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that they are not pauperized by getting their children vaccinatedby their officer. Would not the provisions of the Act be carriedout fairly and effectually by the guardians virtual1y contractingwith every practitioner, duly qualified, in their respective dis-trcts. each sending in a return quarterly, and paying themaccording to the number of successful cases. By this simple planevery practitioner would have an interest in extending vaccina-tion, and that which now threatens to be one of the vilest acts ofinjustice ever imposed upon us would be rendered fair and just toall, except quacks.

I remain, Sir, your obedient servant,Sept. 1853. A SURGEON.

ADMISSION OF CHOLERA PATIENTS INTOHOSPITAL.

LETTER FROM DR. BABINGTON, PRESIDENT OF THE EPIDEMIOLOGICAL

SOCIETY, TO DR. GAYIN MILROY, CHAIRMAN OF THE CHOLERACOMMITTEE.

31, George’street, Hanover-square.September 13, 1853.

My DEAR SIR; With reference to a conversation which youand I had last evening, I now fulfil my promise of stating toyou in writing my opinion of the course which, in the eventof the occurrence of cholera in this metropolis, should beadopted by our public hospitals. I consider that they oughtall to receive cases of cholera as freely as cases of any otherdisease, and that,where circumstances will permit, they should,in order to avoid alarming the other patients, make specialprovision for them in separate wards.My reasons for thinking that such cases should be admitted

into public hospitals are these :-First.-Because the more severe a malady is, the more it is

adapted to establishments founded for the express purpose ofcuring or alleviating disease.Secondly.-Because in public establishments alone are

found all the appliances which may be needed in the treat-ment of cholera.

Thirdly.-Because the fears of relatives and friends mayprevent their rendering the requisite assistance, whereas pro-fessional men and professed nurses are influenced by no suchmotives.Fourthly.-Because medical labours are thus economised,

since it is much more fatiguing for a practitioner to cQnductthe treatment of twenty cases of cholera, each in a separatedwelling, and having separate attendants, than to conduct thetreatment of twenty cases all collected into one building. Asa corollary to this reason, it will follow that much moreattention will be paid, with the same degree of labour to thelatter than to the former, and there will therefore be a muchbetter chance of recovery.Fifthly.-Because where numerous cases are brought to-

gether under the observation and guidance of professedteachers in public hospitals, they are more minutely observed,comparisons are more readily made, plans of treatment basedon scientific principles are more easily ,carried out, and a moresound, because’a more extensive experience is gained, than islikoly to be gained where the same number of cases is dis-tributed among many private practitioners, each individuallyattending only a few of them, and forming his opinion on thenarrow basis thus afforded.Sixthly.-Because there is no reason why cases of cholera

should not be admitted into hospitals, which does not applywith more than equal force to cases,of typhus fever, whichare never refused admission.

Believe me, my dear Sir, yours very truly,To Gavin Milroy, M.D. B. G. BABINGTON. B. G. BABINGTON.

Military and Nabal Intelligence.

MILITARY.-4th Royal South Middlesex Militia: Assist.-surg.George Francis Cooper, M.D., to be lieutenant.-70th Foot : AtFort Clarence, Thomas Farrell, a private of the 70th, was sen-tenced by a court martial to fifty lashes and twelve months’imprisonment, for striking Dr. Piper, the medical officer of FortClarence Prison. After receiving the fifty lashes, the cuiprit,declared that he would do for Colonel Jarvis and Dr. Piper, forwhich he is ordered to be tried again.

NAVAL.- Assist.-surg. W. Patrick (1847). from the Victory,flag-ship, to the Excellency. gun-ship, Portsmouth ; Surg.F3sher (1848) to the Stromboli, paddle-wheel steam-ship, Ports-mouth. *

Medical News.

