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community. In connexion with the same subject a recentarticle from THE LANCET was quoted with an account of awake held in the neighbourhood of Fitzwilliam-place, awealthy and fashionable street of Dublin. The editor of theDaily Express goes on to say that this, if true, shows a clearcase of neglect on the part of the sanitary authorities, for,as THE LANCET points out, there are laws which sanctionthe application of the necessary sanitary measures.

Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland Election ofPresident.

The unpleasant contention with reference to the comingelection at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland raisedby a circular letter from Mr. Henry Fitzgibbon to the Fellowsof the College on May 21st, in which he offered himself asa candidate for the Presidency in opposition to Mr. Myles,has been brought to a satisfactory conclusion. An injunc-tion to restrain Mr. Fitzgibbon from publishing his circularwas at once obtained by Mr. Myles. On May 24th, however,a full 3Ild ample apology was written by Mr. Henry Fitz-gibbon and forwarded to all the electors. He at the sametime formally withdrew his candidature for the Presidencyof the College. By a circular letter dated May 25th he con-cluded the correspondence, and in referring to his retirementfrom the contest informed the Fellows that he had falleninto a serious error as to a matter of fact, the mistakehaving arisen from misconstruction of a report whichappeared in an evening paper with regard to Mr. Myles.The latter is now unopposed and will be duly electedPresident of the College on June 4th. i

Not1fiaation of Infectious Diseases in Dublin.A printed circular dealing with the notification of infec-

tious diseases in Dublin was issued by the corporation on IMay 25th and sent to all the medical men in practice in thecity. It specifies the diseases which must be notified,including cerebro-spinal meningitis, which has been addedto the list-but only for the next four months. As to

phthisis, attention is called to the fact that although it isnot included in the list it is desirable to disinfect the roomsin which persons affected by this disease have resided;moreover, the circular points out that notification (whichwill be regarded as confidential) with a view to dis-infection will be gladly received and acted upon. Theattention of the Public Health Committee havingbeen called to the fact that some medical men refrainsystematically from notifying cases of infectious disease,the committee have resolved to prosecute any medicalman who neglects to discharge this duty in compliance withthe law of the land. The Registrar-General for Ireland hasrecently added a new tabular feature to his reports relatingto the number of cases of infectious disease notified to thePublic Health Committee and the corporation and has statedthat it is his intention to furnish this information for eachweek in future.

Death of Dr. Edward Johnston Quinan of Dublin.Dr. E. J. Quinan, a physician well known and highly

esteemed in Dublin for many years, died on May 26th at hisresidence in Harcourt-street, aged 86 years. He was anM.D. of King’s College, Aberdeen, a Fellow of the RoyalCollege of Surgeons in Ireland, and formerly one of theCourt of Examiners there. Dr. Quinan filled the office ofhonorary secretary to the Irish Medical Association for 40years and received an address and a presentation piece ofplate in recognition of his long and distinguished servicesto the Poor-law medical officers of Ireland.

The Poor-law Medical Officers of Ireland Vacation Leave.The disappointment caused among the Poor-law medical

officers of Ireland by the recent decision of the Queen’sBench Division, which declared that the Local GovernmentBoard had no power to insist on the maximum four weeks’vacation, has been turned into joy by the statement of Mr.Gerald Balfour, contained in his speech in the House ofCommons on May 24th. The Chief Secretary for Irelandsaid : " It appeared that one of the general rules which waspassed for dispensary districts was that the medical officersshould be allowed four weeks’ vacation. The County-courtJudges ruled that the Board’s action was correct and legal, ’!

but the Supreme Court, to which the case was carried,declared that the Board under its rule had no power to insistupon this four weeks’ maximum in every case. This, how-ever, would be met by the issue of a new rule, and it wouldbe altered in due course."

The Outbreak of Typhoid Tever in Belfast.From the report of the medical superintendent officer of

health I learn that the total death-rate for the week endedMay 19th has been 22’2 per 1000 and for the principalzymotic diseases 2-7. There were 58 cases of typhoidfever notified during the past week, which is a furtherincrease in the weekly number of cases notified. Itis stated by a correspondent in a Belfast paper that

although the Water Commissioners got a Bill passed12 months ago enabling them to purchase or dealwith the farms lying within the catchment areas of theirreservoirs at Carrickfergus and Stoneyford, on the groundthat the proximity of these inhabited farmsteads to thereservoirs was a source of danger by polluting the water, nosteps have been taken to acquire these farms. If the farmsare a source of danger they should be dealt with at once; ifnot, the owners should be put out of suspense as to whetherthey are to be dispossessed or not.

Queen’s College (Belfast) Athletic Sports.The annual sports in connexion with the Queen’s College

Athletic Club took place in the grounds of the North ofIreland Cricket Club on May 26th and were largely attendedand in every respect were a great success.

The Samaritan Hospital, Belfast.A f 6 te and fancy fair on behalf of this hospital will be

held in the grounds of Norwood Tower, Belfast, in June.May 30th.

