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The Tuberculosis Prevention (Ireland) Bill.Speaking generally, the opinion of the profession is

opposed to the Tuberculosis Bill in its present imperfect formthough the enormous importance and value of the measureare admitted. But gratification at the postponement of theBill till the autumn session is warmly expressed, as it is

anticipated that the profession will be able to bring the seriousaspects of the case into prominence in a way that has not yetbeen done. It is folly to combat the scourge of tuberculosisamong a starving and impoverished people solely by means ofcompulsory notification, and an important question for

legislators is, " Of what use is it to provide sterilised milkfor the poor if they cannot afford to procure a sufficient

quantity of it ? "

Legislation is desired to deal with thecauses of the grave condition of the Irish poor as well aswith the effects of that poverty as expressed in disease.The public health committee of Belfast consider that com-pulsory notification, as provided for in clause 1 of Mr.Birrell’s Bill, would be worthless unless accompanied bypowers for the compulsory removal to hospital or sanatoriumof the patient in every case where there is not sufficientaccommodation to enable him to be properly isolated.Further, they are of opinion that if the Bill as at presentdrafted became law notification would be duplicated to anenormous extent and they also believe that compulsorynotification would lead to many cases of concealment of thedisease in its early stages. These are theoretical opinionsand actual experiences of localities where some forms of Inotification are in force might be set against them. ,

Milk Prosecutions.On behalf of a dairyman who was fined in the Northern

police-court, Dublin, on August 5th, for selling milkadulterated with 16 per cent. of water, it was stated that themilk must have been dilated while being conveyed by rail-way from the country to Dublin. The prosecution pointed outthat if that were the true explanation the defendent musthave been specially unfortunate-and peculiarly imprudent,too-for he had been fined six times, on three occasions in asum of £5. On hearing these facts the magistrate, who hadintended to impose a fine of 5, inflicted a penalty of £10.

The Kingstown Water-supply.The Kingstown town council discussed the water-supply of

this attractive suburb of Dublin on August 6th. One of themembers moved that a new six-inch diameter pipe be laiddown along certain thoroughfares from the termination ofthe existing six-inch main in Albert-road. The estimatedcost was £600 and there was a sum of £570 unexpendedbalance available for the purpose. He described the exist-ing water-supply as nothing short of scandalous, but othermembers thought this remark unjustified and likely to causea scare among visitors at this season.

Belfast Hospital for Skin Diseases.At the annual meeting of the supporters of this charity

held on July 30th it was reported that 863 patients receivedtreatment during the past year, of whom 30 were intern.There is a balance financially to the credit of the institu-tion of £17. The medical staff reported that the electrictreatment had been most satisfactory and promised with thealterations and additions made to the hospital to be a mostfitting memorial of the late Dr. H. S. Purdon.

No1’tk of Ireland Veterinary Association.At a meeting of this association held in Londonderry on

July 30th the following motion, proposed by the President(Mr. J. Thompson, F.R.C.V.S., Lurgan) was carriedunanimously :—

That greater protection should be provided against the consumptionof tuberculous milk and meat by stipulating that only members of theveterinary profession shall be appointed as inspectors. That Section 16of Mr. Birrell’s Tuberculosis Prevention (Ireland) Act should be mademandatory, otherwise there will be no uniformity of working, and inmany places the main object of the Bill will be defeated-namely, theprevention of the disease. Owing to the determined opposition offeredby a very large proportion of the local authorities to the new Dairies,Cowsheds, and Milkshops Order, and particularly to the appointment ofveterinary officers to carry out the provisions of that order, any measureof an optional character will in many cases either be entirely ignored orcarried out in a half-hearted manner.

Queen’s College, Belfast.The report of the President has just been issued for the

session 1907-08. After making reference to new appoint-ments and to the fact that whereas 20 years ago the entire

teaching staff of the College consisted of 20 members whileit is over 40, the President notes that the number ofstudents, especially females, in attendance on lectures -waslarger during the session under review than it has been formany years past. Deserved attention is drawn to the,additions to the ’’ Better Equipment Fund of the College,,to the opening of the new laboratories and other build-

ings last year, to the home-coming of one of the mostrenowned of the Queen’s College students-Sir Robert Hart,G.C.M.G., and last, but not least, to the conversion ofQueen’s College, Belfast, into a university, a course whichthe President says he has for many years advocated. The

report, which is a most interesting one, will give the greatestpleasure to old students, affording as it does evidence on

every page of how the College is progressing.August llth.

PARIS.