CHOLERA AT NEWCASTLE.-The slayer has fixedhis head. quarters at Newcastle, where he is mowing down theinhabitants, whom neither rank, age, morality, or sobriety protect

from his destructive fang. Tne Newcastle Guardian, speakingof his sad ravages amongst the human race, says :-"The experience of the last fortnight here confirms the larger

and wider results of 1848-9, in showing that the attacks of thedisease are not confined to the weak and sickly, great numbersof its victims being among the healthy and vigorous ; nor arethe sole. if indeed the chief sufferers to be found among paupersand profligates, persons well fed and well clothed, enjoying allthe comforts of life, of temperate and virtuous habits, havingalike fallen under the power of the fell destroyer. Almost theuniversal opinion of the faculty is, that the disease is not, in thecommon acceptation of the word, contagious, but spread by anatmospheric influence, its progress con’.isting rather of a series oflocal outbreaks, than exhibiting any continuity of time or place,and operating in particular districts according to certain localiz-ing conditions and predisposing c .uses. Habitual drunkardsare; however, hichly predisposed to cholera (such is the dictumof the General Board of Health), and great fatigue, undue fear,excessive indulgence in vegetables and fruit, especially if greenand unwholesome, and impure water, are, on the best authority,declared to be predisposing causes to the malady. Solid and

dry diet, such as will naturally tend to maintain a moderatelyconstipat(d state of the bowels, should at this seasolt be taken,and temperance in the use of both meats and drinks ought to bestrictly observed." ‘ ’ *

.

" Col. Thompson, who was in India when the cholera firstmade its appearance there in 1817, says, ’To a layman’s eyethe disorder appeared to be much connected with bad water ; forit came at a time when the wells from which the populationdrank were making a near approach to what they were in Egyptafter the piagoe of frogs. The disease abated as soon as the

frogs were diluted by tne access of the rainy season, and soremained till the cause was renewed.’ Several medical

practitioners spoke strongly against the unwholesomenessof the beverage with which the town is supplied, and Mr.Burnup remarked at the Council meeting, that whatever wasput upon the streets or into the sewers is returned to the peoplein their drink;’ popuiar opinion has long protested against theneglect of the Company, but it is not until this scourge has comethat a remedy has been devised. There is unquestionably reasonfor deep regret that the directors are so incompetent, or havebeen so apathetic to their public duty and their true interest."

This is a pithy, a painful, and a faithful picture of the condi-tion of Newcastle, while every one-priest, physician, and lay-man, the rich and the poor, are uniting to mitigate and improveby averting, by all possible means, the awful pestilence.The Board of Guardians here appointed a number of medical

gentlemen to assist their regular medical officers, and numbersof senior students have been employed to act under the superin-tendence of the qualified officers. The remuneration given bythe parochial authorities to the additional medical gentlemen isone guinea per day, and the students are engaged at three

guineas per week. Upon the arrival of Mr. Grainger, as .thedisease increased, additional medical men were appointed, andthe Board have procured the assistance of a most efficient staffof twenty-one medical men, assisted by sixteen senior students.The Committee of the Dispensary opened that institution to

the suffering poor, and appointed additional medical assistants ;and Mr. Gibb, the house-surgeon of the Infirmary, stated, thatthe medical staff of that institution were prepared to render

every assistance in their power to those who made application,and to cases that came under their notice.

Day and night the medical men are working. Mr. 1. Anson,surgeon, of rlrthur-hill, in one day, attended 225 cuses, andadministered medicine in 220.. On another day he had 299cases.

Chemists have been appointed in every part of the town togive medicines to all poor persons applying, free of expense;and band-bills have been posted and circulated, specifying thestreets in which those shops are situate, as well as the names andaddresses of the surgeons employed at the public expense, toattend to all cases when their assistance is required. Theirshops are kept open all night.Two of the most over-crowded churchyards were closed on

Saturday, on the official requisition of Mr. Grainger, and threeothers will be closed under the Provincial Interments Act of lastsession, by Dr. Sutherland, the officer charged by the Home

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Office, under the Act, to inspect and report on burial-grounds.One of the most over-crowded of the many over-crowded lodging-houses having been certified by Mr. Grainger and Dr. HectorGavin (who has been sent to Newcastle, by the General Board,to assist Mr. Grainger) to be unfit for human habitation, hasbeen closed, and its inmates removed to the House of Refuge.On Wednesday. Mr. Grainger arrived in London, to report

and receive fresh instructions. In proof of the fatal virulence ofcholera, at this moment it nt-ed but be mentioned, that at New-castle, in 1831, only 91 died from August 31st to Sept. 19th.while during the corresponding period this year, the mortalityreached 557, being an excess of 466.

