65of saturation, and the report therefore states that the rulesso determined should not be superseded by the necessarilylimited experience of any local authorities.There appears to have been no evidence of earthquake

as at first reported. Local tremors, however, may have beenfelt as the result of the heavy landslips. The excessive fallof rain at the final stage of a severe cyclone and at theend of the rainy season is sufficient to account also for thesimultaneous occurrence of the large number of landslips inand near Darjeeling. The other contributory causes arereported to be " defective site drainage, excessive lead ofroad drains, imperfectly or badly constructed revetments,neglect to reduce or protect steep slopes, and undercuttingsteep slopes for the formation of paths, roads, and out-houses." The committee recommend the following measuresto be taken to minimise the chances of future damage. Better

drainage, especially of roads along slopes, a special prepara-tion of sites for dwellings, treatment of ravines and springs,reduction of slopes above and below house sites to an inclina-tion not exceeding 37 degrees, the planting of trees, and theimprovement of revetments. In addition the committeerecommend certain prohibitions concerning quarrying, cut-

ting paths, roads, and sites for buildings, and other works.The importance of Darjeeling as a hill station for Calcuttahas demanded this searching inquiry, and it is estimatedthat at least one and a half lakhs of rupees will be requiredto repair damages and to carry out the necessary protectiveworks.While the plague has been abating during the past few

weeks larger and larger areas have been suffering fromfamine. In Bombay city the mortality from plague has onlyslightly risen, but the general mortality has gone up withgreat rapidity and this increase forebodes ill. In Calcuttaalso the general mortality is decidedly above the average andthere were more deaths returned from plague.The futility of laymen reporting upon medical matters,

has been pointed out over and over again, and the

following extract from a recent circular sent to civil sur-

geons and others under Government authority is notice-able. The author writes on the " R61e of Rats" in

plague, and says, " It is by feeding on the residual matterin the excrement of plague-infected persons that rats

acquire the disease ; they then transmit it to one

another. From rats it is conveyed to human beingsby articles of food such as ghee, oil, sugar, milk,butter, &c. Plague is transmissible through the air or

by personal contact." It is said that this document is

being circulated by the Government to all civil surgeons"for information." I trust that this is a mistake andthat it is only confined to the Hyderabad State, from whichit appears to emanate. I should also like to express a hopethat the Sanitary Commissioner has not sanctioned itscirculation.Dec. 14th.

LIVERPOOL.

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

17ie Royal Infirmary and Sick and Wounded Soldiers : APatriotic Offer.

THE committee of the Royal Infirmary are desirous ofassisting the War Office authorities in the pressure ofhospital accommodation experienced during the presentcrisis. They have offered to place 12 or more beds at thedisposal of that department for sick and wounded soldiersinvalided from South Africa who may belong to the Liver-pool district. The example which has been set by Liverpool’spremier charity has, I understand, already borne fruit, one ormore of the other local general hospitals having decided toassist the Government in a similar manner.

Proposed, Legislation by the City Council for the Preventionof Tuberaculosis from the Milk-supply.

The City Council are promoting an Act in the next sessionof Parliament by which powers are sought for dealing withthe milk-supply in Liverpool with reference to the suspectedpresence of tuberculosis. If on analysing a sample of milktaken from any city shippon the tubercle bacillus is dis-covered, the medical officer of health is to be empowered tohave the cows milked under inspection and to have separatesamples analysed. On the detection cf the consumptivecows the owner is required under penalty by the Act to

isolate them, and is prohibited under a penalty not exceeding£ 10 from selling any milk taken from such cows. Withreference to the milk coming from country dairies, ifthe tubercle bacillus is detected in milk sampled at a

railway-station or from a cart in the street, or at a

milk-dealer’s, the medical officer of health, on discoveringthe dairy from which this milk has been sent out, mayapply to, and obtain an order from, a justice of the peacein the district where the dairy is situated and under suchorder may have the cows milked under inspection. If anycows are found to be infected the medical officer may obtainan order from a city justice prohibiting the sale within thecity of milk coming irom that dairy until such time as he issatisfied that the danger of infection has passed away. Thepenalty for an infringement of the Act is £ 10. On produc-tion of satisfactory proof that his cattle are free fromtuberculous disease the cowkeeper or farmer may himselfapply to have the order rescinded. Another clause in theAct imposes a fine not exceeding 40s. on cowkeepers withinthe city for failing to notify cases of tuberculosis. It willbe impossible to enforce this clause in the Act unless it canbe proved that the owner of the cow or cows was aware ofthe presence of tuberculosis in the animal. In its early stage,when no external symptoms present themselves, the ownerhas no means of detecting its presence.

