1418

season the green vouchers were in force, but themajority of visitors were so worried by formalitiesthat they gave the matter up as hopeless and foundit less trouble to pay the usual fees. Daring theforthcoming season it is feared the surgeries willbe filled with insured strangers just when a

little profitable private practice might be obtained.The attending to these strangers must necessitatea separate system of bookkeeping and cause moreclerical work than the probable financial resultwarrants. On the other hand, it is thought thatthe conversion of Southend into a borough with itsown Insurance Committee will improve the situa-tion. A certain hostility was felt by the EssexInsurance Committee against the doctors becausethey had given trouble and had so stoutlyresisted the Act. Now a smaller and purelylocal Southend committee, drawn from peoplewho are personally acquainted with the doctors, ismore likely to be free from any such prejudice.The Commissioners, however, did not view thematter in the same light. They feared there mightnot be money enough forthcoming to pay for theworking expenses of the Local Insurance Com-mittee. It appears they have calculated that unlessthere are about 50,000 insured persons the receiptswill not cover the expenses of an Insurance Com-mittee ; and it has been seen that unless strangersare included there is not half that number ofinsured persons at Southend. However, the diehas been cast, and the best must now be made ofthe situation.

(To be continued.)

MOTORING NOTES.

(FROM A SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.)

Insignificant Tr{fles.DURING my 14 odd years of motoring I have come in

contact occasionally, either personally or in correspondence,with a few unlucky individuals. As far as their automobile

experiences went, they seemed to have had the sorrows ofWerther, while other owners of similar cars have expressedthemselves completely satisfied. Analysis of the cause of

many of these troubles leads to the conclusion that themotorist was more often to blame than the car. Looking atthe car of a satisfied owner revealed frequently, byjinference,the reason of the worries of the dissatisfied motorist. Inone the engine was kept clean, the bearings were alwaysadjusted, nuts subject to vibration were kept tightened,lubricators were charged with grease or oil, water jointswere not allowed to leak, springs were kept greased, shacklebolts were lubricated and tightened, the sparking plugpoints were clean and correctly adjusted, and the ends ofthe valve lifters were separated only by the thicknessof a thin visiting card from the stems they had to lift,while the petrol needle valve was true, and there wasan absence of the clatter noticeable in the slovenly keptengine. Most of these details are in themselves insignificant,and the attention they need would probably not occupy morethan five or ten minutes a day ; but the few minutes savedby ignoring their claim to this slight attention are usuallyfollowed by a day of reckoning, in which hours may be

spent on the roadside and pounds in the repair shop. I Itrust, however, that these suggestions will not be an excusefor the other type of owner : I mean the over-careful,fussy one, who also exists, and who likes to look at the

piston rings once a week, to grind in the valves almost asfrequently, and even to attend to the big ends " at equallyshort intervals. There is, of course, a happy medium.

The Cost of Repairs.Disputes regarding accounts for car repairs are best

obviated by first obtaining an estimate. Generally speaking,the repairer is not in a position to give an estimate withoutfirst dismantling the engine ; but most motor engineers will i

give a price for dismantling and re-erecting, and then, whenthe engine is taken down, the actual requirements can beascertained and demonstrated to the owner, and the priceand need for each specified. It may be enough if valves areground in, new valve springs fitted, and big ends taken up,or bearings may require renewing and timing or other gearsreplacing. These are points for consideration, and can bediscussed when the parts are asunder. In some cases

relining the bearings with white metal will suffice, whilst inother cases it may be advisable to replace them with newones. This depends on the amount of wear and the qualityof the material originally used. On well-constructed and

carefully fitted cars the life of a bearing is longer than onthe cheaper and less carefully built ones. In coming to adecision it is well to remember that though loose parts mayrun, still they cause loss of power, and when once loose theywear rapidly. A little extra trouble spent in the overhaulmay postpone the need of a second one for some con-

siderable time, and moreover may obviate an undesirableroad stop.

