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vessels, 362 foreign steamers, and 348 foreign sailing vessels.On the principle that prevention is better than cure, muchgood was done in inspecting the ships and insisting onnecessary alterations, which were all complied with, withthe exception of six vessels, which went away before theycould be revisited.

University of Durham.At the Convocation of the University of Durham, held

last week, the papers report that the restrictions as to theadmittance of undergraduates having been removed, theymustered in strong force, and with the outside flank of themedical men from Newcastle succeeded by their enthusiasmin restoring a good deal of the humour and good naturewhich has for many years been introduced to academicmeetings of this kind.

Death of Dr. E. P. Mead of Whitby.I regret to notice the death on the 7th inst., of Dr. E.

P. Mead, at his residence in Whitby, Yorkshire, where hewas a well-known and active practitioner for about thirty-five years. Dr. Mead, who was a native of Whitby, studiedand graduated in Edinburgh, and, commencing practice inWhitby at a very opportune period, soon attained a largemeasure of success, which amidst many changes he neverlost. His manners were attractive to patients, while hewas extremely kind and considerate. He never tried todo more work than he was able to do well-that is, henever burthened himself with public or professionalappointments, and thus no doubt had often more time todo himself and his patients justice. Dr. Mead, whose agewas fifty-nine, began to fail in health about twelve yearsago. After some rest and continental travel he returnedhome much improved, though afterwards he began to sufferfrom asthma and the painful passage of gall-stones. OnWednesday, the 4th, he was seized with one of theseattacks, which returned on the following day and on theFriday, producing syncope, when death soon followed. Hewas attended by his son, who is in the profession at Whitby,and by Dr. Stewart and Mr. Stonehouse. Dr. Meadhas left a large family. Another son, Dr. Rivis Mead, ispractising in Australia ; and a few months ago I recordedthe distressing death of Dr. Mead’s second son, a fineyoung man, who was mate on board a Tyne steamer, butwho, in the delirium of fever, escaped from his attendants,and leaping overboard was drowned. Dr. Mead’s funeralwas largely attended, as he was a favourite with all classes ;indeed, the town might be said on that day to be in mourning.

Darlington.A dentist here met with a rather curious accident the

other day. He was asked to go to the infirmary to reducea dislocated jaw, but in the reduction, the teeth snappingon his fingers, he received some very unpleasant wounds,followed by blood poisoning. Fortunately he was insuredin an accident company, who met the claim.Newcastle-on-Tyne, Dec. 17th.

SCOTLAND.(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENTS.)

EDINBURGH.

The Universities Commission.IN anticipation of the meeting of the Universities Com-

missioners in January next, there seems to be a verygeneral flutter and activity in the "cots" of those whothink that they will be in any way affected by the de-cisions. One hears of very little else just now; it is thesole topic of conversation in medical teaching circles, andall the arrangements and appointments in the colleges andin the schools are made with a view to what has to bebrought up before the Commission. The Colleges ofSurgeons and Physicians have both appointed committeesand sub-committees, whose duty it is to prepare evidence,examine past legislation, and recommend what action shallbe taken by the Colleges. The University authorities havealso been asked, or will be asked, to prepare statementsand offer suggestions or evidence for the consideration of theCommission, so that all these bodies will be adequately repre-sented. The lecturers in the Extra-mural Medical Schoolare also conferring amongst themselves, and, from what hasleaked out as to the results of their deliberations, there

seems to be a strong leaning on the parb of the majority othe extra-mural teachers towards free trade in both teachingand examining. It is probable that some of these matterswill be spoken of at the College of Physicians’ annualdinner, which takes place on Thursday, so that if anyof the Fellows of the London College are present they.may hear in private what is never reported to the public.Those first in the field with any public reports of their pro-ceedings are the students’ Representative Councils of Edin-burgh and Glasgow. The Edinburgh committee report thatthey are prepared to advise that the following, amongstother points, be raised and pressed before the Commission --

that a Faculty of Science should be created in EdinburghUniversity ; that the course in medicine extend over a.

curriculum of five years; that there should be a short pre-liminary course in medicine and surgery before the coursesusually taken; that there should be short compulsory courses.on diseases of the eye and ear, for which the fee should not.be more than one guinea; that there should be a matricula-tion examination for all students entering the Universitywith a view to graduation, and that at least four compulsorysubjects in that examination be passed at one time. If theother bodies go to work in the same business-like fashionas the Students’ Representative Council has done, it may be-anticipated that the work of the Commissioners will be verymuch less arduous than they could at one time hope to be’the case. There are many other matters that the students.might take up, but they prefer to rest content with indicat-ing the general lines on which they think that reform shouldtake place.

