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Notes, Short Comments, and Answersto Correspondents.

SCOTTISH POOR-LAW MEDICAL OFFICERS.

IF our readers will turn to THE LANCET of March 8th, 1902, page 685,they will find an annotation under the above heading giving par-ticulars of the differences between Dr. G. Nicoll, the medical officerof the parish of Clyne, Sutherland, and some of the ratepayers.Since then another meeting of ratepayers has been held at Broraon Feb. 28th in consequence of the Parish Council of Clyne nothaving acted upon the resolution of the ratepayers’ meeting held onFeb. llth demanding the dismissal of Dr. Nicoll. Mr. Andrew Ross,a ratepayer and a member of the county council, was elected chair-

. man. The reply from the clerk of the parish council addressed tothis gentleman and dated Feb. 13th was read. It acknowledgedthe resolution passed on Feb. llth and stated that he hadwritten to the chairman of the parish council (Mr. Sharp) for

instructions. The chairman of the meeting said that he had heardnothing from that gentleman and thus they had met again. Fourmotions were then put to the meeting and carried mem. con. Thefirst resolution was to the effect that the ratepayers’ meeting wasdissatisfied with the parish council in its still retaining the servicesof Dr. Nicoll, and dissatisfied with the chairman, Mr. Spark, for hislack of immediate action. The second resolution appointed a deputa-tion of 12 ratepayers to wait upon the chairman of the council tolearn his proposed action and requesting him to call an early specialmeeting of the council. The third resolution determined that shouldthe parish council not take immediate action the matter be broughtbefore the Local Government Board and the Medical Board. Thefourth embodied the finding of the meeting that the officer should bedismissed instantly with payment of three months’ salary in advance.Several councillors spoke at the meeting and it appeared thatsix months ago a motion was brought forward in the council todismiss Dr. Nicoll; that five voted for it and five against; and thatthe chairman gave his casting vote in favour of keeping him.It is hardly necessary to add that the most prominent speakers at theratepayers’ meeting were some of the five who voted against themotion in council. This seems to have been the primum mobile ofthe matter. The chairman stated that the result of the deputationwould be communicated to the ratepayers at a subsequent meeting.A deputation was then appointed which met the chairman of theparish council on March 3rd. He is reported to have replied that asthe letter accompanying the resolutions was addressed to the councilas a body he declined to take any action.An interesting correspondance has been running in the pages of

the Northern Times on this subject. One of the malcontents statesthat the parochial board of 12 years ago took steps to have amedical officer for its own parish and paid him E47 beyond theregular salary for attending paupers so that it could have a

medical man nearer and at a cheaper rate to attend the other

parishioners. "Lex Terrse," in reply, says he does not believethat the statement is correct; he states that such an arrange-ment is illegal and refers to the thirty-first annual report (1876)of the Board of Supervision whose decision in a similar case

was that it was illegal to expend the funds raised for the relief ofthe poor in order to provide cheaper or more convenient medicalattendance for persons who are not paupers. He refers also to the

second annual report of the Local Government Board (1896). where itis pointed out that the inhabitants of a parish might make sucharrangements as they saw fit to induce a medical man to settle inthe parish, but these conditions could not enter into the contractbetween the parish council and its medical officer.

It seems to us that after being so narrowly defeated at the councilmeeting the minority have raised an agitation amongst the rate-payers starting with the assumption that their medical man is a sortof club doctor to the parish whom they have forced to accept a com-position of a part of his proper fees, and in consequence that he is,like the parochial fireman, always at the beck and call, nolens volens,of any parishioner, especially an obtrusive ratepayer.

GREEK FOUNDLING CHILDREN IN CONSTANTINOPLE.IN THE LANCET of April 6th, 1901, p. 1020, we reviewed a work by Dr.