The Object of Lubrication.In order to obtain efficiency from an engine and from all

moving parts any undue friction must be overcome. Lubri-cation does this by interposing a film of oil, which keeps thesurfaces of all moving parts from coming into contact witheach other. As these parts move they throw and squeezeout the lubricant. However well the moving parts are

made, when examined under the microscope they are seen tobe rough, and when two rough parts work on one anotherthey grind each other and thus cause wear. The film of oilinterposed prevents this wear. As already remarked, thetendency is to squeeze this film out, therefore to obviatewear the lubricant must be supplied frequently and in smalldoses. Car owners who bear this in mind will obtain themaximum life from their engine and working parts, with aminimum expense in the matter of upkeep. A point also tobear in mind is the quality of the lubricant. Though cheapoils may not always be considered the most satisfactory, ifmade by a good firm they frequently answer as well as

the more expensive ones. It is better to buy the oil in bulk,by which method the price is greatly reduced. If when

ordering the make of engine is mentioned, the manufacturerwill see that a suitable oil is supplied.

A Novelty in Change Speed apparatus.When an internal combustion engine is used for the pro-

pulsion of a vehicle change speed gears are a necessary evil,and a part of the evil has been the quadrant or gate on thedriver’s right, which usually interferes with easy access tothe seats of the car from that side. A recent Americaninnovation is the electric gear change apparatus, in whichthe external actuating levers are replaced by an electricdevice worked from the steering column. In the place ofthe gate or quadrant there are merely some four or five pushbuttons. A solenoid-that is, a hollow magnet surroundedwith insulated wire-is fitted, and when the button is

pushed and the electric circuit i5 completed by depressingthe clutch pedal an electric current circulates through thesolenoid, which then becomes a powerful magnet drawing ina rod, and thereby bringing the gear into mesh. All thedriver has to do when desiring to change speed is to pressthe appropriate button. Nothing then happens, however,until the circuit is completed by taking the clutch out.Then the magnet so formed draws the gear into mesh. Iunderstand that the consumption of electric current is smalland that this method has been found to answer exceedinglywell in America, where it is now largely used. Of course,there is a danger of short circuits, but if this methol is welldesigned and constructed they are not likely to occur.

The Causes oj Oue.-heatzn..Over-heating may be due to one of the following causes :-

(1) Insufficient lift to the exhaust valve ; (2) backwardpressure from a choked or partly choked silencer ; (3) too-rich a mixture ; (4) too late an ignition ; and (5) some blockin the water circulation. A diagnosis is easily arrived at bya process of exclusion. Examine the valve-lifters at work,and note if there is too much clearance between the lifterand the valve stem. The thickness of a thin visiting cardshould be an ample gap. If there is too much clearance thevalves will lift late and the exhaust gases will not be

thoroughly clea1’e(l out by the time the piston descends forthe induction stroke. With the engine accelerated note if

1419

there is an emission of hot gases from the silencer.If the engine is over lubricated this will be visible ;if not, the silencer should be taken down and cleaned.If there is an adjustment on the carburetter so that moreair can be admitted, the experiment may be tried of runningthe engine with an increase in the quantity of air to

ascertain if this effects an improvement. The platinumpoints of the magneto should be examined to see if they areworn, and also if they separate at the right time. A gaugeis given with most magnetos showing the correct distancebetween the platinum points. It is also important that thepoints should be perfectly true with one another, and if theyare worn they should be filed and adjusted. Finally, thewater circulating pump should be examined to see if it is

working and that the pipes are free. It is a good plan atall times to fill the radiator with distilled water. Ordinarywater contains lime-salts, which are apt to deposit, especiallyin the water-jacket, whence the deposit is difficult to remove.

