691

hygiene, which was vacant by the death of Professor t

Proust, was canvassed for by the agrégés who were t

specialists in hygiene. M. Chantemesse, by taking this 1chair in exchange for that which he already filled, ruined atheir expectations, for he is one of the youngest of the a

professors and may be reasonably expected to hold his post 1for 20 or 25 years. M. Chantemesse’s apparent object in ask- Iing to be allowed to exchange was a wish to obtain the post 1of inspector general of the sanitary service which Professor Professor

Proust held together with his chair of hygiene. As a matter iof fact he has obtained the post, for it is almost invariablyan appanage of the chair of hygiene and the holder of thetwo posts enjoys a magnificent salary. This fact aggravates Ithe despair of the disappointed ccgreges and it is strongly i

suspected that they have egged on the students to provoke Ithe disturbances. The protests, however, have been of noavail, for they deal with two accomplished facts-one due toa law passed by the Senate and the other to an exchangebrought about in a perfectly orthodox manner by M.Chantemesse after formal authorisation by the council of thefaculty which was ratified by the council of the University,although not unanimously, it is true. The Dean, M. Lebove,has refused to punish the rioters, declaring that the matteris one which concerns the internal affairs of the universityand that he does not wish to call in the police. Nevertheless,something will have to be done, for several courses oflectures, notably those delivered by M. Blanchard and M.Poirrier, have been suspended and such a situation willcompel the dean to interfere.

French Ambulanoes for the Russo-Japanese War.The central council of the Society for the Relief of the

Wounded in War has just held a meeting in Paris under thepresidency of the Marquis de Vogue. The council hasratified the decision of its finance committee to allot a creditof 250,000 francs for the installation of four field hospitalsto be sent to the Far East. Two of these hospitals willaccompany the Russian army and the other two will gowith the Japanese. Each hospital will be made up of 100beds, 22 cases containing drugs, instruments, and dressings,and six bales containing various articles of bedding. Thestaff of the hospitals to accompany the Russian forces willinclude a number of medical officers, hospital orderlies andnurses, and a finance officer (comptable-économe) who will beresponsible for expenditure and the like. At its next

meeting the council of the society will proceed to decide uponthe details of the expedition. It is hoped that at this meet-ing the answers of the Russian and Japanese Governmentswill be received. These two Governments have been officiallyadvised of the intentions of the society and their favourableresponse to the scheme is necessary before the hospitals canbe dispatched.March lst.

_________________

NEW YORK.

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

tlInternational Agreement on Measures for the Prevention of w

the Spread of Yellow Fever. THE United States and the Mexican public health w

authorities have, for the first time, come to a mutual t<

agreement as to the measures which each will adopt andenforce to prevent the spread of yellow fever. This con-vention will undoubtedly prove of the utmost importance toboth countries in the prevention of the pestilence which h

annually appears in the seaports near the border lines of the c

two nationalities. The first requirement is the prompt greport of all cases of suspicious fever to the local health authorities where they occur, the immediate screening of v athe patient, and the destruction of mosquitoes on the o

premises, pending the making of the diagnosis. The c

occurrence of the first authentic cases of yellow fever in deither republic will be immediately reported by wire to the c

other republic. Secondly, vigorous methods of post-epidemic r

fumigation with sulphur will be inaugurated without t

delay in both republics in places where infection has texisted during the latter part of the past year. Thirdly, s

there will be efficient sanitary measures in towns and places which have been infected with yellow fever aduring the past year as follows: burning of brush ; t

drainage of all stagnant water ; oiling of all stagnant water E

the drainage of which is impracticable; all water containers

to be treated at least once, and oftener if necessary, with athin film of refined oil deposited upon their surfaces and tobe screened tightly and to be covered constantly to preventaccess of mosquitoes, a penalty to be imposed for theabsence of the said screens and covers. The convention alsoprovided that the agents of the Superior Board of Health ofMexico will be received in any town or place in the UnitedStates where yellow fever has prevailed to note the enforce-ment of the above provisions and to invite the attention of

sanitary authorities to any lapse in the same. In likemanner officers of the United States Public Health andMarine Hospital Service, detailed for duty in the offices ofthe United States Consulates in any Mexican city, will begranted every facility for observation as to the enforcementof the same measures in the cities and towns of Mexico thathave been infected with yellow fever.