At GATESHEAD, the Board of Health, with its surveyor, Mr.Hall, and Mr. Superintendent Schorey and the police force,-andthe Board of Guardians, with their medical officer, Mr. Wilson, and their relieving officer, Mr. Pattinson, have, from the first,been most actively engaged in the application of the various

preventive and remedial measures within their reach ; not sparingexpense in carrying out whatever plans appeared to be bestsuited for the emergency. Lime and chloride of lime have beenplaced, in unlimited quantities, at the disposal of all who chooseto apply for them. The mortality gradually increased, sincethe 2nd of September, from 2 to 28 daily.

At SANDGATE, the authorities are pursuing the same courseadopted in 1849 at Mevagissey, Cornwall, whose inhabitants wereremoved to another locality. The Board of Ordnance sentdown 360 tents, into which 600 inhabitants were removed,amongst whom not a case of cholera occurred, while 126 addi-tional new,cases broke out amongst those left behind. Yet thethinning of the population lessened the disease in the houses.The Board of Ordnance directed 200 additional tents to be sentdown, and entertain the most sanguine hopes for the result of thepeople being put under canvas, as the troops never enjoyed suchgood health as they had while under tents at Chobham.

LIVERPOOL.—Another case of cholera has occurred here; butit is satisfactory to know that the person attacked had justarrived from Hamburg. The general mortality of the boroughcontinues below the average.MANCHESTER. - The General Purposes Committee of the

Salford Town Council met this morning, and determined to takethe most vigorous steps to put into immediate operation all theclauses of the Nuisances Removal and Diseases Prevention Act,together with all the powers of the local Acts for the same

purposes, in order to secure a proper sanitary condition of theborough. It is said that the medical men of Manchester andSalford are to meet to-morrow to consider what course they, asa body, shall adopt.At DURHAM, and throughout every other part of England,

distinct committees have been appointed, the streets flushed,houses whitewashed inside and out, yards and lanrs sluiced withwater by the city fire-engine, and lime will be thrown on thesurface of the streets, and chloride of lime gratuitously distri-buted to the poor, to be used for the disinfection of privies,cesspools, &c. Handbills and placards have been issued, in-

forming the public where, in the event of cholera breaking out,or premonitory symptoms appearing, gratuitous medical aid

may be obtained, and recommending the necessary precautionsand instructions.DREADNOUGHT HOSPITAL SHIP.- Two cases of cholera have

occurred on board the Di-ead7iotight hospital ship, moored offGreenwich, and lumpers were sent up to lay moorings for theHebe receiving-ship, which has been lent by the Admiralty forthe purpose of being used as an auxiliary hospital-ship for casesof cholera. A severe case also occurred to one of the men of theWoolwich division doing duty at Deptford, but he has fortunately Irecovered. i

CHOLERA IN ST. PANCRAS.-The parochial authorities haveordered the inquiring agents, and the district medical officers toforward immediately to the vestry clerk any case of cholera thatmay occur, so that, if necessary, a Sanatory Committee may beappointed.CHOLERA AT DENMARK.-Letters from Hamburgh state that

cholera is on the decrease, and supplanted by " cholerine," whichis very mild in character. The same improvement has takenplace in the provinces, excepting Jutland, and one or two more,where cholera is still virulent. In Norway and Sweden it still

prevails, especially amongst the shipping at Norway, where fourEnglish sailors were attacked, and three died. An Englishphysician has been appointed to attend the shipping, and to

instantly report every cholera case that occurs.

PEOPLE’S COLLEGE, SHEFFIELD.-Dr. Lyon Play-fair has accepted an invitation to preside at the annual meetingof the People’s College, Sheffield, in the latter part of October.