The Royal Asylum at Morningside.It is a matter for some congratulation that the Craig-

lockhart Hills question has at length been satisfactorily andamicably settled. It was pointed out in the columns of’THE LANCET at the early part of this year that it would-be a great boon to the asylum and its patients, and very-little, if any, loss to the community, if certain lands weretaken in exchange for part of Easter Craiglockhart Hill.This opinion was maintained and endorsed by ProfessorSir Douglas Maclagan, Dr. Sibbald, and others. It has.now been decided by the Parochial Board authorities to’hand over ten acres and a quarter of the Easter Hill," which from its contour and situation is of no great valuefor recreative purposes," and to take in return from the-asylum trustees nine acres and a quarter of valuable arable-land, which will in all probability become more and morevaluable as the city boundaries extend. The splendidasylum buildings, of which a short account appeared at the:time the plans were submitted, can now be completed.

The Royal Society.At the meeting of the Royal Society held last night, Sir

Arthur Mitchell, M.D., presiding, two papers of consider-able medical inteiest were read: the first, by Dr. Ashdown," On the presence of certain Substances in the Urine thatreduce Oxide of Copper in the presence of an Alkali"; thesecond, by Dr. G. E. Cartwright Wood, " On EnzymeAction in the Lower Organisms."

The Health of the City.In presenting the monthly reports of the medical officer

of health of the city, Baillie Dr. Russell called attention to.the fact that the death-rate for the past month was slightlyhigher than that for November of last year, and than the-average for the last five years. This was accounted for-chiefly by an outbreak of measles in the Old Town, and wasconfined mainly to children under five years of age. There-were at present 204 patients in the City Hospital.

’[ New Entries in the University of Edinburgh.Up to Dec. 2nd 340 first-year medical students had entered

in the University of Edinburgh, of whom 140 began theirstudies last summer session.Edinburgh, Dee. 17th. -

GLASGOW.

Social Problems in Glasgow: Housing of the Poor.On Nov. 6th last, Dr. J. B. Russell, on retiring from the

Presidentship of the Glasgow Philosophical Society, gave-another of those addresses which have perhaps done morethan anything else to stir up in the people of this city asense of their responsibility with regard to the wretchedcondition of the very poor in our midst. There are fewwho have access to such sources of accurate statistical

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information as are open to Dr. Russell, and fewer still arethey who have the ability to interpret such masses of

figures in a way which will appeal with any force tothe conscience or rouse the sympathies of the community.It is not easy to epitomise such an address, so full is it offacts, and throughout of such interest. It is " an objectlesson in sanitation and social economics." Premising that ithe notorious District 14 of Glasgow is not now worse than I