Spiridion C. Zavitziano of Constantinople, in which that gentlemangave a very favourable account of the methods adopted by the Greekcommunity in Pera for the rescue of foundlings, a system which hasbeen in operation for about 12 years. Two or three months agothe (Ecumenical Patriarch appointed a commission to considerwhether the same system of caring for foundlings could be extendedto the other suburbs of the Turkish capital, and this commissionrecommended the establishment of a maternity hospital with aview to the discouragement of abortion and infanticide. A seriousdifficulty has, however, now arisen because since the report of thecommission has been printed the Turkish Government has issuedan order to the police by which all the foundlings of Constantinople.whether they are of the Christian religion or not, must be sent to thepoor asylum where, up to this date, the results have not been at all

encouraging. For instance, cut of 112 children admitted there onlyeight are now alive, whereas among the foundlings of Pera takencare of by the Greek community the death-rate is only 4 per cent. orless. Among about 80 of these last-mentioned children only two diedduring the month of January and none during the month of February.Under these circumstances it seems to be hardly possible to justifythe new regulation made by the Turkish Government.

FLUORIDES IN MEDICINE.

To the Editors of THE LANCET.

SiRS,-I shall be very much obliged if any of your readers can giveme any information in connexion with the medicinal or other use of

hydrofluoric acid and its compounds, and as to any injurious effectswhich may have resulted from their administration. I find that thereis an increasing tendency to use them as food preservatives. I havenoted references with regard to their use in Martindale and Westcott’sExtra Pharmacopceia, ninth edition.

I am, Sirs, yours faithfully,March 18th, 1902. A. E. P.

MR. RAW KINS REDIVIVUS.

AT the Plymouth County Court on March 12th Mr. William 0. T.

Annesley, L.S.A. Lond., brought an action against Mr. H. C.Lambart, L.R.C.P., L.R.C.S. Edin., for £5, balance of fees for

acting as locum-tenent in April, May, and June, 1900, duringwhich time plaintiff took charge of defendant’s surgery at a

salary of B2 2s. a week. Letters were read in court fromdefendant stating, " The surgery to pay expenses must make atleast B4 per week, so charge them more and put in secondbottles and plasters, ointments and lotions whenever you get thechance." " I saw you had given a six-ounce bottle to a child fiveyears old, and the dose marked on it was one teaspoonful three timesa day. Now you will see we shall never make a fortune at that rate....... Kindly remedy this. Give to a child of that age a one anda-half ounce bottle, charge ls., and order a teaspoonful every two orthree hours, so that they may come back next day." The defencewas that plaintiff did not perform his duties satisfactorily. HisHonour Judge Lush Wilson, K.C., gave judgment for plaintiff forB2 188. lld. and costs.Does anyone, we wonder, ever read nowadays a novel by Albert

Smith called "The Adventures of Mr. Ledbury"? If so, he willremember the scene when Johnson announced that Mrs. Stokeswanted four more draughts and would call for them by-and-by.

" Very good! " replied Mr. Rawkins. " Suppose you make it six.The bread bill will be heavy this week, and I shall want someground bait on Friday. The extra three shillings will cover it.""Bob," shouted Mr. Prodgers ...... " Where are the clean

phials ? "

" There ain’t none," answered Bob. " I hadn’t time to shot ’em."" We can send a mixture instead," said Johnson. " I can wash

out this Reading-Sauce bottle in a minute.""No, no, by no means," returned Rawkins, " don’t put her up to

it. The minute people find that a three-shilling mixture holdsmore than four eighteen-penny phials, they put the skid on thedraughts ; wait for the little bottles."

So does history repeat itself, but it is the kind of history which needsno repetition. Mr. Lambart’s situation was made to wear as

undignified an appearance as possible, but he has his own letters to -

thank for this. It is an unfortunate fact that the medical man can

always obtain thanks and sometimes payment for medicine, whilehis undiluted advice is very generally rewarded by neither. This.attitude of the public, which is tantamount to a demand for aconstant supply of drugs, compels medical men occasionally to ordermedicine so as to ensure their instructions being followed. It mayalso be here and there responsible for a revival of the policy ofMr. Rawkins, but we repudiate utterly any suggestion that suchunworthy tactics are often resorted to by members of our great andphilanthropic profession.