MEDICAL BENEVOLENT COLLEGE. -At the lastmeeting of the council, held at the Hanover-square rooms, Ed-ward Sieveking, M.D., was unanimously elected HonorarySecretary of the College, vice Henry Tudor Davies, Esq.,resigned.THE EPIDEMIOLOGICAL SOCIETY. - The Cholera

Committee of the Epidemiological Society, feeling the importanceof obtaining authentic information from medical practitioners inall places where the Cholera may appear, especially with refer-ence to the origin of the early cases, invite communications; tobe addressed to either of the secretaries of the committee, Dr.Bryson, 8, Duke-street, St. James’s, and Dr. M.William, 14,

Trinity-square, Tower-hill.GUY’S HOSPITAL.-ELECTION OF A SURGEON, AND

AN ASSISTANT- SURGEON. -Mr. John Birkett has just beenelected Surgeon, and Mr. Thomas Callaway Assistant-Surgeon,to this hospital.CREWKERNE AND YEOVIL DISTRICT MEDICAL

SOCIETY.-The sixth meeting was held at Crewkerne on the 15thinstant, Mr. Bowdaa:e (in the absence, through illness, of the

president) presiding. The state of the Association, and its work-ing, was shown to be very satisfactory. Some cases of an inte-

resting nature were communicated by the members. Great hopewas expressed that the new Medical Bill would become law nextsession, and thereby put an end to many quack impostureswhich were so impudent at present. Allusion was made to one atYeovil, where an ignorant impostor, who calls himself Dr. SladeColmer. carries on a lucrative trade without let or hindrance ;and the attention of the resident medical gentlemen was desired,in order that a summary conviction might be obtained. Thesubject of medical representation in parliament was also dis-cussed, and it was considered probable that government, in anynew reform bill, would see the justice of giving parliamentaryrepresentation to so large and respectable a portion of the com-munity as is the medical profession. A deputation from theProvincial Medical Association had an interview with the mem-bers, to endeavour to strengthen the association by a more ex-tended organization of the medical practitioners, and thus give abetter locus standi to the council when they go to parliamentwith their new bill, or other professional measure. The decisionof the society was delayed until communication with other mem-bers had taken place.BROMPTON HOSPITAL FOR CONSUMPTION. - The

funds of the Consumption Hospital at Brompton have just beenenriched by a princely legacy, under the wiil of the late JohnM’Cullom, Esq., of Bedford-place. The amount of the bequestwill not fall very short of £15,000. Since the establishment ofthe hospital the legacies of the benevolent have been a valuablesource of income to the charity. Just now its sphere of useful-ness is about to be increased by the addition of 140 beds-theapproaching completion of the east wing making the totalnumber of beds 230, instead of 90.

We are happy to observe that Mr. Dickson, agentleman favourably known by an excellent pamphlet on the Con-struction of Public Asylums for the Higher Classes, and by hissuccessful management of the new asylum at Cheadle, is a candi-date for the office of Resident Superintendent of the WakefieldAsylum, vacant by the resignation of Dr. Corsellis.CAUTION TO DRUGGISTS PRACTISING :MEDICINE,-

Mr. George Richard Arnold, residing at 44, Brook-street,Ratc!16’, was fined, on the 4th of August, in the County Court,Whitechapel, in the sum of £20, with costs, at the suit of theSociety of Apothecaries, for unlawfully practising medicine.MEDICAL BREAKFAST.-On Tuesday morning, the

medical strangers of the British Association, by special invita-tion of the resident medical gentlemen of Hull, sat down to amost elegant and sumptuous breakfast at the London Hotel. Thebreakfast was prepared in Mr. Glover’s best style. Amongst thestrangers present, were-Dr. N. Shaw, Dr. Bell (Grimsby), Dr.Balfour, Dr. Neil Arnott, Dr. Redfern, Dr. Camps, Dr. Latham,Dr. Lankester, Dr. Burgess, Dr. Daubeny, Dr. W. Arnott, Dr.Helmoltz, Dr. Barbridge, J. Hogg, Esq_, J. P. Bell, Esq., R. J.Bell, Esq. The following resident medical gentlemen were alsopresent-Dr. Horner, Dr. Sandwith, Dr. Cooper, Dr. Daly, Dr.Bell, Dr. Archbald, Dr. King, F. Huntingdon, Esq., R. Hardey,J. Dossor, Esq., J. Lowther, Esq., J. H. Gibson, Esq., H.