The Tuberculosis Exposition at Baltimore.This exposition proved to be one of the most important

movements yet made to enlighten the public in regard to thenature and prevention of tuberculosis. The formal openingtook place on Jan. 25th and was largely attended by thepublic. Addresses were given by the Governor of the State,the Mayor of the city of Baltimore, and Professor W. Osler ofJohns Hopkins University. On the following days addresseswere made by men prominently identified with the move-ment to suppress tuberculosis and large numbers of peoplewere attracted to the exposition. The exhibit consisted ofa variety of objects which illustrated the nature of tubercn-losis, its prevalence, and the measures employed against it.There was a pathological department containing specimens oftuberculous tissues and organs in man and animals, waxcasts, and the like, from the Army Medical Museum andfrom the museums of the University of Maryland, the JohnsHopkins Hospital, the Baltimore College of Physicians andSurgeons, and the city and State health departments. Theexhibit of prophylactic measures employed by State and

, municipal boards of health attracted deserved attention andwere exceedingly instructive to the public. This exhibitincluded a variety of tents for sufferers from tuberculosis,

j spitting-cups, sleeping cots, and so on.

The Dangers of Peotball.The statistics of the fatalities and injuries in the game of

football have been collected by the Journal (;f the AmericanMedical Association and present a surprising record of severecasualties. The number of deaths occurring in this game

-

during the year 1903 was 35 and there were over 500 severeaccidents. Besides these 35 deaths there were 11 cases ofyspinal injuries followed by paralysis, which seem in mostinstances to have proved permanent and consequently were

worse than death. Sprains, contusions, and scalp wounds arenot included in the list, although reports show that many ofthese injuries, which at first were considered trivial, finallyresulted seriously. There were 343 fractures, most of themof the bones of the leg and the forearm. There were 91 casesof fracture of the clavicle, 19 fractures of the femur, andfour fractures of the skull. While it is impossible to estimateaccurately the number of permanent injuries caused bythese accidents it is evident that they could not be very low

’f when it is considered that many of the fractures were

compound and 19 were of the femur. It may be statedh without exaggeration that at least 50 deaths or permanent

total disabilities resulted from the game of football in 1903.

Civil Service Examinations for Medical Clerks.The United States Civil Service Commission is about to

.h hold a series of examinations in different large cities of theie country to fill vacancies in the various departments of the)t general Government. The age limit of applicants is from 25ih to 30 years and only graduates of recognised medical schools

will be examinEd. This examination is open to all citizensie of the United States who comply with the conditions. Theie course of examination will be: (1) letter writing, the candi-in date being allowed to select one of two subjects which areae of popular interest ; (2) penmanship, as regards legibility,ic rapidity, neatness, and general appearance ; (3) copying, aut test of two exercises, the first being an exact copy of theas text given and the second the writing of a rough draft manu-y, script, including correction of all errors ; (4) anatomy andns physiology ; (5) diagnosis ; (6) general and special pathology;er and (7) surgery and surgical pathology. These examina-

tions are a great advance in the qualifications of personser entering the civil service of the country and will tend to the)rs elevation of the character of the service.

692

Tuberciclosis in Prisons.