STERILISED DRESSINGS IN PACKETS.

Messrs. Maw, Son, and Thompson have sent us a specimen packet ofsterilised dressings. The specimen submitted to us contains Lister’scyanide wool. It is carefully packed in three papers, the outer beingmerely a covering layer. Within this is a layer of parchment’papercarefully sealed with paraffin wax, and within this again anotherlayer of thin paper. It is stated that the wool and the two inner

coverings are carefully sterilised before putting up, and it is evidentthat the strict observance of all precautions will enable the surgeonto carry with him enough dressing for one case or so in a handy form.

RARE MEDICAL LITERATURE.

Two rare old quasi-medical works were included in the sale of LordMexborough’s library at Sotheby’s auction-rooms, Wellington-street, W.C., recently. The first consisted of eight leaves, printedin a bold Gothic letter, 24 letters to a full page, and believed to havebeen issued by W. de Machlinia, of London, in the year 1483. Thetitle runs, " Here begynneth a litill boke necessarye and behovefulayenst the Pestilence," and the introduction states, " I the Bisshop(Ramicus) of Arusiens in the royame of Denmarke, doctour ofPhisike, will write by the moost experte and famous doctours

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auctorised in Phisike somme thinges of the infirmyte of pestilence which dayly enfecteth and sone suffreth us to departe oute of thislyfe." This was sold for £160, the purchaser being Mr. Quaritch.The other work referred to was of the date 1652, the author beingGeorge Fidge, and the title " The Great Eater of Grayes-Inne, orthe Life of Mr. Marriot the Cormorant, Wherein is set forth all theExploits and Actions by him performed; with many pleasant Storiesof his Travells into Kent and other places. Also a rare PhysicallDispensatory, being the manner how he makes his Cordiall Broaths,Pills, Purgations, ’Julips, and Vomits to keep his Body in temperand free from Surfeits." This realised £11 5s.

A QUESTION OF FEES.To the Editors of THE LANCET.

SIRS.-When attending a club patient with a dangerous aneurysmI at his request called in and conferred with my medical neighbours.Since the decease of the patient I find that the widow expects the clubto pay the consultation fees, also my fee for meeting them in consulta-tion. I have always made a rule of charging club patients a fee whenI meet any medical man in consultation, and I think I am within myrights in so doing. Will you kindly express your view on the matter

- -

I am, Sirs, yours faithfully,March 25th, 1902. CONSTANT READER.

.,

officer as attending at a consultation should be paid by the patientor his representatives and not by the club. The patient or his repre-sentatives should also pay the consultation fees of the medical

gentlemen called in to consider the case with the club medicalofficer.-ED. L.

WANTED-A HOME.

omc

SIRs,-Can any reader kindly recommend a comfortable home, inLondon or suburbs, where a lady, aged 76 years, would be well caredfor ? She is bedridden from right hemiplegia with contractures (noaphasia), and cannot pay more than oE2 a week.

I am. Sirs. vours faithfullv.

Teignmouth, Devon. F. CECIL H. PIGGOTT, M.D. Cantab. ’

A WARNING.

To the Editors of THE LANCET.

SIRS,-A canvasser for a trade directory is calling at the houses ofmedical men at an hour when they are probably out and interviewstheir wives or housekeepers. He represents that the name of the medicalman was in the last edition of his trade directory and asks sometimes28., sometimes 3s., for a re-insertion. His manner is plausible and hegenerally gets the money.-I am, Sirs, yours faithfully,Romford-road, Forest Gate, March 21st, IHUz. STEPHEN SMITH.

COUNTRY HOUSE SEWAGE DISPOSALTo the Editors of THE LANCET.