Munroe, Esq., J. H. Locking, Esq., C. Beckett, Esq., R. Craven,Esq., E. Twining, Esq., R. L. Sleight, Esq., W. Hay, Esq., E.i Reckitt, Esq., H. Lee, Esq., W. Hodgson, Esq., T. Atkinson, Esq.,

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T. T. Lambert, Esq., J. Wilson, Esq. Dr. Horner occupied thechair, and H. Munroe, Esq., the vice-chair. The president, Dr.Horner, spoke in eulogistic terms of the high honour which themedical men of Hull felt in having the privilege of entertainingthe medical members of the British Association at a repast likethe present. He was, also, proud to speak of the good feeling andunanimity of sentiment which pervaded the medical proffessionhere; and particularly adverted to the caue of that existingfriendship to be derived from the social and friendly character oftheir meetings. It was with pleasure that he saw so large anumber of his medical colleagues present, all anxious to do honourto so learned a body as the British Association. Dr. Neil Ar-nott, F.R.S., referred with pleasure to the unanimity of feelingamongst the members of the medical profession generally; a fea-ture not so universally seen in any other profession in the country.A French medical man who had lately visited him (Dr. Arnott),seemed surprised at the attractive character of the meetings ofmedical men in London; such meetings in France being the re-verse. He was pleased to find that in Hull the medical men wereremarkable for the friendly character of their scientific and philo-sophical meetings; in fact, he had found them a really happyfamily," and should be glad, when the British Association heldits meetings in London, to offer some small return for the kind-ness received. The president then proposed " The British As-sociation." Dr. Latham, F.R.S., remarked that was the firsttime in his lite that he had been called upon to answer for theBritish Association. Hitherto he had always been a hearer, acritic of the sentiments expressed, which he thought, were some-times fulsome, and abounded too much in civilities; but now hereally found himself labouring under similar difficulties. Hethen spoke of the high character and posnion which the medicalmen held in the British Association, owing, in a great measure,to the bona fide character of their education. He also advertedto the peripatetic habits of the association, as calculated to en-courage a social feeling amongst the members of the profession.such as they witnessed on the present occasion. Dr. Sandwich

proposed " The medical visitors," and remarked that the localpapers read before the British Association were of a praiseworthycharacter, and, he had no doubt, would be found peculiarlyinteresting to those who were strangers. He was pleased to noticethe active part which the medical men of Hull had taken in allthe proceedings of the association. He thought that M. Munroehad had his attention first drawn to the subject of his paper onthe whale fisheries, from the remark which the Earl of’ Carlislemade in his speech at the laying of the foundation-stone of thelibrary, that " that the people ot Hall had souls above blubber."There could be no doubt but that the British Association was themeans of bringing into existence the many creditable local papersread, and that the association was partieularty adapted, by itsintelligence and its genius, to stimulate the British empire, andto evoke a spirit of emulation in science and philosophy, as wellas that of commerce. He also spoke to the great interest andedification received by the members of the profession here, forthe elaborate scientific papers read by the different learned pro-fessors attending the meeting. After some further remarks, thedoctor called upon Dr. Lankester. Dr. Lankester, F.R,S., saidthat he had been a constant attendant of the British Association

meetings for the last sixteen years, and, therefore, had someclaim for his services. Although no purely medical section ex-isted in the association, the sections of natural history, physio-logy, aid ethnology were those in which medical men couldtake interest, and contribute to their proceedings. Dr. L. then,in a most eloquent manner, spoke in favour of the objects of theassociation, aud more particularly adverted to the kindly andfriendiy manner in which the members of the association hadbeen received in Hull. Dr. Walker Arnott, F.R.S., spoke ineulogistic terms of the reception of the members of the BritishAssociation, and, after an interesting speech, proposed the °‘ Re-sident medical men." II. Munroe, Esq., in reply, spoke of thegreat pleasure and unanimous feeling the profession had in in-viting the members of the association to breakfast; and alsoresolved the cause of the social character of the medical men inHull.

