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house surgeons might do the same ; but to our mind thecases stand on a totally different plane. A house surgeonhas to inspect all his cases at least once every day-hasto do a number of dressings and minor operations withan occasional one of greater gravity, and thus has far

greater opportunities of conveying infection. Perhaps thesimplest way out of the matter would be to prohibit thehouse surgeon, or indeed any member of the staff, fromvisiting in his capacity of infirmary medical officer anypatients at their own homes. These might well be left tothe ordinary practitioner and the parish medical man. Ofcourse this might send up the rates, but it would be cheaperthan an epidemic; and if this " impasse " teaches theMacclesfield authorities the need for a proper isolation

hospital good will come out of a seeming evil.

TYPHOID FEVER AND RAIN AT BEYROUT.

DR. DE BRUN, of the French Faculty of Medicine at

Beyrout, has issued a report on the serious epidemic of

typhoid fever which has afflicted that town. The epidemiccommenced suddenly in October, 1895, and only ceased at the ,,

end of the spring of this year. It appears that during thesummer of 1895 numerous cases of typhoid fever were

observed in various villages situated in the valley of theNahr-el-Kelb where flows the river which supplies drinking-water to the town of Beyrout. On Oct. 14th Dr. de Brunrelates that there occurred a remarkable storm. Torrentsof rain fell throughout the district. In less than half anhour the streets were converted into rivers and the waterrushed by with such force that some children were carriedaway, thrown into the sewer mouths and drowned. Twomen also lost their lives in the flood. From the mountainsthat surround Beyrout water came sweeping down into theriver. The dejecta of the inhabitants of the surroundingvillages, which are simply thrown out on the soil, followedthe current, and thus brought the germs of typhoid feverfrom the villages to the river. Ten days after the storm thefever broke out in Beyrout. There were cases in all quartersof the town. By Nov. lst it was estimated that therehad been from 6000 to 7000 cases. This is so large a figurethat the Beyrout epidemic may be considered as one of themost recent and striking illustrations of the danger thatresults from the absence of an effective system of drainage.The epidemic conveys no new lesson, but it very forciblyemphasises what is already known. A similar occurrence in

London would mean something like 50,000 cases of typhoidfever in a week. At Beyrout the cesspools were flooded, andtheir contents, diluted by the rain-water, were conveyed inall directions. This, together with the specific germs broughtdown from the outlying villages, where cases of typhoid feverare known to have previously occurred, may account forthe wide-spread nature of the epidemic. In most Eastern

villages there is no provision for drainage. The earth isthe usual purifier, and where the population is not large thesunshine, the air, and the earth ultimately render the filthrecklessly thrown out quite innocuous. But if there is asudden down-pour of rain the filth is carried away before itis purified. It may thus contaminate a neighbouring water-supply and result in such an epidemic as that which hasrecently affected Beyrout.

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COMPLAINT AGAINST A HOSPITAL AUTHORITY.

Our attention was drawn to two paragraphs dealing withthe above subject in our contemporaries the Mog-niiq Postand the Daily Ne7vs of the 12th inst., and we have investi-gated the charges thus brought to the notice of the public.This was, perhaps, less necessary than usual, as a letterfrom the medical officer (really censured by the jury, withthe coroner’s assent) was published on the following day inthe former journal and put quite a different aspect on the

occurrence. Nevertheless, we have inquired fully into thecircumstances of the case, and place the more importantfacts before the profession. The evidence given was thatthe man the cause of whose death was the question beforethe court had been taken to St. Thomas’s Hospital early onthe morning of July 31st by the police to be treated for ascalp wound caused through falling on Waterloo Bridge.The house surgeon on duty, Mr. Conford, dressed the woundbut did not consider it advisable to admit the man. The

patient left the hospital in charge of the police, but wasbrought back to the hospital about two hours later, havingbeen run over in the street. The injuries then receivedproved fatal. The coroner made some remarks and treatedthe house surgeon with scant courtesy, saying that the manw01Ûd not have been killed if he had been admitted, and thejury returned a rider to the verdict to the effect : "We con.sider the deceased ought to have been admitted to the hospital,and his death was due to the neglect of the hospitalauthorities in not admitting him." On the first occasionwhen he was seen at the hospital there is evidence that theman was partially intoxicated and that the scalp wound wasnot sufficiently serious to make it necessary or advisable toadmit him. Our readers will recognise the condition inwhich hospital wards would be on a Saturday night if thiscombination led to admission in all cases. The post-mortemexamination subsequently proved that Mr. Conford was quiteright in his estimate of the severity of the case. There hadbeen no injury to the skull or its contents. The man leftthe hospital in the custody of the police, who agreed tosecure a night’s lodging for him. He was, however, per-mitted to leave their care before being placed in safety, andin crossing a road was run over by a railway van. All thesefacts ought to have been ascertained during the inquiry.If anyone is to blame it is surely the police, who ought tohave taken the man to the station. It is no part of the dutyof a hospital to take charge of drunken men who, as in thisinstance, can walk for a considerable distance without help..There are persons who apparently go out of their way to castmud on charitable institutions and hamper them in theirwork. We cannot understand the spirit which prompts sucha proceeding. A public apology should be offered to thehouse surgeon whose conduct was so wrongfully condemned.