it has long been-that, in fact, it has been "the heartbreak,of successive generations of Glasgow philanthropists,"-Dr.Russell gives a number of very startling facts regarding itfor the year 1888. It embraces an area of thirty-five acres,in which there are 1308 houses, inhabited by 7150 persons.This is -57 per cent. of the total area, inhabited by 1’29 per- cent. of the total population of the city. Contrasting thiswith the healthiest district of Glasgow, District 17, we findthat the latter embraces 10’24 per cent. of the area andonly 5’62 per cent. of the population. Fifty-one per cent.of the houses are " ticketed," and are thus subject to nightinspection for the prevention of overcrowding. In 1888there were 232 deaths and 218 births, so that this districtproduced 14 fewer lives than it consumed. Reduced to ratesper 1000 of the population, its birth-rate was 30 49, its death-rate 32’45; of children under one year the death-ratewas 239 per 1000. As regards illegitimacy, 25 per cent. ofthe children were born out of wedlock ; or, to put it other-wise, 1’29 per cent. of the population of the city contributes.3’7 per cent. of the total illegitimacy of the city. The details- of the mortality are interesting:-Zymotic diseases (includ-ing diarrhoea), 4 -76 per 1000 ; nervous diseases and diseasesof nutrition in children, 3’36; acute diseases of the lungs.and consumption, 14’68 ; miscellaneous unclassified diseases,9.65&mdash;total, 32’45. It is thus obvious that infectious diseasesand diseases of the lungs are the two scourges of District14. The death-rate here from diseases of the lungs aloneis greater than the death-rate from all causes in District 17.In District 14, 41 per 1000 of the children born died becausethey were born prematurely-a fact which furnishes a goodgauge of the deadly influences to which children are exposedboth after birth and during intra-uterine life ; 18 ’5 per cent.of all the deaths in District 14 were uncertified. In15’5 per cent. of the fatal cases it was alleged to theRegistrar that there had been absolutely no medicalattendance during the last illness. Forty per cent. of thosewho died were enrolled in friendly societies; in the Spring-tiurn district, a good working-class locality, 70 per cent. areso enrolled. District 14 is therefore not distinguished for pro-vidence. Of the 232 deaths, 18’5 per cent. were uncertified,29 ’7 per cent. died in public institutions, and 51 ’8 per cent.at home. Of those who died in public institutions, the cost- ef treatment of 25 ’4 per cent. fell on the public rates; thatof the remainder, 4’3 per cent. of the whole, fell on thevarious charitable institutions. Basing his opinion on theseand other facts, Dr. Russell thinks that " the probability isthat very little medical aid is obtained in this districtexcept what the public pay for or the profession bestow fornothing." Of those who died in this district, the cost ofinterment was borne by the ratepayers in 37 per cent.of the cases. Of the children born, 55 per cent. begantheir lives either at the cost of charity or of therates ; 50 per cent. of the children born were vaccinatedgratuitously. Such a district must inevitably make<enormous demands upon the services of the sanitarydepartment; in 1888 no fewer than 16,529 separate visita-tions and inspections were made in it, and behind all thisthere was a proportionate amount of office work and moneyexpenditure. With regard to the work of the Police De-partment in District 14, this district is still " the Alsatia ofGlasgow "; it furnishes the greater part of the work of theCentral Police Court. The privy system in the district isabominable, and such as to encourage filthy habits. Thoughthere are 1308 houses and 7150 people, there are only105 w.c.’s in the whole district. The last bit of informationgiven by Dr. Russell is curious and very instructive-namely, a return of the rental of the licensed premises in Dis-trict 14, as compared with the rental of premises where foodalone is sold: the former amounts to &pound;5167 2s., the latter to&pound;4944 12s. It is to be noted, as making this statementstill more striking, that the rental of the Public FishMarket (i1000), which supplies the whole city and sur-

rounding parts, is thrown in with the rental of houses wherefood but no " drink " is sold. District 14 thus spends asmuch in the luxury of drink as in necessary food. " Ithink, as honest business men, apart from all views as to

total abstinence or the association of crime, immorality,and disease with excess in the use of alcohol, you willagree with me in thinking that people who do not paytheir rates, who throw themselves on the legal and charit-able resources of the public in their sickness, their birth,death, and burial, simply take from the pockets of the

public every sixpence which they spend on drink."Dr. Russell mentions the first step necessary to remedy theevil-to get rid of the unwholesome tenements. He doesnot think it necessary to have such places for such people ;no improvement need be looked for while the houses areallowed to remain as they are. In the main, it is not wantof money that keeps people in such houses; they pay insmall sums what amounts in a year to an extravagant rentfor such accommodation. Dr. Russell closes by commend-ing the work of Miss Octavia Hill, who seems to havesolved, in London, some of the problems connectedwith the housing of the poor; and by advocating theadoption in Glasgow of certain recommendations carriedout in Edinburgh with reference to St. Giles’s Ward there.-The subject of the better housing of the poor was underconsideration again last week in the Philosophical Society,when an excellent paper was read by Mr. William Smart,M.A. He described the state of matters in Glasgow, fullyenough detailed above, and concluded by giving an accountof various philanthropic companies which are now providingin London habitable houses on remunerative commercial prin-ciples.-The question of the " housing of the poor " has beentaken up also by the Church of Scotland. The first publicmeeting of the Commission appointed by the Presbytery ofGlasgow was held a few days ago, when Dr. J. B. Russellwas the only witness examined. He showed the relationwhich exists between house accommodation and death-ratein the eight principal towns in Scotland. It may be men-tioned that the scope of this Commission is to inquire intothe housing, the social surroundings, and the moral con-dition of the poor, and to suggest remedial measures ifthese seem urgently required. The term " poor " is used todesignate those whose wages run from 3s. to 20s. per week.Glasgow, Dec. l7th. -

ABERDEEN.The Medico-Chirurgical Society.