APPOINTMENTS.—On Sept. 13th, Mr. T. Sympsonwas elected one of the Surgeons to the Lincoln General Dispen-sary.- Mr. R. Hibbert Taylor has been appointed HonorarySurgeon, and Mr. Birkbeck 1S evins has been elected Assistant-Surgeon, to the Eye and Ear Infirmary, Liverpool.THE LATE EXTRAORDINARY HEAT IN PARIS.-The

researches of modern astronomers prove beyond question thatthe extraordinary heat was owing to the passage near theearth of numerous planetary corpuscles circulating round thesun, and some of which take fire by their contact with our

atmosphere, or from other causes which it would occupy toomuch time to explain. These bodies move at considerablevelocity, from 25,000 to 30,000 metres in a second. Theirorbits are elliptical round the sun, but the action of the earthfrequently deranges them, and sometimes causes them to fall.They now pass a little beyond the terrestrial orbit, and reflecttowards us a portion of the solar heat, the intensity of whichthey constantly increase, In February next these same

bodies will pass between the sun and the earth, and will thenweaken the heat of the sun’s rays instead of sending themtowards us as they now do.HEALTH OF LONDON DURING THE WEEK ENDING

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER. 17.-The mortality in London from allcauses for the week ending September 17, was 949 ; in the for-mer week 1015 deaths were registered. In the ten correspond-ing weeks of the years 1843-52 the average number was 1053,which, with a correction for increase of population, becomes1158. The deaths returned for last week are, therefore, 209 lessthan the corrected average, and 66 less than those recorded inthe previous week. Cholera was fatal to 16 persons, 9 malesand 7 females, showing an increase of 9 fatal cases comparedwith the preceding week. Twelve deaths from cholera occurredon the north and 4 on the south side of the Thames, 9 in childrenunder 15 years of age, 6 in adults of 15 and under 60, and oneat the age of 71 years. The number of’ deaths by cholera incorresponding weeks of the ten previous years was 11, 3, 1, 2, 6,7, 839, 2, 7, 8, and from the week ending July 9th in the presentyear, 3, 6, 9, 4, 19, 10,18, 16, 7, and 16 fatal cases were registered.Four of the 16 deaths are described as " Asiatic." varying in theduration of the attack from 7 to 48 hours. The deaths fromdiarrhoea were 131, being a decrease of 53 on the previous re-turn, and 14 below the corrected average of the correspondingweeks of the past 10 years.

Last week the births of 816 boys and 690 girls, in all 1506children, were registered in London. In the eight correspondingweeks of the years 1845-52 the average number was 1310.At the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, the mean height of the

barometer in the week was 29’887 in. The mean temperature ofthe week was 57.6°, which is slightly above the average of thesame week in in 38 years. The highest temperature of theweek was 73.0°, and occurred on Saturday; the lowest was 40.5°, and occurred on Wednesday. The direction of the wind wasvariabte, at the average rate of 51 miles a day. The electriccondition of the atmosphere was positIve on every day of’ theweek except Monday.

OBITUARY.-Staff Assistant-Surgeon King, at Pres-cott, Canada West, late of the 42nd Highlanders.—THOMASJORDAN, of the Apothecaries’ Hall, Liverpool.-JOHN GOVERPOWELL, Surgeon, at Frogmore-street, Bristol, where he success-fully practised nearly fifty years. He left his family at supperbetween nine and ten, to attend a sick call, and had not gonemany steps from his house when he fell to the ground a litelesscorpse. - At Trinidad, of yellow fever, Dr. CLELLAND, late69th Regiment.

TO CORRESPONDENTS.The Ghost ofl-Iti?2ter is tormented with needless alarm. Not even that

illustrious name can again lend vitality to what is gone. Requiescat in

pace.THE TREATMENT OF PITYRIASIS CAPITIS.

TO the Editor of THE LANCET.SIR,-I would suggest to your correspondent, " C. M.," the following

mode of treatment in pityriasis capitis :-R. Sodae biborat, 3ss.

Camphorae, gu.Aquse ferventis, 3xxxii.

Fiat lotio.A little of the solution (of course cold) should be strained as required for

use. Let the scalp be carefully wiped between the partings of the hair witha piece of soft nannel saturated with the fluid. It is advisable occasionallyto rub it in gently, especially in those parts here the dandr.ff is mostvisible. The operation should be repeated twice a week. I have found thisplan of treatment of great service in this troublesome disorder, and I trustit may prove equaily efficacious In the hands ot your correspondent.

I am. Sir, your obedient servant,Maldon, Sept. 1853. Gxo. PARKEn MAY, M.D.