During the last two or three years the medical pro-fession has directed attention with striking results tothe importance of protecting prisoners from the conta-

gion of tuberculosis. The report of the physician of oneof the first to take action-viz., the prison of the Stateof Minnesota-states that the segregation of prisoners suffer-ing from tuberculosis was begun in 1894. A set of cells wasdevoted especially to inmates who proved on careful exa-

mination and proper tests to be affected with tuberculosis.These cells also received scrupulous sanitary care as to

ventilation, cleansing, and disinfection. The prisonersoccupying these cells were kept much in the open air atwork. The result has been remarkable ; in three years thenumber of tuberculous inmates had been reduced by 52 percent. At present there are 630 inmates with but six tuber-culous cases and these came in with the disease but are allimproving. Many other States are segregating the tuber-culous inmates in properly prepared quarters.

Feb. 19th. , -

Medical News.UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE.-On Feb. 25th the

following medical and surgical degrees were conferred :&mdash;

Doctor of Medicine -R. N. Salaman, Trinity Hall.Bachelor of Medicine.&mdash;G. E. St.C. Stockwell, King’s; F. A.Hepworth, St. John’s; H. J. Robinson, St. John’s; G. P. D.Hawker, Gonville and Caius; P. K. Muspratt, Christ’s; and S. J.Steward. Downing.

Bachelor of Sitrqery.-F. A. Hepworth. St. John’s ; H. J. Robinson,St. John’s; W. B. Swete-Evans, Clare; and W. Hyde Hills,Pembroke.

The Medical College, Lahore, has been recognised as a

medical school and the City Hospital for Infectious Diseases,Newcastle-on-Tyne, as a fever hospital by the special boardfor medicine.

SUBSIDENCES OF LAND AT BARDSLEY.-Somelittle time ago the dangers arising from old disused pitshafts were brought prominently into notice by the tragedyat Hanley, where a man was swallowed up when walkingalong the open street ; and recently a family at Bardsley,near Manchester, had a somewhat similar though happilya less tragical experience. A gentleman built a housethere not knowing that it was on the brink of a disused

colliery shaft ; hearing a rumbling sound one night he got upand, with his son, went into the back yard. Fortunatelythey did not open the gate leading to the garden, for afootpath and part of the garden had disappeared, leavinga great chasm into which they would have stepped. Thewhole family sat up through the night fearing that the housewould go. Next day they quitted it. The hole is increasing in size and the surroundings of the shaft are giving way. The covering of the shaft seems to have been about six feetof clay and soil. The people about are naturally anxious, forthey fear there may be many such death-traps, as within thememory of people living several pits have ceased workingwithin the last 50 years. It is said that the pit shaftsin the neighbourhood are very deep and that prob-ably the depth of the one that has collapsed is. be-tween 500 and 600 yards. Very possibly the greatamount of rain during the last year or two may have had ashare in causing these subsidences, but however that may beit must be a horrible idea that you may suddenly go downinto the pit. Surely there is sufficient cause for a verycareful inquiry as to the exact position of these disused pitsnot only in this but in all mining districts.THE MIDDLESEX HOSPITAL.-The annual court

of governors, at which the Earl of Lathom presided, wasrecently held at the hospital. The court had before ittwo separate reports, the one dealing with the work of thehospital and its convalescent home branch at Clacton-on-Sea, and the other with that of the Cancer Charity. Fromthe former is gleaned the fact that all the various buildingimprovements which have been in course of construction

during the last five years are now complete and the hospitalmay be said to be equipped with every known appliance forthe treatment of its patients. These various alterations

during the last decade have comprised inter alia the enlarge-ment of some of the wards for females, the building andequipment of a separate department (with a special operat-ing theatre) for the treatment of diseases of women, theerection of a new home for the nursing staff, the removal of

the hospital kitchens Irom the basement to the top floor, theremoval of the laundry from the hospital to a site in thecountry, the installation of a new boiler-house, and theerection of a cold storage plant and disinfecting apparatus.The cost of all these alterations has been considerable, sothat the hospital now finds itself, after having realised aconsiderable amount of its capital, still in debt to thebankers to the extent of .620,000. With the object of