WE congratulate Dr. Francis Richard Cruise upon the

knighthood conferred upon him by Lord Cadogan last

week. Sir Francis Richard Cruise was President of the

Royal College of Physicians of Ireland in 1884 and is con-sulting physician to the Mater Misericordise Hospital ofDublin and Consulting Visitor in Lunacy in Ireland.

THE Queen has sanctioned the appointment of Surgeon-Major-General James Jameson, M.D., Director-General of theArmy Medical Department, to be a Knight of Grace of theOrder of the Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem in England.

Pharmacology and Therapeutics. EUROPHEN AS A SUBSTITUTE FOR IODOFORM.

DR. EDMUND SAALFIELD gives an account in the Tam’a-peutie Gazette of the properties of europhen and itsadvantages over iodoform. Europhen is in the form of afine yellow powder, with a faint, saffron-like odour, andcontains 28’1 per cent. of iodine. In the dry state it ispermanent, but on contact with water and alkaline fluids itliberates small quantities of iodine. As a result of hisexperiments Dr. Saalfield thinks that this drug is to belooked upon as the best substitute for iodoform which atpresent exists, for it is neither toxic nor odoriferous, and itsapplication to inflamed skin causes no irritation. On accountot this non-irritating property it is said to be useful invarious dermatological conditions, such as varicose ulcers

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with eczematous margins, impetigo, and it has also provedvery useful in intertrigo of children. A serviceable formulafor this latter affection consists of talc with the addition offrom 5 to 10 per cent. of europhen and 5 per cent. of anhydrouslanoline.

THE CLINICAL APPLICATIONS OF BENZOSOL.

Dr. Kofron describes his experience of this drug in thelnrcerican Therapist of June, 1896. The drug is chemicallypure benzoate of guaiacol containing approximately 54 percent. of the latter reagent. It occurs in the form of a finelygranular powder entirely devoid of taste or odour, and beingpractically insoluble is best given in the form of powder,pill, or capsule. Benzosol passes unchanged through thestomach, and is split up into its component parts (benzoicacid and guaiacol) by the alkaline juices of the in-testine, and on this account its use is not followedby the unpleasant eructations which are apt to occur afterthe administration of pure creasote or guaiacol, while at thesame time the liberation of the guaiacol in the intestinegives the full benefit of its antiseptic action. The conditionsfor which this drug are chiefly recommended are pulmonarytuberculosis, tuberculous diarrhoea, chronic bronchitis, andchronic gastric catarrh, and it has also been used in typhoidfever. In conclusion Dr. Kofron expresses his belief that inbenzosol we have a drug which is a valuable substitute forcreasote in pulmonary affections, a safe and efficient intes-tinal antiseptic for the treatment of gastro-intestinal dis-orders attended with fermentation, and a useful remedy forthe purpose of sterilising the bowel in typhoid fever.

TREATMENT OF ALOPECIA AREATA.

Dr. Brocq recommends the following prescriptions. Resor-cin, 1-2L grains ; hydrochlorate of quinine, 3 grains ; and purevaseline, 1 ounce. This is to be applied to that part of thescalp from which hair is falling, but only a limited area is tobe covered at one application. If the hair still falls off from15 to 20 minims of tincture of cantharides may be added, orin other cases sulphur may be introduced into the ointmentas: resorcin, 3 grains ; hydrochlorate of quinine, 5 grains ;precipitated sulphur, 30 grains ; and pure vaseline, 1 ounce.If these ointments produce too much irritation ofthe scalp, after their removal a simple ointment consistingof 20 grains of borax to 100 of vaseline may be used. If theloss of hair be associated with seborrhceic eczema it is oftenwell to apply a mercurial ointment.

CALCIUM SULPHYDRATE AS A DEPILATORY.

The use of this drug, CaH2S2, was recommended by Dr.Brayton at the recent meeting of the American MedicalAssociation at Atlanta. It is best prepared by passingsulphuretted hydrogen gas through a thick cream of well-slaked lime until the lime will absorb no more of the gas.It takes about two hours to make a pint, and the operationshould be conducted in a fume chamber or in the open air.Dr. Brayton applied it to the arms of several students withsuccess, and stated that it is often used by surgeons toremove hair from parts to be operated upon. It is recom-mended that an application should be made about once everythree weeks to remove hairs that may be returning.

THE TREATMENT OF BURNS.

Dr. Poggi has found that the addition of a few teaspoonfulsof potassium nitrate to a bath, into which the burnt part isplunged, will quickly cause cessation of the pain. After atime the water becomes heated and the pain returns, butagain subsides on the addition of another quantity of salt.Professor Vergely has obtained good results by covering theburnt parts with a paste prepared by mixing calcined mag-nesia with a certain quantity of water and allowing it to dryon the skin, renewing it as soon as it becomes detached.Under this treatment it is said that the wounds heal welland pain is prevented.

