientto give material assistance to the various medical institutionsof Devonshire.

THE "STREETS AND SQUARES B AZAAR " IN AIDOF ST. MARY’S HOSPITAL.-On June 6th and 7th a

bazaar in aid of St. Mary’s Hospital and the ClarenceMemorial wing was held at the Hotel Great Central in theMarylebone-road, London. On the first day the bazaarwas opened by H.R.H. Princess Louise, Duchess of Fife,who was accompanied by her husband, the Duke of Fife.The stalls, which were 28 in number, were named after someof the principal streets, squares, and thoroughfares in thewest and north-west of London and many of the charitableladies who presided over them were well-known leaders offashionable society. Members of the theatrical and musicalprofessions lent their aid in making the bazaar a success

and the bands of the Royal Horse Guards and the RoyalEngineers played during each day. It is to be hoped thatthe hospital will be benefited by a large amount. The

management of the hotel very generously handed over thewhole of the receipts for luncheon and dinner received onJune 6th to the funds of the hospital.

THE DROITWICH BRINE BATHS.-A new stationon the Great Western Railway which marks a decidedadvance in the progress of the old town of Droitwichwas opened on June 3rd. Of recent years much hasbeen done to attract visitors to English health resortsand bathing places and at Droitwich, which has come infor its share of increased popularity, the old station has beenfound to be too small to accommodate the increasing numberof visitors, hence the building of the new one. The open-ing ceremony was performed by Sir A. F. Godson, M.P., inthe unavoidable absence of Mr. Corbett, who gave the groundon which the new station was built. Mr. D. M’Iver, adirector of the Great Western Railway Company, remarkedon the present occasion that Droitwich Station was openedin 1852 and that 12 years later there were only seven trainsdaily between it and London, the fastest train taking fiveand a half hours to make the journey. Now there were

1605MEDICAL NEWS.-PARLIAMENTARY INTELLIGENCE.

60 trains a day and the fastest train took three and a halfhours. Sir A. F. Godson, M.P., opened the station doorwith a silver key and after the station had been inspectedluncheon was served at the Salters’ Hall. The loyal toasts andthe toast of " Prosperity to Droitwich " having been proposedand honoured the party proceeded to inspect the brine bathsof Droitwich, the credit of the discovery of which is given tothe Romans. They gave it the name of Salinse. The bathsare fitted with all modern conveniences, and not only havethe well-to-do been catered for, but the poor can availthemselves of the curative properties of the hot brine atthe St. John’s Brine Baths Hospital, which is situated atthe other end of the town.

SOCIETY FOR RELIEF OF WIDOWS ANDORPHANS OF MEDICAL MEN.-The annual general meetingof this society was held on May 31st at 11, Chandos-street,W., Mr. Christopher Heath, vice-president, being in thechair. From the report read by the secretary it appearedthat a sum of E3023 had been given during 1898 to the50 widows and 12 orphans in receipt of grants and the sixrecipients from the Copeland Fund. A present of 9551 hadbeen made at Christmas-viz., .610 to each widow, £3 to eachorphan, and ;E5 to those on the Copeland Fund. One widowhad died and one was taken on the funds, and three orphanshad become ineligible and one had been elected. The numberof members remained the same, 287, nine having died andnine having been elected. The expenses of the year hadbeen E244 10s ; the total disbursements had been E3267 10s.,and the receipts available for payments £3326 2s. 8d.,leaving a balance of E58 12s. 8d. A grant under By-law78 of ;&26 was made to a widow. A vote of thanks to theeditors of the medical journals, proposed by Mr. J. R. Lynchand seconded by Sir Samuel Wilks, was carried unanimously.Sir Thomas Smith was elected a vice-president in the placeof Mr. Henry Lee, deceased, and Mr. Morey, Mr. C. King,Mr. Leigh, Mr. Gimson, Dr. West, and Dr. Whiphamwere elected in the place of the six senior directors whoretired. The funded property had been increased by thepurchase of E500 Birmingham 2 per cent. CorporationStork The funded property of the society on May lst,1899, was £97,687 15s. lld. The proceedings terminatedwith a vote of thanks to the chairman, proposed by Mr.Lovett and seconded by Dr. Pollock.

Parliamentary Intelligence.NOTES ON CURRENT TOPICS.

Notification of Injectious Disease.THE Bill to extend the Infectious Disease (Notification) Act of 1889

to those places which have not already adopted it has passed throughall its stages in both Houses of Parliament.

The Taccination Question. i

In the House of Lords on June 2nd the Lord Chancellor pre-sented a petition from the Poor-law guardians of the Wandsworth andClapham District in favour of the abolition of all forms of compulsoryvaccination. His lordship said that while he presented the petition innccordance with the practice of the House he entirely differed from thereasons given in it. -

HOUSE OF COMMONS.

THURSDAY, JUNE 1ST.The London Water Question.

Mr. JAMES S’rrART. on behalf of the London County Council, movedthat the order for the second reading of the London Water (Purchase)Bill he read and discharged and the Bill withdrawn, saying that as theRoyal Commission had not yet reported it was quite impossible to cometo a satisfactory decision with regard to the measure.-Mr. WHITMORE,who had given notice of motion for the rejection of the Bill, saidthat De quite agreed with this statement and he only regretted that theCou’fy Council had not felt the force of it much earlier in the year.-Mr. BARTLEY, Mr. DUNCOMBK, and other Members protested against thewaste of money that had taken place.-Mr. STUART explained that theBill had been introduced in the hope that the Commission would havereported ill time for its consideration during the present session.-Themotion was tlen agreed to.

FRIDAY, JUXE 2ND.