One hundred years ago, on Dec. 14th, 1789, the firstmeeting of the Aberdeen Medico-Chirurgical Society washeld; and on Saturday, the 14th inst., the present memberscelebrated the centenary by holding a dinner in their hall,29, King-street. Dr. Smith-Shand, the President, was inthe chair, and the croupiers were Dr. Garden, the Vice.president, and Dr. Edmond, the Secretary of the Society.Among the guests were Dr. Tyler, the Gifford Lecturer;Dr. Macalister, the Thomson Lecturer; Principal Geddes ;Lord-Provost Stewart; and Mr. Peter Esslemont, M.P.Fifty years ago the jubilee of the Society was celebrated,and of the members then present three are still living-viz.,Mr. Jamieson of the Aberdeen Lunatic Asylum, Dr. JamesWill, and Dr. Francis Edmond, the Society’s legal adviser.After the loyal toasts, the President proposed " The Aber-deen Medico-Chirurgical Society," and in his speech gavean interesting account of the history and progress of theSociety. The first secretary, he said, was a certain JamesMcGrigor, who hailed from Strathspey. He afterwards becameSir James McG rigor, and was ultimately appointed Director-General of the Army Medical Department. The first treasurerwas aGeorge Kerr, who afterwards wasa medical practitionerin the city. The portraits of these gentlemen hang on thewalls of the ball where the Society dined. The Society atpresent consists of fifty-one members; its funds are dividedinto the ordinary fund, the buildings fund, the library fund,and the widows’ fund ; and they all show balances on theright side. To the widows’ fund the late Dr. RobertBeveridge left a handsome legacy ; and by another legacythe Society has at its disposal a medical bursary of jE20.Mr. Jamieson (Peterhead) proposed "The President of theMedico-Chirurgical Society." Dr. Garden proposed "TheFounders of our Society," and in doing so gave several in-teresting and amusing extracts from the old minute bookof the Society. At first the Society was composed entirelyof medical students. They met once a week, at first attheir own residences, but this being found inconvenient,a class-room in Marischal College was placed at theirdisposal. Each meeting had its own president, and eachmember was obliged to take the presidentship in turn.Regular attendance at the meetings was enforced by fines.

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A record was kept of the subjects discussed or, "as it isquaintly phrased in the minute book, ’agitated."’ Thefollowing are some of them : " How far is a knowledge ofMathematics consistent with, and useful to, Medicine?""Is an accurate knowledge of Anatomy absolutely necessaryto Medicine?" "Are Hysteria and Hypochondriasis thesame thing?" Convulsions or inward fits were thought tobe due to redundant bile and superabundance of acidity inthe stomach. The Society, composed as it was at thattime of students, seems to have been the working part ofthe Medical School, and we find that the members met for"Lessons in Anatomy," when one of their number had togive his fellows an anatomical demonstration. Dr. Gardensaid they evidently believed in the maxim that "all work andno play makes Jack a dullboy," for the minute of one meetingat which office-bearers had been appointed ends thus: " Wethen proceeded to the tavern, where we spent the greater partof the meeting in mirth and jollity." In little more than ayear after the formation of the Society qualified medicalpractitioners were admitted as extraordinary members, andfrom that date up to 1863 there were junior members orstudents, and senior members or practitioners. Since 1863,however, there had been no student members. Dr. Mac-alister proposed "The University of Aberdeen," which wasresponded to by Principal Geddes. On rising to reply to thetoast of "The Aberdeen Medical School," proposed by SheriffDove Wilson, Dr. Struthers received quite an ovation. Othertoasts followed, and in every respect the centenary dinnerwas a great success, and evidently enjoyed by everyone.Aberdeen, Dec. 18th.

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DUBLIN.(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland.AT a meeting of the Council held last week, the

honorary Fellowship of the College was unanimously con-ferred upon Mr. Thomas Heazle Parke, A. M. D., a Licentiateof the College, in recognition of his distinguished servicesin the expedition of Stanley across Africa. At the samemeeting, the President, Mr. Meldon, was congratulated bythe Council on having been appointed a deputy lieutenantfor the city of Dublin.

Aecident to Sir Charles Cameron, M.D.I regret to state that an unfortunate accident on Friday

last has incapacitated the genial and well-known medicalofficer of health for Dublin. It appears that shortly afterleaving his house on Friday evening he tripped over a heapof stones and fell, breaking three ot his ribs on the left side.

The late Mr. Jameson Dzvver.The following resolution was unanimously adopted at a

recent meeting of the Cork Town Council: " That we, theCorporation of Cork, tender to the family of Dr. Dwyer,late resident medical superintendent of the Cork DistrictLunatic Asylum, our sincere sympathy on his demise, andexpress our great regret at the loss they have sustained bythe death of such an amiable gentleman and fond father."