CERIUM OXALATE IN THE CRISES OF TABES.

Professor Bechterew has been using cerium oxalate incases of gastric crises of locomotor ataxy and reportsmarked success from this treatment. The seizures of vomitingwere greatly reduced in number, while the actual act ofvomiting became easier and at the same time pain, thirst,and nausea were, to a great extent, diminished. The psychicconditions also improved, restlessness subsided, and sleepreturned. Micturition is said to have become slightly moredifficult, but not enough to require a catheter. The mostimportant improvement, however, was that food could beretained owing to the diminished number of paroxysrnsof vomiting.

THE BRITISH DENTAL ASSOCIATION.

ul3ia annual general meeting ot the British Dental Asso-ciation was held on Aug. 12th, 13th, 14th, and 15th at theExamination Hall, Victoria-embankment, London. From

every point of view the meeting was a distinct success, duein a very great measure to the excellent arrangements whichhad been made by the executive committee. The membersand visitors were entertained at a conversazione on Tuesdayevening by the Metropolitan Branch of the Association, thebusiness of the meeting commencing on Wednesday,Aug. 12th. At the morning sitting the retiring President,Mr. Bowman Macleod, read his valedictory address, Mr.Canton, the new President, following with an inauguraladdress, which dealt chiefly with the subjects of dentaleducation and dental politics, and which will be found onanother page of our present issue. The sixth report of thecommittee on the Condition of the Teeth of School Childrenwas next read and adopted, and the following resolution wasunanimously passed : ’’ That the British Dental Associationregrets that there is no mention of teeth or dentistry in therecent report of the Departmental Committee of the LocalGovernment Board on Poor-law Schools, although its atten-tion had been called to the matter by statistics and by theevidence of a Local Government inspector, and that theAssociation is strongly of opinion that the importance of thecare of children’s teeth, especially those of the wage-earningclasses and the poor, should receive immediate attention bythe Board of Guardians and other authorities ; and, further,that all such dental appointments should be made on similarlines to those regulating medical appointments, and thereforesubject to inspection by the Local Government Board." Inthe afternoon two papers of interest were read by Mr. G.Cunningham on Some Experiments in Bridge Work andMr. Sidney Spokes on the So-called Honeycombed Teeth.In the evening the President and Mrs. Canton gave areception at the Royal College of Surgeons of England,the use of the buildings having been graciously grantedby the Council of the College. The proceedingson Thursday, Aug. 13th, commenced with a meetingof the Benevolent Fund. The report presented was ofan encouraging nature and showed that the work carriedout by the committee during the past year had been of a

LUVOU UZULUI BjLlQ.rJ.(:BIBjlita..t1...lJ LilC general J.llvvLJ.1l.Jt5 VVJ.l.lB.i1.l J.VL"

lowed Mr. Alfred Woodhouse read a paper on Reminiscenceslowed Mr. Alfred Woodhouse read a paper on Reminiscencesof Fifty-four Years in the Dental Profession. He dwelt onthe many changes he had seen take place in the practice ofdentistry, and his paper is a further proof, if such wereneeded, of the immense strides the operative side hasmade during the last fifty years. Mr. C. S. Tomes fol-lowed with a paper entitled Notes on Dentinal Tubesand their Relation to other Channels and Spaces inDentine, while Dr. Stack of Dublin contributed some

notes on Touch Bulbs in Dentine The afternoon wasdevoted to demonstrations. The microscopical section alsoheld meetings, and papers were read by Mr. D. E. Caush andMr. Mummery. An interesting series of skiagraphs of teethwas exhibited by Mr. F. J. Bennett, and microscopical sec-tions and photo-micrographs were shown by various memberstaking part in the work of the section. In the later partof the afternoon a garden party was given by Mr. and Mrs.Mummery at the Manor House, Southall.The morning of Friday, Aug. 14th, was devoted entirely

to demonstrations, the majority of which were of a valuableand practical character. Attention seemed to be principallycentred on the adaptation and manufacture of porcelaincrowns, and the use of a new form of gold known as

"Sohla Gold." The demonstrations formed, perhaps, themost attractive part of the meeting, and the committeeare to be congratulated on the very efficient way inwhich this portion of the programme was carried out.In the afternoon a paper was read by Mr. Constant on

the Mechanical Factor in the Eruption of the Teeth hithertounrecognised. He advanced the theory that the bloodpressure was the active mechanical factor, basing his con-clusions on the examination of a large number of post-mortem jaws. This concluded the technical part of the

meeting, the remainder of the sitting being devoted to

passing the usual formal votes of thanks. The annual dinnerof the Association was held in the evening at the HotelMétropole, a large company assembling, including Mr.

Christopher Heath, Mr. H. T. Butlin, Mr. H. Allingham,Mr. G. D. Pollock, Mr. W. Rivington, Mr. E. Trimmer,