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

The Teaching of Anatomy in the Paris Faculty of Med’icine.A DECREE dated July 16th ordains the following changes

in the teaching of anatomy in the Faculty of Medicine ofParis University. The professor of anatomy is invested,under the authority of the Dean of the Practical Schools,with the control of the theoretical and practical teach-ing of anatomy, of the staff engaged in it, and of themuseum. The teaching staff for practical anatomy thusput under the direction of the professor is to consist oftwo assistants, eight prosectors, 15 demonstrators (aides),and two special tutors. The salaries of the latter are fixedat 1500 francs, rising after at least three years’ service by300 francs a year to 3000 francs. The assistants of the

professor will receive 4000 francs a year, rising under thesame conditions by 500 francs to a maximum of 6000 francs.The old posts, ° ° Head of the Anatomical Department" andof "Anatomical Laboratory Tutor," are to be abolished.The Effect on Metabolism in the Thyroid Treatment of ObesityAt the Biological Society on July 25th M. Labbé and

M. Furet communicated the notes of a case in which theyhad studied this subject. At the beginning of the treatment

the patient lost nitrogen, but later much more was added tohis diet and he not only made good the loss but put onmuscle. The loss of muscular tissue was the chief cause ofthe patient becoming thinner, and there was no doubt thatthe thyroid treatment considerably increased the loss of

nitrogen, a loss which was hardly affected by a fluid diet.The Treatment of Tetanus by Intraspinal Injections of

Sulphate of Magnesiiim.At the Hospitals’ Medical Society on July 24th M. Griffon

and M. Lian described a case of tetanus which had beentreated successfully with intraspinal injections of sulphateof magnesium. Lumbar puncture was first performed and acertain amount of cerebro-spinal fluid was withdrawn, andthen a 25 per cent. solution of sulphate of magnesium wasinjected in the proportion of one cubic centimetre per25 pounds of body weight. At the end of an hour all themuscles were relaxed, the patient felt no more pain, andwas able to drink and to turn himself in bed. In this treat-ment it has been generally found that the muscular spasmsand the pain return in a lessened degree on the day followingthe injection ; in such a case it is repeated, but up to thepresent it has not been found necessary to give more thanfive injections in all. The treatment has been tried in ninecases of tetanus, with three deaths and six recoveries. Ithas also been employed in the treatment of certain nervousdiseases, such as epilepsy and chorea, in which cases someunpleasant effects have resulted, which have all, however,been of a temporary nature and have cleared up after thesubcutaneous injection of a milligramme of atropine. The

symptoms were not observed in the cases of tetanus whichwere treated in this manner.

The Micro-organism of Syphilis.At the Academy of Medicine on July 21st M. Hallopeau

read a very important paper upon the routes by which thevirus of syphilis enters the body and the means of prevent-ing it from doing so. The discovery of the treponercapallidum, the micro-organism of syphilis, has enabled this

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question to be studied from a new point of view. Micro-

scopical investigations have shown the parasite actuallyentering the lymphatic channels, the lymph glands in con-nexion with them, the interstices of the surrounding con-

nective tissue, and the blood capillaries. Each of thesemethods of entry produces a corresponding chain of sym-ptoms. Local treatment of the primary lesion, providedthat it be undertaken early, is able to attenuate in markeddegree the virulence of the infecting agent and so to retardand diminish the secondary symptoms and even obviate theirappearance altogether. M. Hallopeau recommends atoxylfor this purpose ; it may be applied to the primary sore

either as a powder, which is often ill-borne, or as a 10 percent. paste. It should be persisted in until the inflamedglands have subsided and should be supplemented by largeinjections into the buttocks. If a good preparation, suchas crystallised atoxyl or acetotoxyl, be employed the ocularsymptoms which have been attributed to this remedy arecompletely avoided. M. Hallopeau thinks that the day willcome when this method will have been made so perfect asto prevent completely the development of constitutional

syphilis.Arsenic in Wine.

At the same meeting M. Cazeneuve called the attention ofthe Academy to the danger which may result from the prac-tice. of treating vines with compounds of arsenic. He hascollected the analyses of a series of wines coming fromAlgeria, some of which came from vines treated with arsenicand others from vines not so treated. The former set showedthe presence of arsenic in amounts varying from one-tenthof a milligramme per litre to a trace. In one case where the

consumption of the wine had led to serious results theanalysis showed that eight milligrammes of the poison perlitre were present, but it is reasonable to suppose in thisinstance that its source was in some substance with whichthe wine was adulterated. Dried lees of wine gave one-tenthof a milligramme per 100 grammes. This question deservescareful attention, for the Academy might suggest what pre-cautions are necessary to keep the wine coming from"treated" vines free from arsenic.

Tke International Congress on Lo7v Temperatures.This congress will be held in Paris between Oct. 5th

and 10th of this year. It will meet in six sections whichwill consider: 1. Low Temperatures and their GeneralEffects. 2. Methods of Producing Low Temperatures. 3.The Application of Low Temperatures to the Food Supply.4. Their Application to other Industries. 5. Their Applica-tion to Commerce and Transport. 6. Legislation. Eachsection will be subdivided into several sub-sections ; the

presidents of the respective sections in the order in which wehave named them will be : M. d’Arsonval, M. Leante, M.A. Gautier, M. E. Tisseraud, M. Levasseur, and M. Cruppi.August llth.