City of Dublin Hospital.Dr. W. J. Smyly, having been appointed Master of the

Rotunda Lying-in Hospital, has resigned his position on thestaff as gynaecologist to this institution. The governorshave passed a resolution expressing their sense of the valueof his services and their appreciation of his skill and atten-tion whilst holding the office of gyn&aelig;cologist.The Lord-Lieutenant has appointed Dr. Oscar Woods,

resident medical superintendent of Killarney LunaticAsylum, to be resident medical superintendent of the CorkDistrict Lunatic Asylum, in the vacancy caused by thedeath of Mr. Dwyer. The Cork Asylum is one of the best-paid asylums in Ireland, and the post was the object ofmuch competition. Mr. L. T. Griffin, visiting physicianto the Killarney Asylum, succeeds Dr. Woods as residentmedical superintendent.The Public Health Committee of the Corporation of Cork

have strongly recommended the adoption of the provisionsof the Infectious Diseases Notification Act for that city.The bazaar lately held in the Town Hall, Kingstown, for

the Monkstown Hospital, has realised a sum of &pound;464. Thisamount will be placed to the credit of the building fund.

IDublin, Dec. 17th.

PARIS.

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT

The Pi-opliylaxis of Ticbe-rcauloso.WITH reference to the report of Professor Villemin on the

prophylaxis of tuberculosis, Professor Hardy, who openedthe discussion at a recent meeting of the Academy ofMedicine, summed up his opinion as follows: As regardsthe measures by the aid of which one might hope to restrainthe development of phthisis, the first place belongs togeneral hygiene, which aims at fortifying the offspringof those affected with tuberculosis and other debilitated sub -jects. M. Hardy protested against the publication ofdetails relative to the contagion of tuberculosis, andin the name of humanity he would not have tuberculoussubjects looked upon as pariahs or outcasts who should notbe approached. If the counsels of certain ultra-contagionists.be followed, it would be feared that the patients would beabandoned, or at least that they would not receive the phy-sical and moral care which they require. It is particularly onaccount of these latter considerations that M. Hardy refusedhis vote in favour of the propositions of the Commission,but only as far as concerns their being addressed to thepublic. M. Trasbot, professor of clinical medicine at theveterinary school at Alfort, declared that he could onlyconsider one side of the question. He stated thatthe bovine origin of tuberculosis is not proved in an

irrefutable manner, and, in any case, it is far from being sofrequent as is generally supposed. There does not existany example of the experimental transmission of tuberculosis.from the ox to man. Even clinically this has not been,demonstrated, although it is affirmed without reserve thatbovine tuberculosis is transmitted to man by meat, blood,and milk, and this on the-grounds of experiments performedwith divers animals. If, moreover, this transmission iseffected, it is infinitely less frequent than is thought,and can have no share whatever in the incessant augmenta-tion of the malady in man. That which proves this last,proposition is that whereas tuberculosis is becoming moreand more common in the human species, it is beingdiminished amongst cattle in considerable proportionsIn 1888, according to the report of M. Alexandre, Chiefof the Sanitary Service of the Seine, of 24,724 animalsfrom different parts, which appeared in bad condition,125 only were found, at the necropsy, to be tuber-culous. This is a very small proportion relatively tothe number of animals annually killed in Paris. It istherefore impossible to attribute the numerous cases ofhuman tuberculosis to infection produced by meat. Thehypothesis of contamination by blood is not worthy of dis-cussion. As regards that by milk, it must be very limited,.if it does exist, as tuberculosis is becoming excessively rarein the milch cows kept in Paris and its environs. In presenceof the possible danger resulting from the consumption oftuberculous meat, the authorities have prohibited the sale ofsuch meat; thisof course is a rational measure. The Congress.on tuberculosis, by exaggerating the fear of contagion bytuberculous meat and milk, has spread a kind of panicamong the public. To a remark made by 1B1. Nocard, M.Trasbot observed that he never had the idea of disputingthe identity of bovine and human tuberculosis, but thatthere was no certainty of the transmission of tuberculosisfrom the ox to man through the ingestion of the flesh ofthis animal. Professor Cornil, who is a confirmed conta-gionist, approves the instructions of the Congress, which,he thought, should be widely published. According to this.authority, there is no doubt of the contagiousness of this-malady, and in support of his thesis he cited that the.Fuegians did not know what phthisis was before the instal-lation of the English mission. The wife of the pastor, who.was phthisical, had collected in a school a certain numberof children. These young Fuegians were lodged, clothed,and placed under apparently better hygienic conditions thanthose who still lived in a savage. state. Notwithstandingthis, a terrible mortality occurred among the former. Therewas a veritable epidemic of acute phthisis.

Lunatics at Liberty.In resuming his clinical lectures at the Sainte Anne

Asylum, Professor Ball delivered a very interesting lectureon Lunatics at Liberty, a subject he had selected &agrave; propos ofthe following remarkable case. A very intelligent man,