PARIS.(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

A Temperance Manifesto by the Academy of Medicine,IN my letter which appeared in THE LANCET of May 19th

(p. 1472) I mentioned the circular of General Gallifet, theMinister of War, which forbade the sale of alcoholicliquors in canteens and other places of military resort.

Immediately upon the issue of this circular the Academyof Medicine sent its congratulations to the Minister.In an address voted upon the motion of M. Bergeronand M. Laborde the Academy recalls the fact that in its

capacity of guardian of those principles of hygiene whichdominate the public health it cannot remain indifferentto any prohibitive measures which commence to put intopractice those indispensable rules which it has never

ceased to advise as warring against the progress ofalcoholism. Further, the Academy considers that thisbeginning should be at once followed by a complementarymeasure-namely, the forbidding of alcohol in other Statedepartments. Finally, the Academy hopes that theGovernment will be induced to pass laws calculatedto prevent the ever-increasing ravages of alcohol incivil life. The Academy has in view the seafaringpopulation, the mercantile marine no less than the navy,and especially the fishing classes amongst whom alcoholhas brought about terrible results. So bad are its effectsamong the peoples of Brittany and Normandy, who wereformerly so wonderfully healthy, that it is considered thatunless prompt action is taken the race will shortly disappear,Among the Icelandic and Newfoundland fishing fleetsalcohol in the form of a particularly vile brandy is the mostessential part of the fisherman’s food-stuff. Even in the

navy there is a daily distribution of tafia, the dose of whichis doubled in bad weather or in times of extra work. The

Academy is to be warmly congratulated upon its action, forthe work to be done is still very great.

The Surgical Treatment of Facial Neuralgia.M. Chipault, who has made a specialty of the surgery of

the nervous system, read some most interesting observationsbefore the Academy of Medicine at the meeting held onMay 15th. The surgical treatment of rebellious forms ofneuralgia has hitherto given very unsatisfactory results.

Peripheral resections of the trigeminal nerve are not danger-ous, but give relief lasting only a few months. Resection ofthe Gasserian ganglion gives better results, but is a dangerousoperation, for the mortality rate is not less than 25 per cent.On the other hand the pathology of facial neuralgia whichso often arises as an accompaniment of a condition ofarterial sclerosis would lead one to imagine that itis a condition of vaso-motor origin. Anyway, many of

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the symptoms which accompany it are of vaso-motor

origin and go to prove that there exists some common

cause, not of the neuralgia itself, but of something whichsets the neuralgia in action. Given these conditions it is a

logical mode of treatment to employ resection of the superiorcervical ganglion of the sympathetic, a ganglion whichfurnishes vaso-motor filaments, not only to the branches ofthe trigeminal, but also to the Gasserian ganglion and itscentral roots. M. Jaboulay had a successful case under thistreatment. After consultation with M. Abadie, M. Chipaultdecided to perform the operation upon a man, aged 60 years,who for 38 years had suffered from a very persistent andacute form of neuralgia which increased in severity as

time went on. The pain was especially marked inthe region supplied by the superior maxillary nerve.

After everything had been tried without success, more

particularly opium and sulphate of quinine, the patientunderwent the above-mentioned operation. Within 48 hoursafterwards his pain had gone and he experienced nothing buta slight feeling of heat in the gum. This case bears out thecorrectness of the theory that facial neuralgia is due to somevaso-motor cause. M. Chipault remarked that this operationis neither dangerous nor disagreeable, a fact which he haddemonstrated by having performed it in some 50 cases.

Moreover, the scar is in the neck and not in the face and,therefore, hardly visible, and the patient is spared the subse-quent annoying anmsthesia, which is so trying a feature ofoperations upon the trigeminal nerve.

Sanitary Measures against Plague.Following on the excitement produced in France by the

anbouncement that plague had appeared at Port Said theprecautionary measures set on foot by the authorities have Ibeen doubled. Dr. Proust, Inspector-General of PublicHealth, and M. Catelan, director of the Health Depart-ment of Marseilles, have inspected the lazaretto atFrioul and have satisfied themselves that the establishmentis in good working order. Stringent precautions havebeen set on foot to prevent the spread of plague fromthis port. All ships coming from infected ports are

rigorously disinfected and the passengers are kept under strictobservation. The French Consul at Alexandria has sent tothe Government a telegram addressed to the Chamber ofCommerce at Marseilles stating that a passenger who wasshipped from Arabia as plague-stricken had been found to besimply suffering from intermittent fever and that quarantinerestrictions were relaxed in the case. He was sent to Suezand he arrived there in perfect health. Dr. Flaissicres, theMayor of Marseilles, with a view to encouraging the destruc-tion of rats by which plague is spread, has published a noticethat a reward of five centimes per rat and two and ahalf centimes per mouse will be paid for every one of theseanimals handed over either living or dead.

