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clerk having stated that the loan, if granted, would not, heexpected, cause an increase in the city rates, the inquiryended.August lst.

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PARIS.(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

A jVew Ophthalmic Department at the Nec1ter Hospital.THE Municipal Council has just had under consideration

a report from M. Vivien dealing with the proposed creationof a new ophthalmic department of the Paris hospitals.This branch of surgery is as a fact one of the weakest of thedepartments of the Assistance Publique, while the variousclaims upon ophthalmology which are constantly growingcould not be in any way satisfied were it not for the 30 or so

private clinics which aid in supplying them. There are

no ophthalmic departments in the Paris hospitals exceptthe wards under the charge of Professor Panas who has 58beds at the Hotel Dieu and those under the care ofDr. Delens who has 20 beds at the Lariboisiere Hospital.The Quinze-Vingt Hospital, founded by St. Louis for hissoldiers who returned blind from his crusades, contains 110beds, but since the new arrangements made by Gambettasome 20 years ago, to create a post for his friend Fienzal theophthalmic surgeon, this hospital takes patients from all partsof France under conditions which are the subject of livelycriticisms on the part of both metropolitan and provincialophthalmic surgeons. The various communes send up their Ipatients and practically allow them the money for their faresto Paris, thus seriously affecting the practice of the localmedical men, while the Paris practitioners complain thatwell-to-do patients go to the Quinze-Vingt Hospital fortreatment, which they get gratuitously, i.e., at the expense ofthe State, instead of coming to their private clinics.However this may be, the invasion of the Quinze-VingtHospital by the sick of the provinces reduces the number ofbeds which this hospital can put at the disposal of Parisand her suburbs to 20 and this number, added to those ofthe Hotel Dieu and the Lariboisiere Hospital, gives a totalof about 100 beds. These are obviously insufficient for thepopulation of Paris and the suburbs-a population amountingto 3,300,000. The number of new patients who come to theLariboisiere Hospital for consultation is 3000 a year, atthe Hotel Dieu 5000, and at the Quinze-Vingt Hospital18,000 a year, making a total of 26,000, to which may beadded an equal number treated at the various private clinics.Owing to there not being enough beds to provide for thispopulation of 50,000 or 60,000 patients annually medicalmen only send such ophthalmic patients to hospital as theyconsider will be cured quickly, so as not to fill up the beds,and these cases are almost always cases of cataract. Sufferersfrom other diseases are treated intermittently as out-patientsand only too often drift into blindness, thus creating a classwhich eventually falls upon the rates (Assistance Publique).The ultimate expense is thus much more than would serveto supply beds here if such patients could be treated intime. Besides, the out-patient rooms are nearly all on theright bank of the Seine, the patients have to wait a long time,they lose a day’s wages, and therefore do not attend

regularly. They thus often become incurable and thenumber of such patients is a constantly increasing chargeupon the finances of the Assistance Publique. M. Vivien

proposes that the Municipal Council should sanction theopening of a new ophthalmic department on the left bankwhere at present there is none, gratuitous that is to say,although nearly all the private clinics are situated there.With a view to economy he would make use of a ward in theLaennec Hospital formerly occupied by chronic and incur-able cases. These cases, however, are now sent to the

hospital at Brevannes in the eastern suburbs of Paris. Theestimated cost of opening this new department is 37,000francs. However, the Assistance Publique, on the motionof M. Andre Lefevre, although accepting the principlethat a new department is necessary and although willingthat it should be on the left bank, refuses to use the LaennecHospital. This hospital is very old and it is intendedshortly to pull it down. The new department will thereforebe opened at the Necker Hospital. It has also been decidedthat the surgeon in charge shall not be one of the hospitalsurgeons but a specialist nominated after a special competi-tion.

Fatal D-tccl between Medical Men.A duel was recently fought upon a personal question.

between Dr. Vergely and Dr. Constantin, both of whomwere attached to the Pclegrin Maternity Hospital atBordeaux. At the second engagement Dr. Constantin fellwith a serious wound in the abdomen, the hemorrhage beingprofuse. He was taken to the hospital but died on his-arrival there. Dr. Vergely has been prosecuted for assassi-nation.August 1st.

ROME.(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

Dr. Lapponi on the Health of the Pope.THE best proof that Leo XIII. is in good health and

