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myself as to the results which have been obtained therewith Koch’s fluid. The chief physician, Professor Kast,received me with the greatest amiability, and gave me thefollowing information:—In surgical tuberculosis improve-ments, consisting in retrogression of inilammatory pheno-mena and improvement in functional capacity, have un-doubtedly been obtained in the six weeks or so duringwhich the treatment has lasted. No complete cure,however, has yet been effected. Professor Kast hastreated consumptive patients in all stages. In thecases in which the disease was just beginning retrogressionof the local phenomena took place, the genera,l conditionimproved, appetite and weight increased ; but the improve-ments were not much greater than those obtained by themethods hitherto in use. In the advanced cases a favour-able influence of Koch’s medicament was not observed.With reference to the therapeutic value of the remedy inpulmonary consumption, Professor Kast agrees on thewhole with the opinions hitherto stated by physicians ingreat hospitals. Professor Kast also expressed his dis-

pleasure at the manner in which the treatment ofpatients is being carried on here in Berlin by the fewprivileged doctors who are in poesession of the fluid.The indignation which this preference shown to in-dividuals, and the fact that the remedy has not beenplaced at the disposal of practitioners, have excited, is spread-ing further and farther in Clermany. Numerous letters fromall manner of places to the daily papers give evidence of this.The Medical Society in Breslau has accepted a resolutionprotesting against the manner in which the fluid is dis-tributed as deeply injurious to the honour and prestige ofthe medical profession, and this protest has been sent to theMinister of Religious, Educational, and Medical Affairs, toProfessor Koch, and to the Silesian Chamber of Physicians.The district unions of medical men in Berlin also, whichhave madeittheirtask to defend and promote the professionalinterests of physicians and surgeons, are now beginning totake an attitude in the matter, and it is to be hoped that theyalso will call upon the Chamber of Physicians, the officiallyrecognised body representing the medical profession, toprotect their rights and their prestige. Professor Koch him-self is said not to be in the best of moods, because probablythe course the whole affair is taking does not answer his ex-pectations. Be that as it may, he goes daily to see hispatients in the hospital in Moabit which has been placed athis disposal. The building of the hospital to be erected forhim at the expense of the Prussian nation is being pressedforward with great zeal, despite the very severe cold, sothat it may be expected to be opened in spring. Dr. Cornetis about to open a hospital of 150 beds, which has beenerected expressely for this purpose at Charlottenburg nearBerlin, and will then assemble his patients, who have beenscattered about hitherto in various parts of the city, there.

Professor Wieger.The Emeritus Professor of Medicine, Dr. Friedrich

Wieger, who died the other day, was one of the oldestteachers in the University of Strasburg. He was born in1821, and studied there. In 1850 he was appointed ngrégéof the Medical Faculty, and in 1865 Professor of InternalPathology, an office which he retained when the Universitywas reorganised in 1872. His most important work is the"History of Medicine and of the Medical School of

Strasburg from 1497 till 1872."Dr. Karl Seitz.

Dr. Karl Seitz, of Munich, has been appointed head ofthe University-clinic there for the diseases of children, in

place of the late Professor Alfred Vogel. Dr. Seitz has

been a private lecturer since 1886. The most interesting ofhis contributions to clinical medicine is his account of therelations between inflammation of the lungs and themeteorological conditions of Munich. Of late he hadoccupied himself chiefly with bacteriological studies, withspecial reference to typhus. He is in his thirty-third year.

German Death-rates.In the week which ended on the 6th ult. the death-rates

of the principal German cities were as follows : Aix-la-Chapelle, 16’8; Altona, 21’3; Barmen, 17’1; Berlin, 19;Bremen, 15’5; Breslau, 26; Chemnitz, 26’6; Cologne, 24-1;Dantzic, 25 ; Dresden, 20-5; Dusseldorf 26’9 ; Elber-feld, 24-8; Frankfort, 17’4; Hamburg, with its suburbe, 23’9;Hanover, 14’4; Koenigsberg, 24’6; Krefeld, 20’3; Leipsic,18’5; Munich, 29’8; Nuernberg, 23; Stettin, 27-3; Stras-burg. 21-4; and Stuttgart, 16.3

Berlin, Dec. 30th.