repaying this debt a festival dinner is to be held in Maynext. With regard to the work of last year the statisticsshow that 4095 in-patients and 48,744 out-patients, as wellas 272 patients who attended for the "light" cure, weretreated at the hospital, and 979 patients were sent tothe hospital’s home at Clacton-on-Sea. The second reportsubmitted-that of the Cancer Charity-is the first of itskind and after dealing with the financial affairs of thecharity gives the statistics of the patients treated. Itmentions the fact that the charity is now regarded as aseparate institution by both the Hospital Sunday andSaturday Funds, which make awards accordingly. Dealingwith the treatment of the patients, mention is made that100 cases of carcinoma were treated with 3040 applicationsof the x rays with distinctly encouraging results ; that in thelaboratories much time had been devoted to the testing ofalleged 1; cancer cures" ; and that no so called care submittedhad been neglected but all had as yet proved fruitless. Thedirector of the laboratories, Dr. W. S. Lazarus-Barlow, hasbeen appointed a member of the German Cancer Investiga-tion Committee, so that the two bodies are able to worktogetherTHE CENTRAL MIDWIVES BOARD.-At a meeting

of the Central Midwives Board held at the office in Suffolk-street, London, S.W., on Feb. 25th a communication was readfrom the Royal Academy of Medicine in Ireland pointing outthat the pupil midwives of the Irish Chartered MaternityHospitals could not personally deliver 20 women as requiredby the rules of the Board. A resolution was inclosed statingthat the Obstetrical Section of the Royal Academy of Medi-cine in Ireland was of opinion that any woman holdingthe certificate of the Irish Chartered Maternity Hospitalsshould be deemed to have complied with the rules ofthe Central Midwives Board regulating the course of

training of pupil midwives. The Central Midwives Boardreplied to this communication, as it had replied pre-viously to similar communications from the Master ofthe Rotunda Hospital and to Professor J. W. Byers ofBelfast, that the Board cannot alter the rules now

that they have been approved by the Privy Council. Afterconsideration of applications for certificates the names of917 women were passed under Section 2 of the Act andordered for entry on the Roll. Of this total one claimed asholding the certificate of the Royal College of Physicians ofIreland, 291 that of the Obstetrical Society of London, ninethat of the Rotunda Hospital, four that of the CoombeHospital, 14 that of Queen Charlotte’s Hospital, nine that ofthe Liverpool Lying-in Hospital, two that of the British

Lying-in Hospital, three that of the Glasgow MaternityHospital, 11 that of St. Mary’s Hospital (Manchester), threethat of the City of London Hospital, one that of the Salva-tion Army Hospital, and 569 were admitted as having beenin bon&acirc;. fide practice for one year prior to July 3 Lst, 1902.The question of the payment of a registered medical prac-titicner sent for on the advice of a midwife in compliancewith Section E, Rule 17, of the rules of the Board was con-sidered. After discussion it was resolved unanimously :-That inasmuch as no provision is made in the Midwives Act, 1902,

for the payment of legally qualified medical practitioners, the Govern-ment be requested to take the necessary steps for amending the Actby introducing a section or otherwise to provide for the payment oflegally qualified medical practitioners when called in by. midwives indifficult cases.

LITERARY INTELLIGENCE.-The following newbooks and new editions are to be published in the spring byMessrs. J. and A. Churchill : "The Examination of Waterand Water-supplies," by Dr. J. C. Thresh, lecturer on PublicHealth at the London Hospital Medical College. The work willbe freely illustrated. "A Handbook of Surgical Diagnosis,"by Mr. James Berry, surgeon to the Royal Free Hospital. Anillustrated work entitled The Elements of Chemistry, by Mr.M. M. Pattison Muir, Fellow and Prm’ector of Chemistry atGonville and Caius College, Cambridge. 11 Unconsciousrherapeutics, or the Personality of the Physician " by Dr.A. T. Schofield. The sixth edition of "Clinical Lectures ongental Diseases," by Dr. T. S. Clouston, physician super-ntendent of the Royal Asylum, Edinburgh. In addition to