likely to continue so is contained in the fact that his bodyphysician has left Rome on his holiday while his place atthe Vatican is taken by his surgical colleague ProfessorG. Mazzoni. Before starting for his provincial tilleg-giatura Dr. Lapponi had contributed to the Pope’s specialorgan, the Vox Urbis, an exceedingly interesting articleentitled, "De Ilecenti Morbo et Restitutâ Valetudine SSD. N. Leonis Papae XIII.," in which he reviews in fluentand idiomatic Latinity the state of the Holy Father’s healthfor the last six months, the nature of the malady thatcalled for surgical intervention early in the spring, thesequelae of that operation, and the conditions that justify afavourable prognosis for several years to come. The Pope,concludes Dr. Lapponi, has resumed his regular mode of lifein every particular, and ’’ nova decennali vitae serie inchoatâ,sperare fas est ipsum valida senectute ad annum aetatissuae centesimum perventurum " (entering as he is on a newdecennial period of life we are entitled to hope that with his.robust old age he will attain his hundredth year). Leo XIII.shares this hope, or rather cherishes this expectation, to thefull. Referring the other day to the crisis through which hepassed at the close of February and beginning of March hesaid, pleasantly: " The world expected a Conclave " (that is,an assembly of the Sacred College for the election of a new,Pope), "but we only held a Consistory" (a meeting for the-creation of new cardinals). He had, indeed, on ascending.the Pontifical throne in 1878 a distinct programme to carryout, and five or six years more, he lately said, are required tobring it to completion. One of its features is his personalperformance of the very onerous, very continuous, functions.of the Holy Year which will open next Christmas Eve. Thiswill impose a tremendous strain on his energies, mental andphysical, as the following provisions for its celebration, justcommunicated to me, will amply show. From first to last-from Christmas, 1899, to Christmas, 1900-no fewer than’5,000,000 of pilgrims in relays, personally conducted by theirbishops from all parts of the world, are expected to-come to Rome to assist at the various ceremonies and toreceive the apostolic benediction. In view of this HisHoliness is instituting an "international office," which.will have its headquarters in Via Testa Spaccata, the-seat of the Circolo Catholico (Catholic Club). Subordinateto this office there will be branch offices, not only in Rome-itself but throughout Italy and on the frontier, each subject.to the local bishop who will have under him " segretaripoliglotti" (secretaries versed in foreign languages) to act as-interpreters. Besides the details of these and other prepara-tory arrangements the Pope is confronted with the difficulty- unknown in previous "Anni Santi," when there was no-rival sovereign at the Quirinal-of how to satisfy the variou&Catholic monarchs anxious to come to Rome as their pre-decessors did, for the great functions of the Holy Year..This thorny diplomatic question is, I hear, likely to be solvedby the Antonellian plea "non-possumus"—indeed, the ex-Empress Eug6nie, it is said, has already received an intima-tion to that effect. All this, and the strain which it will put onthe Pope’s health, is costing his medical advisers very seriousthought-the winter receptions with the inevitable draughtswhich must permeate even such an admirably ventilatededifice as St. Peter’s being a special source of danger. The

year now running its course has been notable for the numberof deaths in the Sacred College and within its first six monthsas many cardinals have been gathered to their fathers. Will1900 prove a healthier year ? Who can tell ? But the

Holy Father’s determination to shirk none of its graveduties remains proof against all medical remonstrance and

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explains the fact that his "archiatro" (physician-in-chief) isthus early recruiting his strength in the country, to preparefor anxieties and exertions compared with which those of thepresent year were a bagatelle.July 30th.

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RUSSIA.

(FROM A CORRESPONDENT.)

Eberth’s Bacillus in the -31eniitg6s in Enteric Teuer.WRITING in the Russian Archives of Pathology, Clinical

Medicine, and Bacteriology Dr. Klimenko describes in detaila case of enteric fever complicated with purulent meningitisin which the bacillus of Eberth was isolated after death fromthe layer of mixed blood and pus lining the meninges. Thesame bacillus was isolated during life from the urine andafter death from the juice of the spleen. The meningitis waspossibly secondary to a purulent otitis which existed on theright side for the last 13 days of life, but the dischargefrom the ear was unfortunately not examined bacterio-logically either before or after death.

Increase of Diphtheria in Russia.In the same journal Dr. Gabritchefski discusses the preva-

lence of diphtheria in Russia and the need of further

measures for diminishing its ravages. He points out thatin recent years the number of persons attacked by thedisease has increased, the figures for the whole of Russia

rising from about 100,000 or 120,000 ten years ago to con-siderably over 200,000 in 1897. The introduction of theserum treatment has, however, had a marked effect on themortality of the disease and the actual number of deathsfrom diphtheria has either not increased at all or has slightlydiminished. The author is of opinion that isolation, dis-infection, and sero-therapy are not alone sufficient to controlthe disease and he recommends the following measures:(1) persons recovering from the disease or persons in any wayexposed to the infection, although apparently well, should besubjected to bacteriological examination of the buccal, nasal,and pharyngeal secretions ; (2) if the bacillus is found suchpersons, despite their appearance of health, should undergoregular disinfection ; (3) patients suffering from diphtheriashould not be allowed to leave hospital until the bacillus hascompletely disappeared from their secretions ; (4) in schools,asylums, and institutions where many people, particularlychildren up to 10 years of age, are living together bacterio-logical examinations of the buccal and nasal secretionsshould be practised systematically once a year (in the

autumn) ; (5) the general measures of disinfection practisedafter cases of diphtheria should not be carried out until thebacillus has disappeared both from the convalescents andfrom the apparently healthy persons who have been exposedto the infection ; and (6) some form of special sanitarybacteriological service should be organised in Russia, particu-larly for dealing with the disease in villages and places notpossessing permanent medical institutions.