Carbon Deposit and its RemO’l)al.Carbonisation in motor engines is caused by the productl

of combustion and the burning of lubrication oil that ha1worked its way past the piston rings. It occurs in at

engines, although with the careful adjustment of thEcarburetter and the use in correct quantities of tirst-classlubrication oil, an engine with ordinary work should not

deposit carbon under, say, 5000 miles. Carbonisation meansimpaired efficiency, loss of power and speed, and (what maycause trouble) pre-ignition, which latter is the result of thedeposit becoming incandescent from the heat of the explo-;sions, and thus firing the mixture before it is compressed.Until recently the only method was to remove the cylindercovers and I I curette " them. This was a satisfactory, althoughwith modern four cylinders cast en bloc, rather a trouble-some procedure, taking a fairly efficient driver-owner somethree to four hours. It is to these that the I I Cylclean "

process will appeal. Mention of it has previously been madein these notes, but as several inquiries have been receivedas to the efficiency of this process, I visited the chief

depot of the Internal Combustion Engine Cleaning Company,Limited, and personally saw some half a dozen differentengines cleaned. The method is simplicity itself. The

sparking plugs, valve caps, &c., are removed. With theexhaust valves on their seats, a pilot gas jet is applied to thecarbon. Then a stream of oxygen is directed on to it, whichthus completely consumes the carbon and expels it. As soonas sparks cease to fly out the engine will be found to be clean.’The flame is applied all round the combustion head, pistontop, and valve pockets. The process does not in any wayaffect the metal in the cylinders, it is speedy and inexpen-sive, and is undoubtedly efficient. I understand that the

company has 500 licensees in the United Kingdom, which,means practically that there is one to be found in nearlyevery district. One correspondent asks whether he could’oxygen-clean his cylinders himself, and there is no doubtthat with a tube of oxygen and a bit of flexible copper,piping it could be done, but personally I think I should

prefer to have it done with the company’s apparatus and byone of their licensees.

Rattlikq Glass 5’ereens.

The glass in a screen is usually put in its frame with a

- strip of rubber under and around so as to prevent any move-ment. In spite of painting and varnishing the rubber is aptto wear and perish, thus causing an unpleasant rattle. Toremove the glass and reinsert a fresh strip of rubber is rathera difficult proceeding. An efficient substitute is to makesome papier-mache out of brown paper and hot water andthen to push this pulpy mixture between the glass and theframe all the way round, in much the same way as caulkingwas done on the old timber ships. After it has becomethoroughly dry a coat or two of varnish should be applied.

The Legal Status of a Cllal{ffeur.According to a case that came recently before the county

bench at Canterbury a chauffeur is a mechanic and not adomestic or menial servant. This means that he can be dis-missed with a week’s notice instead of a month’s, as is

Tequired for the latter. It is difficult to understand how thisdecision was arrived at, as a chauffeur is engaged about hismaster’s garage and in driving his employer. It is held thata, gardener or huntsman, or practically any employee who hasto be frequently about his master’s person or grounds, is a

menial servant. The conclusion would therefore seem to bethat a chauffeur ought also to be considered a domesticservant, though such was not the case in the opinion of thebench at Canterbury.

The Sn’ift TIVo- Cylinder Cycle Car.I was recently able to have an interesting trial trip on this

1914 7 h.p. car. It has done well in various test runs,especially in the recent general efficiency trial. The seatingarrangements are distinctly good, as one seat is placedbehind the other, so as to give more elbow room, and thusto overcome one of the objections to a vehicle of narrowtrack. The engine is a two-cylinder one, with 75 mm. boreand 110 mm. stroke. The valves are on the near side,

cooling is by thermo-syphon, and ignition by a high tensionmagneto with a variable timing lever close to the driver’s&cu, JLJUlJ.Ud-UiULJ. IN uy ’1VlUy IILJLU CL Ut4111i 4JLI LJUC ctiSUL-

board, to which an auxiliary hand pump is added. Threeforward speeds and a reverse, actuated by a gate change,are provided. The transmission is by a cardan shaftuniversally jointed at each end. The foot brake acts onthe cardan shaft, and a hand brake, which is of an expandingtype, acts on the rear road wheels. Suspension is by semi-elliptical springs fitted to the front and rear of the frame.The control is by a foot accelerator, with a hand throttlealso close to the ignition lever. The car was given a goodtest, both in traffic and over some 50 miles of Kentish roadsand hills. The engine is fairly quiet and the power ample.Petrol consumption is certainly economical-about 35 to40 miles per gallon. Of course, it is not a four-cylinder, andin traffic it is advisable, when coming to a stop, to drop downto the second speed. Changing of gears on two cylindersis often rather tricky, especially changing down, but I foundthat after a little practice the lower gear could be slippedhome silently with simply a slight double-clutch action soas to spin the lay shaft. With a two-seated body, hood,screen, lamps, and horn-in fact, everything needed exceptside curtains-the price is ;&140, and at this it is worth con-

sidering by a doctor who is just starting motoring and needsa light and inexpensive car.