Professional Secrecy and the Law.The Criminal Division of the Court of Cassation has just

given a decision declaring that a statement made in courtwhich violates professional secrecy is not evidence. Thematter arose out of evidence given by a midwife at the hear-ing of a criminal charge. She had been consulted by a girlwhom on examination she had found to be pregnant and whowas afterwards prosecuted for concealment of birth. ThePublic Prosecutor appealed against the judgment of theCorrectional Court of Lure, which had acquitted the prisoner,and the Court of Besancon having considered the argumentsof the defending counsel decided that the midwife’s evidencewas inadmissible and confirmed the judgment of the Cor-rectional Court. The Public Prosecutor having- appealedagainst this decision, the Criminal Division of the Courtof Cassation on the case coming before it dismissedthe appeal of the Public Prosecutor of Besancon anddelivered a judgment which lays down that theduty of professional secrecy necessarily implies thatthose bound by it shall not, even when called upon to giveevidence, reveal matters entrusted’to them in the practiceof their professions. The Court furbher went on to state thatthe law cannot insist upon statements made in violation ofprofessional secrecy being included in the evidence againstan accused person, and it pointed out that the judgmentof the Correctional Court acquitting the accused of thecharge of concealment of birth was based on the fact thatthe testimony of the midwife at the bearing of the case (tothe effect that she was consulted by the accused and hadcome to the conclusion that the accused had been six months i

pregnant) was evidence of a secret of which the midwife

only became aware through the accused person consultingher in her professional capacity.May 29th.

_______________

EGYPT.

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

Plague at Port Said.IT was on the last day of April that two suspicious deaths

occurred among some Greeks living in the European quarterof the town and it was soon proved by bacteriologicalexamination that both of these deaths were from plague.Medical officers, trained disinfectors, and all the necessaryequipment of a hospital were at once despatched from Cairoand Alexandria to Port Said, the Government issued thenecessary regulations for times of epidemics, and war

was formally declared against the bacillus. Steps were

taken to try to find out whether there had not beenearlier undiagnosed cases of the disease, and an analysisof the death certificates signed by European medical menpractising in Port Said revealed the fact that during Aprilthree deaths had been certified as due to "influenza with

phlegmons," and "cerebral influenza." Death had ensuedin these three cases after a few days’ illness, and fromnotes furnished by the courtesy of the practitioners it is now

. ’ .’1 J 1,.1. - -_ - L-___!__1 - - . _J! --1_____- - -

certain that all three were typical cases of plague of avirulent kind. The earliest case was that of a Greek whowas taken ill on March 28th and died on April 7th withpneumonic symptoms and cervical buboes. Careful exami-nation of all death returns shows that there is not, and hasnot been, any excessive mortality in the town, and thereforethe disease has been discovered before it has had time toassume any dangerous proportions. Mr. Pinching, theDirector-General of the Sanitary Department, reportsthat all his preparations are now completed. A

hospital is ready for 50 patients, organised gangshave been formed for disinfecting, for whitewashing, andfor the removal of rubbish, and the Government has voteda credit of .BlO,OOO for the necessary expenses. But it willbe necessary for all the consuls and the European residentsto do their best to aid the sanitary officials in carryingout all necessary orders. The difficulty does not arise-so much with the disposal of the sick or of the dead, butwith the friends who have been in contact with the sick, andyet these, whatever their nationality, must for the publicgood be kept under medical supervision for a few days.Another trouble is that the foreign local press amusesitself, as it did last year in Alexandria, by denyingthe existence of plague and by deriding the efforts ofthe English sanitarians. It is unfortunate that the repre-sentatives of the foreign Powers here are not disposedto silence these writers who do a decided amount of harmamong the lower and more ignorant classes where plaguemost easily finds its victims. One person has also beenfound dead at Alexandria-an Egyptian rag-picking woman.There is, as yet, no evidence of how the plague reached PortSaid, but it is known that a large commerce in second-handclothing is carried on between the crews of vessels passingthrough Port Said and the provision boats of the town. Closeto the house in which three cases of plague have been foundis a large store of this kind of cast-off clothing.

Hotels at Assouan.

Winter visitors at Assouan are now provided with a choiceof three hotels, one of which is the old one in the townitself and has 110 bedrooms and is found chiefly useful fortourists who only want to stay for a few days and see thesights. The two new hotels belong to rival companiesand therefore compete with each other to the greatadvantage of tourists wishing to spend a month or twoon the spot. They have both been opened this year, theyare both carefully chosen as regards site and sanitation,and they are both designed by English architects. TheBerkefeld filter .is used in all the hotels and the filteringcandles are ordered to be boiled every three days. Bath-rooms, electric lighting, and a library are to be found inthe two new hotels. One of them, built on the site of theformer English military hospital, has Tobin tube ventilators inevery bedroom, fire-taps and plugs on every floor, and splendidviews from a liberal allowance of balconies, and is farremoved from all the bazaars and native parts of Assouan.This building discharges its drainage into cesspools in the