Milk from the Aldershot Sewage Farm.Mr. JEFFREYS asked the Under Secretary of State for War whether he

had received the report of the medical officer appointed by the War Officeto inspect the Camp Sewage Farm at Aldershot and whether it was stillproposed to supply the troops with milk from that farm.-Mr. GEORGEWANDHAM : The repo!t has been received and will be laid on the table

of the House to-day. There has been no question of supplying thetroops with this milk as part of their rations. The question has beenwhether they should be prohibited from purchasing it. Dr. Andrewes’sreport contains nothing which would warrant such a prohibition. Itdoes, however, suggest one improvement in the arrangement of the-farm, the cost of which is now being investigated.

The Vaccination Question.In Committee of Supply on the vote for the salaries and expenses of

the department of the Local Government Board there was a long:debate on various aspects of the vaccination question.Mr. PICKERSGILL introduced the subject of vaccination prosecutions.

He insisted that the President of the Local Government Board by hi&.recent action had encouraged vaccination officers to flout their employersand paymasters, the boards of guardians. The Order of October lastaltered the law and, he said, gave the " go-by "to the boards of guardians.in regard to sanctioning prosecutions. He had himself raised thisquestion last year in the discussion on the Vaccination Bill and hadproposed a clause providing that parents should not without the-sanction of the guardians be prosecuted for neglecting to vaccinatetheir children. He withdrew the clause, however, in consequence of apledge given by the President of the Local Government Board, who-then said that he quite recognised that the administration of a com-pulsory vaccination law was neither necessary nor desirable. Therecould be no doubt that the right hon. gentleman had misled the House-of Commons, however unintentionally. As the vaccination officerswere paid by fees they had a direct pecuniary interest in promotingprosecutions. Another thing he complained of was the action of the-President of the Local Government Board in informing boards ofguardians that they were entitled to circulate at the public expense-pro-vaccination pamphlets issued by the Jenner Society.Mr. CHAPLIN, in reply, said that the sanction of the Local Govern-

ment Board to the circulation of literature for the encouragementof vaccination had been the practice for 20 years or more underSection 28 of the Vaccination Act, 1867, and he saw no reason to inter-fere with it. As to vaccination prosecutions he denied that he had illany way misled the House. The amendment proposed by the hon..Member found very little support and was withdrawn withoutany assurance from him. As matter of fact he could nothave given the assurance the hon. Member supposed .hehad given, for any interference on his part with regardto proceeding by vaccination officers would after the decisionof the courts have been superfluous and ineffectual. He contendedthat it was impossible for any Minister in charge of a Bill to be moreopen and frank than he had been during the whole of the debates onthe Bill and that if there had been a misunderstanding upon a particularpoint he regretted it, but it was not his fault. It might be very dis--tasteful to some hon. gentlemen on the Opposition side to find that,-under the Act of last year vaccination was more frequent and wasgoing on more steadily than it had gone on for years past. That was-the reverse of intolerable to him. He desired to do everything inhis power to promote vaccination. The hon. gentlemen opposite-desired to do everything in their power to prevent it. That reallywas the explanation of the complaints which were now being made’against him.Mr. CHANNING said that a return recently issued of the number ot

conscientious objection certificates taken out during the few months inwhich the Act was in operation up to the end of last year showed thatthey covered about 230,000 children. The right hon. gentleman seemedconvinced that the Act would lead to a great increase in vaccination,but he was labouring under a grave misapprehension. The figures hehad quoted represented nothing like the actual number of children andyoung persons who were unvaccinated throughout the country. Inthe town of Leicester, he was assured, there were some 80,000 unvacci-nated. while only a small proportion of exemption certificates had beenobtained. In his own division only some 7000 or 8000 certificates hadbeen taken out, but he had been informed that, so far from those figuresrepresenting the number of unvaccinated children whose parentsobjected to vaccination, they would have to be muliplied four, five,or even more times before the actual number of unvaccinated

persons conld be ascertained. He protested against the Order ofOctober as a change in the law carried out in a way that was con-trary to the constitution, and he asked the right hon. gentlemanwhether he really meant that vaccination officers should proceed whole-sale with prosecutions.

Sir WALTER FOSTER said that he regarded the issue of the Order as-unfortunate. A number of vaccination officers were appointed by the-boards of guardians and for the future they would take up some of the’most difficult duties and perform them in spite of the objections ofthose from whom they received their salaries ; the result of that must bethat these officers would find their position intolerable. Not only so,-but the boards of guardians would cease to appoint vaccination officersand vaccination would fall into greater neglect than ever. Hecongratulated the right hon. gentleman on the statement which hehad made as to the success of the Act. He thought thatstatement must be reassuring to the country and to the House-that the policy carried out last year was a right policy. He had’received information from various parts of the country from medicalmen and he found that there was a larger amount of vaccination duringthe last two months than in any preceding two months for manyyears. He thought, however, that the result would have been infinitelygreater if it had not been for the stupid policy of the press and themagistracy. He thought that the magistracy were to blame becausethey had not carried out the law as it was intended to be carried out.Unfortunately the press took the matter up and there was a great dealof wild writing tending to make it difficult for the magistrates to grantcertificates. If the certificates had been granted readily there wouldhave been less agitation.Mr. CHAPLIN in another speech said that the circular of October was

merely the usual intimation as to the duties of authorities under anAct of Parliament. Whatever the circular might say, the Act of Par-liament and the decision of the court remained. He had done nothingto interfere in the relations between guardians and vaccination officers.Any complaints of the conduct of magistrates in relation to vaccinationcertificates should be addressed to the Home Office, and any complaintof vaccination under insanitary conditions would have careful examina-tion by the Local Government Board. As to the vaccinaton of work-house children under the age of two months, he was under theimpression that no objection was made by the parents, and probably