The 9 A.?. -cp’ Adler Carette.I recently had the opportunity of a short test run on one of

these cars, which are put on the market by Messrs. Morganand Co., Limited, of 10, Old Bond-street, and 127, LongAcre, London. The engine is a four-cylinder one, with

"staggered "exhaust valves, and this arrangement permits ofboth large inlet and exhaust valves being fitted on the sameside and operated by one cam shaft. The carburetter is aZenith. Though an opening in the undershield is providedfor the rare instance of a blocked jet, it would be easier,I think, to remove the whole carburetter, which can easilybe done by undoing two nuts and the petrol union. Coolingis by a honeycomb radiator, the water circulating by means ofa centrifugal pump. The fly-wheel has vanes on it, and soacts as a fan. Ignition is by a self-timing high tensionmagneto, which is held in position by a band, and so can berapidly dismounted should occasion necessitate it. Theclutch is of the metal-to-metal cone type. The power is con-

veyed to the gear-box by means of a shaft with a

dog coupling at each end, so that the clutch can

easily be removed without taking down the gear-box. Threeforward speeds and a reverse are provided, all operated by agate change lever. The final transmission is by cardan shaftand bevel drive. The foot brake acts on the main shaft, andthe hand lever brakes on drums fitted on the rear wheels.Lubrication is by rotary pump, an indicator on the dash-board showing that the pump is operating. The control is bya hand throttle on the steering wheel. During the short testthe engine ran very sweetly, and appeared to have an amplereserve of power. The gears were quiet in action and easyto change, and the engine picked up easily in traffic,frequently on the top speed. The cluteh, though the car wasa new one, was by no means fierce, and took up the drivequite gently. With two up the car easily mounted a well-known town steep gradient. A stop was made half way upthe hill, and the car started again quite easily. Of course, thefirst speed was needed. The brakes were tested on thishill, and both sets were found separately to hold the car inboth directions. The springing is satisfactory, and the body,either a tandem or sociable two-seater, is comfortable. Thecar, complete with hood, wind-screen, and lamps, includinghead lights, is sold for 200 guineas. My short run on the

1420

car enabled me to appreciate fully its swift, quiet, andsmooth running which, in my opinion, should commend it tomedical men. The only suggestion I would make is that itwould be an advantage to have a foot accelerator. Probably,too, it would be an advantage if the shaft between theclutch and the gear box were universally jointed at each end. I

Home and Foreign Notes.(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENTS.)

LIVERPOOL.Retire7nent of 3fr. R. W. l6lzcr raJ.

IT is with much regret I announce the retire-ment of Mr. R. W. Murray, the senior surgeon atthe David Lewis Northern Hospital. Universallyregarded as one of the most able and successful

surgeons in the city, he will be greatly missed,especially by his colleagues at the Northern Hos-pital. Mr. Murray has decided to spend someyears in travel abroad and in literary pursuits.For many years he has delighted audiences at the ’Medical Institution by his addresses on surgicalsubjects, and we look forward to hearing him againwhen he comes to give us some account of histravels.

Royal Infil’1nary.The Lord Mayor will attend in state the morning

service in the Royal Infirmary Chapel on Sundaynext, May 17th, and afterwards he will visit thewards. The infirmary will be thrown open for

inspection, and any medical men who are able topay it a visit will be very welcome. The RoyalInfirmary has been particularly unfortunate thisyear in the health of its staff. At one time sixof the honorary staff were away ill, and in fivecases the illnesses were serious, necessitating longperiods of enforced idleness. His colleagues arenow delighted to welcome back Mr. W. ThelwallThomas in excellent health, as full of energy as

ever, and to see him hard at work again at the RoyalInfirmary and the University. They are glad tohave Mr. W. Fingland also back with them, thoughin his case he has felt that a long day of adminis-tering anaesthetics was too arduous, and so has hadhis duties lightened by being appointed consultinganesthetist to the infirmary. The other invalidsare reported to be progressing satisfactorily.May 12th.