SIRS,-I should be obliged if any of your readers would tell me thebest way of dealing with the sewage of a country house having aboutone acre of ground. At present the sewage is conveyed into an under-ground covered tank made of unmortared walls, so that the liquiddrains into the surrounding gravelly soil, the surface being thicklyplanted with trees. In wet weather the overflow comes to the surfaceand is at times offensive. The present system has been in operationor 12 years without causing any trouble, but now the soil is becoming" sick" and is a nuisance. The house is built on the slope and the soilis stony and porous. I am, Sirs, yours faithfully,March zzncl, 1902. M.D.

A CAUTION WITH RESPECT TO SAMPLES.

To the Editors of THE LANCET.

SIRS,-A tin box containing Bipalatinoids No. 581, forwarded byMessrs. Oppenheimer, Son, and Co., Limited, was incautiously openedand one of the bipalatinoids fell on the floor. My favourite cat playedwith it and ate it. In about half an hour after it was reported in a fitand when I saw it it was dead. It had micturated and its limbs werecontracted: I referred to the prescription on the box and found inscribed-Ferrous carbonate (pil. Blaud), aloin, strychnia, ac arseniosi, aa gr.1/30,pulv. capsici, gr. ¼. Dose, one after meals. Strychnia gr. 1/30 was theamount taken by the cat which caused its death by poisoning. Ifanimals are about one should not be satisfied until such samples areburnt in the fire, as no other disposal is safe. I hope this may be awarning to others. I am, Sirs, yours faithfully,

F. A. PuRcELL, M.D. R.U.I.Manchester-square, W., March 24th, 1902.

HOW DISEASE IS SPREAD.

Two persons were fined 40s. each at the Glasgow Sheriff Coart onMarch 20th for concealing cases of small-pox which had occurred intheir respective houses. In the first case the defendant pleadedthat the patient refused to see a medical man because he fearedbeing sent to a hospital. The case was not discovered until afterthe patient’s death. In the second case an Irishman was theaccused. The first intimation which the sanitary authorities receivedwas through the police who had been informed by neighbours. When

the medical officer called and asked to see the patient who was saidto be suffering from small-pox he was shown an elder sister and wastold that she was the only girl in the house. On going into thekitchen, however, he found a young girl lying in bed, hidden bybedclothes, who was suffering from small-pox. The school boardofficer had been told that the girl was staying with some friends inIreland. The elder sister was the only member of the household whohad been revaccinated and she was nursing the patient notwith-standing the fact that she was employed at home by a firm ofdressmakers in the city. In reporting these cases the Belfast Whigstates that the sheriff regretted exceedingly that legislation onlyprovided a fine of 408. for so gross a crime against the publicinterest. In the second case no comment seems to have been

made and no doubt the sheriff felt the impossibility of doing so intemperate language. In both instances the house was occupied byseveral people. We share the sheriff’s regret that the fine which theLegislature has thought sufficient in these .cases is so ridiculouslyinadequate and we have called attention to the matter on severaloccasions, but until the law is altered and the penalty is made

greater the public will still be exposed to the danger of infection

through the criminal action of selfish or ignorant people.

THE writer of an account of a Case of Eclampsia, the manuscript ofwhich bears no title or author’s name, is requested to communicatewith us.

’

THE writer of a letter signed G.P." and dated Feb. 17th is also requested to communicate with us.

Neurin.-Our correspondent is recommended to apply to ProfessorAdamkiewicz himself. His address is IV Wiedner Hauptstrasse 20,Vienna, Austria.

J. B. should consult his medical man. We do not give medical advice.

Medical Diary for the ensuing Week.OPERATIONS.

‘

METROPOLITAN HOSPITALS.MONDAY (31st).-London (2 p.m.), St. Bartholomew’s (1.30 r.af.), St.