The Rating of Liverpool Charities.The Finance Committee of the City Council have decided

to inform the managers of the various hospitals and charit-able institutions in the city that they are unable to exempthospitals from the payment of rates. They are, however,prepared to receive the rates on whatever assessment maybe placed on the properties by the Poor-law authorities.The hospitals have hitherto been assessed by the magistratesat nil.

17te late Dr. Robert Robertson.It was with sincere regret that the medical profession of

Liverpool received the intelligence of the death of Dr.Robert Robertson on Dec. 22nd, 1899, after a very shortillness. Dr. Robertson graduated as M.D. in the Universityof Edinburgh in 1863. In 1865 he was appointed a residentmedical officer at the Liverpool Workhouse, to which he wassubsequently appointed physician upon the retirement, in1891, of the late Dr. Robert Gee. He was also physiciat,to the Netherfield-road Fever Hospital and to the LiverpoolConsumption Hospital, in all of which posts his services wereheld in the highest esteem. Sympathetic allusions to thelate Dr. Robertson were made by Mr. William Rathbone andothers at the recent meeting of the Select Vestry, by whomhis services were highly valued.’

Liverpool Workhouse Hospital.For the post of physician to the workhouse hospital ren-

dered vacant by the death of Dr. Robert Robertson someexcellent candidates are in the field. Besides being alucrative appointment, the post is a very valuable one from aclinical point of view. The opportunities which it affords forresearch work are exceptionally great owing to the largenumber of cases admitted to the wards. There is a strongfeeling in the profession that the appointment should begiven to the fittest candidate, in fact to one who couldmake use of the extensive field for work available at thehospital. It would be a great misfortune if creed or politicalinfluences should debar a first-class candidate from obtainingthe desirable post.Jan. 2nd.

SCOTLAND.(FSOM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENTS.)

L’dinburg7b Royal Infirmary: Annual Report.THE annual report of the* managers of the Edinburgh

Royal Infirmary to the committee of contributors states that9694 patients were treated in the wards during the year-anincrease of 260 on the number in the previous year. In theout-patient department 29,439 patients had been treated,this being an increase of 510 as compared with last year.The ordinary receipts, which amounted to £ 30,739 10s. 7d.,showed an increase of £ 355 10s. lld. over the returnsfor the previous year. In voluntary contributionsthere was an increase of £ 510 Is. 9d. The ordinaryexpenditure amounted to .643,882 3s. lld., being a

66

net increase of E1996 l58. lOd.’ over that of the pre-ceding year. The explanation of this advance appears tobe that the patient’s dietary is,now more generous and varied,while more meat, milk, &c., have been consumed in thenurses’ home. The cost per annum for’each occupied bed formaintenance was 13s. 9½d. more and for medical expenditure2.$. less than in the previous year. The extraordinary receipts,consisting of donations and legacies of R LOO and upwards,amounted in all to £ 68,006 6s. 9d. The managershave resolved to commemorate the names of those whohave given large bequests to the infirmary by placing tabletsover certain medical and surgical beds in the institution.The names of Sir James Nasmyth of Posso, Sir WilliamFraser, K.C.B , and Mr. David Gavin Hewit will be thosefirst commemorated in this way. The Home of Rest at

Colinton had, in compliment to Mr. Patrick Blair, W.S.,convener of the House Committee, been named BlairHouse. It was much appreciated by the nursing staff.

Difficulty had been experienced in getting a sufficient supplyof servants for the various departments, so that charwomenhad to be employed more than was desirable. As

regarded the new pavilions it was expected that the

gynæcological pavilion would be ready for occupationby Oct. 1st, while the work of erection of the pavilionsfor diseases of the eye and of the ear, throat, and hose wouldbe commenced almost immediately. This report was adoptedat the annual general meeting of the committee of con-

tributors to the Royal Infirmary held on Jan. lst. In

moving the adoption of the report the chairman men-

tioned that a couple of days ago the managers hadreceived a letter from the Secretary of State for Warasking if they could receive a number of disabled soldiersfrom the front and if so how many and on whatterms. The managers expected to come to a decisionat their next meeting, their feeling at present being thatthey ought to meet this demand as far as possible. Hefeared, however, that in order to discharge their duty satis-factorily they would be obliged to appeal to the public tofurnish funds for providing sufficient hospital accommoda-tion for a considerable number of disabled Scottish soldiers,but if this were found to be necessary it was certain therewould be a liberal response from the citizens of Edinburgh.The motion was seconded ;by Mr. Patrick Blair, W.S., andwas adopted by the meeting.Death of art Old Official of the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary.The death occurred on Dec. 27th of Mr. David Ramage,

chief porter to the Royal Infirmary, Edinburgh. Mr.