Health Resorts in the Caucasus and the Crimea.

The summer health resorts and spas of Russia are littleknown outside the country and even among the Russiansthemselves it is only within comparatively recent yearsthat the great natural advantages of many of theresorts and the high medicinal value of many of thespas have been at all fully recognised. Just now theseason at the Caucasian group of spas-the best known of allsuch spas in Russia-is at its height. Already the numberof visitors to the four principal centres has exceeded 10,000and as the names of many visitors fail to be officiallyrecorded it is certain that the actual number of personspartaking of the waters is considerably greater than this.The popularity of the spas has greatly increased in recentyears; in 1873 only 1289 persons came to the Caucasiansprings ; even in 1896 there were less than 9000 visitorsduring the whole season, so that this year is already, evenat this early period of the season, a record year. The four

principal spas in the Caucasian group are those of Piatigorsk,the waters of which are mainly sulphurous; Jeleznovodsk,with ferruginous waters; Essentuki, with saline-alkaline

waters ; and Kislovodsk. But there are many othermineral springs in the Caucasus. Borjom, or the11 Russian Vichy," is one of the best known. This

is at no great distance from Abbas-Tuman, a resortwhich has of late years come into considerable noticeas the place of residence of the late Tsezarevitch, PrinceGeorge, whose sad and untimely death at or near this

place has just cast all Russia into mourning. Abbas-Tumanrelies less upon its springs, of which, however, it possessesseven, than upon its climate to attract visitors. It wouldappear from all published accounts-and this is fully borneout by private information from many people who havevisited it-to be a very pleasant summer health resort. The

place is rather over 3500 feet above sea level; it is surroundedby magnificent pine forests and the scenery in the neigh-bourhood is of unusual beauty. The climate is an invigorat-ing and a very even one. The average temperatures duringthe summer months are as follow : May, 604°; June, 63 8° yJuly, 678°; August, 748°; and September, 622° (F.). Theseason lasts from June lst to Sept. lst (old style). It is not,perhaps, altogether impossible that the health resorts ofthe Caucasus and the Crimea may in time come to be-as popular among the inhabitants of Western Europeas those of France, Germany, and Austria now are. At

present, however, the latter need have little fear of therivalry of the Russian resorts. They are too little known,too inaccessible, and too undeveloped to attempt to hold theirown against such places as Nice, Homburg, or Carlsbad. As-far as climatic and other natural resources are concerned,however, the Russian health resorts are richly endowed. Theshores of the Crimea are said to be little, if at all, inferior tothose of the Riviera. Yalta is the most popular place in thispart of Russia, but there are many other parts of the coastand many villages or towns in the mountains inland whichappear to only await development to become most valuableplaces of resort for invalids. Dr. Ivanof has recently calledattention= to the great natural advantages of the Crimea inthis respect. The southern coast of the peninsula he regardsas the best possible place for convalescents from almostany disease. Consumptives, he states, have up to thepresent done better on this coast than in any otherpart of the country, and particularly in the winter months.All tuberculous complaints do well there. He advocates afuller trial of the so-called " sun-baths " which appear to bebeneficial in many patients. The best known mud-baths inthe Crimea are those of Saki, Mainaki, and Tchokraki, butthese appear to be less resorted to than the better-knownmud-baths near Odessa. It may be mentioned, enpassant,that owing to the recent drought and heats in southernRussia the lakes near Odessa whence the mud for the mud-baths are derived are said to show signs of drying upaltogether and it is feared that the season there will be a.failure in consequence.

General News.

Professor Sklifosovski, whom visitors to the InternationalMedical Congress of 1897 will remember as the President ofthe Congress, recently completed the fortieth year since hisgraduation in medicine. It is the pleasant custom in Russia.to keep such anniversaries and Professor Sklifosovski was therecipient of a large number of congratulations and goodwishes from his colleagues and others.A Dental Congress was opened in St. Petersburg on

Saturday, the 10th (22nd) of July. The Congress is underthe patronage of His Highness the Prince of Oldenburgand Dr. Limberg is the President of the organisingcommittee.From the north to the south of Russia the weather during

the present summer appears to be equally abnormal anddestructive to both animal and vegetable life. While in thesouth the combined drought and cold followed by droughtand extreme heat have ruined the prospects of nearly allthe crops, in the north there has been intense and unusualcold. The papers print photographs of Archangel still manyinches deep in snow in the month of May. From Obdorsk, onthe Obi, comes news that in May the thermometer scarcelyrose above -15° R., or a degree or two below the Fahrenheitzero. This most unusual cold is having a disastrouseffect on the reindeer ; the young, born at the usual time,have been unable to stand the cold and are dying inhundreds. As the reindeer is a necessity of existence to thewandering tribes on the northern tundras we are certain tohear later of much suffering and probably of many deathsfrom starvation among these poor people.

1 The Vratch. No. 28, 1899.