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ITALY.(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

The Health of Florence.OF all the Italian cities Our Lady of Flowers " is the

most attractive to the English-speaking world, not only forthe temporary sojourner but for the visitor who "has come tostay." Indeed, the resident population in Florence of British,colonial, or American origin outnumbers by some thousandsthat of the English-speaking colony in other Italian centres-the preference thus shown being in no need of explana-tion to those who are familiar with the art treasures ofFlorence, her associations, historical, scientific, and literary,her beautiful situation and surroundings and the advantagesshe holds out to English-speaking parents for the educa-tion of their families-the daughters particularly. In asanitary point of view Florence is coming up to theBritish standard of cleanliness and salubrity, and herdeath-rate, according to the returns of the last halfyear, is no higher than 21’ 6 per 1000. This may inpart be attributed to the mildness of last winter, whichwas in favourable contrast to the winter of the yearpreceding. The mortality of the first half year of 1908was 2509, while that of the same period of 1907 was 2990.Each successive month, with the exception of June,

for which the figures were almost identical, contributed tothe diminution indicated-notably that of February whichin the 29 days of 1908 recorded 467 deaths instead of 624in the 28 days of 1907. Other statistical returns have asignificance of their own. During the first half of thetwelvemonth now in progress there were well-nigh 200 birthsin excess of those of the corresponding period of 1907, thefigures for the former being 2562, as against 2375 for thelatter. The number of marriages was almost identical forthe two periods-to wit, 762 for the first six months of 1908and 766 for that of 1907. The immigrant population for thefirst half of the twelvemonth now running amounted to3719, as against 3979 in the corresponding months of 1907,while the emigrant population reached 2786, as against 2562.The increase in the construction of dwelling-houses is alsomaintained-the ensemble of the statistics issued under theauthority of the syndic pointing to the yearly augmentingattraction held out by Florence not only to the Italian but tothe outlying (mainly English-speaking) world.

’’ " Monstra Natantia " in the Adriatic.In his purview of the terrors confronting the first mariner

Horace, strangely enough, omits to notice the mal de mer,but, on the other hand, he is quite cognisant of the " floatingmonsters" which seem to have haunted the Mediterraneanfrom the days of Jonah down to those now passing. Of late

years these monstra natantia," in the form of the pescicaneor shark, have multiplied, mainly, it is said, since the Suezcanal was opened some 60 years ago. Following the linersfrom the Indian Ocean they have penetrated to both the maresuperum and the mare inferum, haunting the neighbourhoodof the sea-bathing resorts, and, chiefly in the former, orAdriatic, proving a strong deterrent to the venturesomeswimmer. Some years ago a huge female shark had beencleverly noosed, captured, and slain by Venetian fishermenwho presently found themselves dogged by the male, pre-sumably the forlorn husband of their victim. For weeksthis " Cœlebs in search of a wife" made his presenceunpleasantly known to the bathing public at such places asSinigaglia and Rimini, insomuch that these resorts lostmuch of their usual el,ientele. They had well-nighregained it, when a few days ago they learnedwith dismay that on the Dalmatian coast two enormouspescicani were on the prowl. Off the fishing station ofMeleda two girls had ventured out in a boat to enjoy a runbefore the wind. When some distance from the shore theysaw quite close to them two sharks of portentous size, notless, it is said, than six metres each in length, coming, more-over, so ominously near that one of the girls seized an ironbar and brandished it by way of scaring them off. She losther balance and fell overboard, when, quick as lightning, oneof the sharks turned upon her and " amputated" her leg justabove the knee. The cries of her companion brought somefishing-boats to the spot and the poor girl was brought ashorehorribly mutilated. " Si dnbita che possa sopravvivere

" (it isdoubtful if she can survive) is the concluding statement ofmy correspondent.Torricelli: Celebration of the Third Anniversary of His Birth.To have demonstrated the leading properties of the

common centre of gravity of a system of connected bodiesand to have discovered the law of the flow of fluids out oforifices, thus laying the foundation of the whole science ofhydraulics, are among the many contributions of Torricellito physics which inspire his native Faenza to celebrate onOct. 24th and 25th next the 300th anniversary of his birth.Add to these his discovery of the area of the cycloid and,above all, his invention of the barometer-the so-called"Torricellian vacuum " applied to the space above the

mercury-and we can understand how the Italian Associa-tion for the Promotion of Science, at its second meet-

ing in the third week of October next in Florence,has made a "combinazione" to share with Faenza thehonour of commemorating the great mathematician and

physicist. Facilities will be provided for members, Italianand non-Italian, of the above association to intervene at theFaenza celebration, at which the orator of the occasion willbe the distinguished savant, the Senator Angelo Battelli.During the latter half of September and all through Octoberthere will be on view at Faenza an Exposition of the Artsand Industries which have added to the fame of Torricelli’s

birthplace. This will be open to all members, Italians andnon-Italians, of the association referred to as well as to all