VIENNA.

(FHOM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

Iioclz’s Treatment of Tuberculosis.LAST week the sanitary chiefs of the Austrian Army were

called to Vienna, where a series of demonstrations andlectures on the use of Koch’s remedy were given to themat the General Hospital and at the Garrison Hospital.The use of the remedy in private practice has been now-more restricted by a recent order of the Austrian Govern-ment, by which the practitioners are ordered to notifyevery case of death occurring during the stage of reaction,or which may be caused by the reaction, and to submitall such cases to a post-mortem examination. The prac"titioners are also made responsible for any fatal eventresulting from the use of Koch’s treatment by neglect ofthe necessary attention to the symptoms. Only the use oflymph supplied by Dr. Libbertz of Berlin is permitted, andthe attention of the physicians is called to the prescription.supplied by Dr. Libbertz with every bottle. For preparingthe solutions the use of 0.5 per cent. of the aqua car-bolisata of the Austrian Pharmacopoeia is recommended.The results obtained up to the present by Koch’s treat-

ment at the General Hospital are very various, especially in’regard to the cases of pulmonary affections. In some casesof surgical tuberculosis a well-marked improvement couldbe stated, and the cases of lupus seem to become better asfar as the local affection is considered; but some of thepatients have lost as much as from three to six pounds inweight at Kaposi’s clinic. Some of the smaller hospitals inthe country, and the garrison hospital here, have been sup-plied with the lymph last week. Two deaths of patients.treated by Koch’s lymph occurred at the Rudolfs-Spitalhere last week, but both were cases of highly advancedpulmonary phthisis which should not have been subjectedto the treatment, and the fatal result was found to be dueto the advanced state of the tuberculous process itself.

Koch’s Treatment in Leprosy.As I am informed, one of the leprous patients, under the

care of Prof. Neumann, mentioned in my last letter to THELANCET, shows signs of slight improvement after the injec-tions. The tuberous nodules have become more flattenedsince the treatment commenced, and slight desquamation is.to be observed at the same places.

Peptonuria after Koch’s Injections.According to a communication made by Proffessor Koehler

at the last meeting of the Vienna Society of Physicians,the toxic effect of Koch’s lymph is marked in some case&by the presence of peptones in the urine of the patientswho have been injected. In 33 out of 200 cases the presenceof peptones could be tested ; also in two cases of non-

tuberculous patients who had been injected for control,peptonuria occurred after the injection, though no reactioncould be observed.Vienna.

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NEW YORK.

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

’ Opening of the New York Academy of Medicine.THE most notable event of the medical year in this city

was the opening of the new building of the Academy ofMedicine. This event occurred on Nov. 20th, when a recep-tion was given to the public, and congratulatory addresseswere made. The Academy was organised nearly half acentury ago by men whose names are now historical-viz., Valentine Mott, John Stearns, John W. Draper, JohnW. Francis, and others of scarcely less note. It has.steadily grown in favour with the profession and thepublic, until it now takes rank with the mosb favouredinstitutions of the city. The new building is located inthe present and, apparently, future centre of greatestactivity, of social, scientific, and philanthropic societiesand clubs, and is in itself one of the most conspicuousarchitectural structures in that vicinity. The building isunique in its exterior form, while its interior arrangementsare adapted for large general meetings, for the meeting ofits ten or more sections, for a pathological museum androoms for pathological studies, and, finally, for its largeand rapidly growing library. The membership is about 700,.

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and the seating capacity of its main room is for 600. Itslibrary consists of 40,000 volumes and 400 current medicalperiodicals.