Thomas’s (3.30 P.M.), St. George’s (2 P.M.), St. Mary’s (2.30 P.M.),Middlesex (1.30 P.M.), Westminster (2 P.M.), Chelsea (2 P.M.),Samaritan (Gynaecological, by Physicians, 2 P.M.), Soho-square(2 P.M.), Royal Orthopaedic (2 P.M.), City Orthopaedic (4 P.M.),Gt. Northern Central (2.30 P.M.) West London (2.30 P.M.), LondonThroat (2 P.M.).

TUESDAY (1st).-London (2 P.M.), St. Bartholomew’s (1.30 P.M.), St.Thomas’s (3.30 P.M.), Guy’s (1.30 P.M.), Middlesex (1.30 P.M.), West-minster (2 P.M.), West London (2.30 P.M.), University College(2 P.M.), St. George’s (1 P.M.), St. Mary’s (1 P.M.), St. Mark’s

(2.30 P.M.), Cancer (2 P.M.), Metropolitan (2.30 P.M.), London Throat(2 P.M. and 6 P.M.), Royal Ear (3 P.M.), Samaritan (9.30 A.M. and2.30 P.M.), Throat, Golden-square (9.30 A.M.).

WEDNESDAY (2nd).-St. Bartholomew’s (1.30 P.M.), University College(2 P.M.), Royal Free (2 P.M.), Middlesex (1.30 P.M.), Charing-cross(3 P.M.), St. Thomas’s (2 P.M.), London (2 P.M.), King’s College(2 P.M.), St. George’s (Ophthalmic, 1 P.M.), St. Mary’s (2 P.M.),National Orthopaedic (10 A.M.), St. Peter’s (2 P.M.), Samaritan(9.30 A.M. and 2.30 P.M.). Gt. Ormond-street (9.30 A.M.), Gt. NorthernCentral (2.30 P.M.), Westminster (2 P.M.), Metropolitan (2.30 P.M.),London Throat (2 P.M.), Cancer (2 P.M.), Throat, Golden-square(9.30 A.M.).

THURSDAY (3rd).-St. Bartholomew’s (1.30 P.M.), St. Thomas’s

(3.30 P.M.), University College (2 P.M.), Charing-cross (3 P.M.), St., George’s (1 P.M.), London (2 P.M.), King’s College (2 P.M.), MiddlesexI (1.30 P.M.), St. Mary’s (2.30 P.M.), Soho-square (2 P.M.), North-West

London (2 P.M.), Chelsea (2 P.M.), Gt. Northern Central (Gynæo-logical, 2.30 P.M.), Metropolitan (2.3C P.M.), London Throat (2 P.M.).St. Mark’s (2 P.M.), Samaritan (9.30 A.M. and 2.30 P.M.), Throat,Golden-square (9.30 A.M.).

FRIDAY (4th).-London (2 P.M.), St. Bartholomew’s (1.30 P.M.), St.Thomas’s (3.30 P.M.), Guy’s (1.30 P.M.), Middlesex (1.30 P.M.), Charing-cross (3 P.M.), St. George’s (1 P.M.), King’s College (2 P.M.), St. Mary’s(2 P.M.), Ophthalmic (10 A.M.), Cancer (2 P.M.), Chelsea (2 P.M.), Gt.Northern Central (2.30 P.M.). West London (2.30 P.M.), LondonThroat (2 P.M. and 6 P.M.), Samaritan (9.30 A.M. and 2.30 P.M.),Throat, Golden-square, (9.30 A.M.), City Orthopaedic (2.30 P.M.).

SATURDAY (5th).-Royal Free (9 A.M. and 2 P.M.), London (2 P.M.)Middlesex (1.30 P.M.), St. Thomas’s (2 P.M.), University College(9.15 A.M.), Charing-cross (2 P.M.), St. George’s (1 P.M.), St. Mary’s(10 P.M.), London Throat (2 P.M.), Throat, Golden-square (9.30 A.M.).

At the Royal Eye Hospital (2 P.M.), the Royal London Ophthalmic(10 A.M.), the Royal Westminster Ophthalmic (1.30 P.M.), and theCentral London Ophthalmic Hospitals operations are performed daily.