Ramage, who was an old soldier, was in his sixty-fifth yearand was one of the most trusted officials in the infirmary.He was held in great respect by the new generation of menin his regiment and his body was buried with full militaryhonours. Half a squadron of the Scots Greys were inattendance as well as the band and pipers of the 3rd Bat-talion of the Gordon Highlanders which is at present in theCastle.

Droggiug with Cliloral.At a sitting of the High Court of Justiciary held in

Glasgow on Dec. 29th a case was heard before Lord Pearsonin the New Court in which the prisoner, a man, was accusedof having administered chloral to an old man, aged 69 years,and of having robbed this man of a sum of money while hewas in a stupefied condition. The accused was found guiltyand was sentenced to three years’ penal servitude. On beingtaken to the police-station a phiaL containing a solution ofchloral and a packet with crystals of chloral had beenobtained from him. Sir Henry Littlejohn stated that the

phial contained 29 grains of chloral in solution, while thepowder consisted of 12 grains of pure chloral. He regrettedthat there was such facility in obtaining this drug. It onlyrequired to be labeled and might be bought by a little child.New Asylum for the Edinburgh Dist2-iot Lunacy Board.This board have acquired lands in the County of

Linlithgow for the purpose of erecting thereon an asylumfor the immediate accommodation of 600 patients, but capableof extension. The new asylum is distant-nearly three milesfrom Uphall Railway Station, and the baard have promoted aprivate Bill in Parliament in which they ask authority -toconstruct a railway between the asylum-, and the station on Ithe ground that it will conduce to economy and convenience. Power is also asked to coostruob waterworks for the supplyof the asylum and for sewerage works -on an elaboratescale. Power to borrow money on the security of the assess-ments is also sought.

. Typhoid Fever Epidemic in Ayr..

On Dec. 29th it was announced that there had beenfour further notifications of cases of typhoid fever in Ayrduring the preceding 24 hours. It had been hoped that theprogress of the epidemic had been checked and the occur-rence of fresh cases is disappointing. The total number ofcases is now 154. It has been decided that all the soiledlinen, not only from the hospitals, but also from the patients’houses, shall be washed and disinfected at the Ayr CountyHospital.Jan. 2nd.

__

IRELAND.

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENTS.)

Surgical Appointments in South Africa.AFTER a farewell interview with his Excellency the Lord

Lieutenant on Friday, Dec. 29m, at the Viceregal Lodge, SirWilliam Stokes was to leave Dublin on Thursday, Jan. 4th,and to sail for the Cape on Saturday, the 6th. Dr. KendalFranks, recently of Dublin, has also been appointed anadditional consulting surgeon with the army in SouthAfrica. Dr. Franks is, as you have already stated in yourcolumns, already at the seat of war. Sir William Thomsonis stated by the Irish Times of Jan. 1st to have just acceptedthe charge as consultant of a special hospital in SouthAfrica.

Death of Mr. Humphrey J. Broomfield, F. R. C. S. Irel.’ Mr. Broomfield, whose death took place on Dec. 30th, wasformerly well known in Dublin as a Fellow and member ofthe Council of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, andas assistant physician to the City of Dublin Hospital. Hewas much distinguished in connexion with the teaching ofanatomy, and filled for a period the position of CollegeAnatomist’ to the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland.Some years ago he accepted the position of surgeon to theCarlow County Infirmary and commenced practice in thattown. His death at a comparatively early age has causedmuch regret among his many friends.

Irish University Education.The present unsatisfactory condition of Irish University

education has again been raised in a very able letter to thepapers by Dr. W. A. McKeown, a member of the Senate ofthe Royal University of Ireland. He first points out howthe experiment of the Royal University of Ireland hasworked from - the time of its establishment in 1881. Inthat year 72 candidates - graduated as M.D. (of these 34were from Queen’s College, Belfast) and 62 as B.A. (of these33 came from Queen’s College, Belfast). In the previous10 years 536 persons obtained the M.D. degree in theQueen’s University (53 per annum) and 436 the degree ofB.A. (43 per annum). In the Royal University of Irelanddegrees are given in arts by examination, no attendance oncollege lectures being compulsory; in medicine certificatesof attendance on lectures and at hospital are obligatory.Further, it is well to remember that one-half of the Fellow-ships and examinersbips have been given by the Senateof the Royal ’University of Ireland to one body - theCatholic University of Dublin ; while the other half go tothe Queen’s Colleges and Magee College with a few excep-tions, allowing eight years to elapse so as to have a settledworking basis established. Dr. McKeown gives the follow-ing remarkable results of the examinations at -intervals offive years :-

Table showing the Number of Students from the Colleges associated withthe Royal Tniversity of Ireland, and from other Colleges a7ldSclzoola also the Number of Private Sftu4-n&i who have obtained tkDegree rf B.A. in the Years 1889, 1894, and 1899..

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