Supervision of Immigration.The constant arrival of immigrants from European

nationalities who belong to the dependent classes has ledto the preparation of a Bill in Congress which will providefor a careful inspection of every emigrant in foreign portsbefore embarkation is allowed. The Bill provides thatthere shall be a physician attached to each consular ollice,who shall personally inspect the emigrants. The consul isrequired to ascertain the necessary facts in regard to theconditions under which the emigrant leaves his home -whether as a pauper, criminal, or assisted ; and each emi-grant must have the consul’s certificate as to these facts.The steamship companies will be held to rigid account-ability in transporting uncertified immigrants.Assassination of a Medical Officer of an Insane Asylum.An insane man, who had escaped from the King’s County

Insane Asylum, returned after a few days and, with pistolspointed at the head of the superintendent, demanded hisclothes. They were given to him, and he was allowed todepart, meantime threatening the life of persons whom heconnected with his confinement. No effort was made toarrest him, and several days later he returned, fully armed,and, entering the office, inquired of the assistant physicianfor the superintendent. On being informed that he wasout, the assassin shot the physician, killing him instantly.He then deliberately walked away, everyone presenthaving fled, but was subsequently arrested. This occurrencehas led the Commission in Lunacy to issue timely instruc-tions in regard to the care of dangerous insane patients.

Koch’s Discovery.A veritable craze exists over Koch’s discovery. Hundreds

of young men have gone to Berlin from every part of thecountry, and elaborate preparations are being made for theimmediate application of the remedy. The oilers ofwealthy men to build hospitals for the cure of tuberculosisis astonishing, and, if the remedy continues popular after itstrial, there will be an immense increase of hospital accom-modation.

Compound Lard.Congress has lately been much engaged in discussing

what is popularly known as the " Compound Lard Bill."The object of the measure is to regulate the manufacture,sale, importation, and exportation of compound lard. Thisarticle has been sold in market as pure lard, and has thuscome in competition with the pure lard made from swine.The Bill undertakes to define and regulate the manufactureand sale of compound lard, under the pretence that, as afood product, it is a fraud, made so by false brands and soldfor what it is not. The discussion has elicited manyopinions from scientific men as to the value of this materialas a cheap food. Compound lard is composed of beef stearine,cotton-seed oil, and hog fat. The contention was chiefly inregard to cotton-seed oil as a food. Many scientific mentestified before the committee, and the general opinion wasfavourable to the compound lard. The analyst to theDepartment of Agriculture, who analysed many specimens,stated that the preparations were nutritious, and that thecotton-seed oil was as digestible as lard. Several Stateanalysts regarded the compound as a proper food to be soldin the market, and that the cotton-seed oil was as digestibleand nutritious as olive oil. It appears from one report thatcotton-seed oil within the past ten years has almost entirelytaken the place of olive oil in our markets, and, though stillsold as olive oil, chemical and microscopical examinationsshow it to be pure cotton-seed oil. It is a well-known factthat immense quantities of cotton-seed oil are sent to Italyonly to come back as olive oil.New York, Dec. 1st.

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Obituary.MR. HENRY CRIBB, L.R.C.P. LOND., M.R.C.S.,

OF BISHOP STORTFORD.

THE natural gloom of recent winter days at BishopStortford has been much deepened by the untimely death ofMr. Henry Cribb, whose genial nature and presence wereso familiar in the place. Few deaths appeal more power-

fully to the community of a country town than thatof a favourite medical man, in the prime of life, froman acute disease, which removes him almost before his

neighbours and patients realise that lie is ill. Such wasMr. Cribb’s case, at the age of fifty, dying from typhoid