____________ ___

BRISTOL AND WESTERN COUNTIES.Bristol Insaenccnce Committee.

AT the May meeting of the Bristol InsuranceCommittee the medical referee’s report showed thatsince last March he had seen 1000 cases, withresults as follow: Fit for work, 40’2 per cent. ;unfit, 33’3 per cent. ; did not attend, 20’9 per cent. ;returned to work, 4’3 per cent.; workmen’s com-pensation, 1’3 per cent. In a letter to the com-mittee the Insurance Commissioners said: " Thepractitioners on the panel are entitled to the wholesum available for the medical treatment andattendance of persons who do not receive theirmedical benefit through institutions or under

special arrangements sanctioned by the committee."The Medical Benefit Subcommittee promise recom-mendations in regard to these unallotted funds atthe next meeting. The total number of insured

persons in the Bristol area now exceeds 132,000.There are 640 tuberculous persons under treatment.An arrangement for the after-care of the tuberculoushas been made with the Civic League.

Anti-Tuberculosis Campaign in Bristol.The new dispensary to which allusion was

made recently in these columns is an adapteddwelling-house. It provides ample waiting andconsulting rooms, a dark room for examination ofthroats, and a small observation ward. There isalso a laboratory. One of the picture houses is atpresent showing a film which represents the variousphases of the campaign against tuberculosis.Bristol now possesses the complete machinery forthe campaign against tuberculosis, with the excep-tion of a farm colony, which has yet to be provided.Dental Needs of the Working Classes in Bristot.The dental surgeons of Bristol are making a,

courageous attempt to meet the tremendous demandthat becomes apparent in every working-classcommunity for dental surgery at low fees. Premiseshave been opened in East Bristol at which a staffof 20 legally qualified dental surgeons will attend inrotation. In this way continuous attendance willbe provided for between 9 and 7 P.M. (2 P.M.

on Saturdays). Every kind of conservative andmechanical treatment will be carried out. A lowscale of fees has been drawn up, and patients willbe able to ascertain in advance the cost of anyservices they require. No person having an incomeof over £160 per annum will be eligible for treat-ment. In certain cases payment by instalments willbe accepted. Books of coupons can be obtained bythose who would like to give them to eligiblepersons, from whom they will be accepted in lieu offees. Anaesthetics will be given by medical men.A trained nurse will always be on the premises.

Health of Torquay.The medical officer of health for Torquay, Dr. T.

Dunlop, in his annual report for 1913, states thatthe death-rate was 13’2 per 1000 and the birth-rate13’6 per 1000. Twenty-one cases of enteric feverwere notified, with 2 deaths. Dr. Dunlop remarksthat apparently little attention had been paid tonotices warning the public of the danger of eatingshell-fish from the neighbouring tidal estuaries, ashardly a season passed without a batch of entericcases which could only be attributed to eating"

cockles." 107 cases of diphtheria were reported,and of these 89 were removed to the isolation hos-

pital. 145 notifications of tuberculosis were re-

ceived, and 43 deaths, including those of 9 visitors,occurred. Fifty-two deaths were due to cancer, anincrease of 7 compared with 1912. Dr. Dunlopdraws attention to the decrease in vaccination.

Royal Mineral Water Hospital, Bath.At the annual meeting of the subscribers to the

Royal Mineral Water Hospital, Bath, held recently,the medical report showed that during the year thenumber of patients admitted amounted to 1346, anincrease compared with 1912. The financial state-ment showed that the income was 5397, and therewas a deficit of .f:271.May 12th.

SCOTLAND.

University of Edinburgh.THE annual statistical report has just been issued

for the academic year 1912-13. It shows that thetotal number of students was 3352. Out of thattotal, 3242 matriculated during the winter session,including 556 women, and 110 in the summer

session, including 9 women; 1319 students matri-culated in the Faculty of Medicine, 6 beingwomen. The number of members of the general