fever, the source of which could not be made out.Mr. Cribb was the second son and youngest child of thelate John Jennings Cribb, formerly practising at Cam bridge.Having to retire early from practice, owing to failure ofhealth, with slender means, his family were mainly supportedby his brother, Henry Cribb, surgeon of Bishop Stortford,who immediately adopted his namesake and nephew"Harry." The deceased was mainly educated at the Non-conformist School at Bishop Stortford. On leaving schoolhe was sent for twelve months to Germany, to acquire thelanguage, being then intended for a commercial life, and onhis return was articled to a firm of stockbrokers. On theexpiration of his articles he failed to find such employmentas he wished for, and his uncle, having no one to succeed tohis practice, suggested to his nephew that lie should study forthe medical profession. He entered as a pupil at MiddlesexHospital, and on becoming qualified was taken into partner.ship by his uncle and his partner Mr. Hodson in 1866. Hisuncle survived only a few months, from which time up tohis death the practice was carried on by Mr. Hodsonand himself. Being of a very happy, genial dispositionfrom his early boyhood, he became a general favourite,and formed many friendships which continued to the last.He took a prominent part in the public business of thetown, and by his thorough truthfulness, honesty, and in-tegrity of purpose became, to use the words of some of hisfriends, "the most popular and best beloved man in theplace." His kindness and perfect straightforwardness in hisdealings with his professional brethren secured for him theirregard and unhesitating trust. The esteem in which hewas held by all classes was strikingly manifested on theday of his funeral by the entire suspension of busi-ness and closure of every house, and by the attendance atthe cemetery of several hundreds of rich and poor, who cameto do him honour in spite of the inclemency of the weather.He was an ardent supporter of the Essex and Herts MedicalBenevolent Fund, of which his uncle was one of the earliestand staunchest supporters. Mr. Cribb was the brother ofDr. Cribb of Highbury, and leaves, besides a wife, sixchildren to mourn for him. Sorrow for his death extendedto the neighbouring towns, especially Cambridge, by theconsultants of which the late Mr. Cribb and his partnerwere highly esteemed.

Medical News.SOCIETY OF APOTHECARIES OF LONDON. -The

following, having passed the qualifying Examination inMedicine, Surgery, and Midwifery, were granted thediploma of the Society, entitling them to register and topractise in the same :-

C. K. Baxter. J Lupton..J. M. Bunnett. C. A. Morgan.E. Boardman. B. Nauth.F. 11. B. Brown. B. S. Norris.R. B. Eccles. AV. E. 1’as,more.W. A. Kden. F. C. Rogers.A. A. Grosvenor. J. T. West.C. P. Lovell. C. S. Woodd.

In the Examination in Arts last month there were 190candidates, of whom 16 received certificates, having passedin all the subjects required for registration as medicalstudent. 109 passed in one or more ot the subjects.Surgei-y.-C. A. Beclc, Bonn University and WiRdlesev Hospital ; J. M.Bennett, Liverpool University College and Shetfield; E. Board-man, Madras University and Royal Free Hospital: F. H. B. Brown,B.A.Oxon., Oxford and Guy’s Hospital; .1. II. Dempster, King’sCollege; R. B. Eccles atncl A. Graydon, St. Thomas’s Hospital;A. A. Grosvenor, B.A.Cantab., Cambridge and Guy’s Hospital; S.Melville, University College, Liverpool ; W. L. G. Morgan, St.Thomas’s Hospital ; J. S. Newington, Edinburgh University; B. S.Norris, Queen’s College, Birmingham; W. E. Passmore, West-minster Hospital ; II. de V. Stacpool, St. Mary’s Hospital; J. T.West, Queen’s College, Birmingham ; C. S. Woodd, St. Bartholo-mew’s Hospital.

Medicine, Forensic Medicine, and blidwifery.-C. E. Baxter, Sheffieldand Charing-cross Hospital; F. H. B. Brown, B.A., Oxon., Oxfordand Guy’s Hospital ; W. A. Eden, King’s College ; M. J. Houghton,Queen’s College, Birmingham ; C. P. Lovell, B.A. Oxon., Oxford andSt. Thomas’s Hospital; J. Lupton, Owens College, Manchester ;