500

’lng thanks, Mr. Cburton.said that, though he had beenutged by some friends to retire, he hoped to be able to performis duties for some time to come.

The Hospitals and their FriendsThe annual meetings of all the hospitals have been held

now. Special appeals on behalf of the Stanley and of the’;Royal Southern Hospitals had recently to be made, and theresponse was very generous. It can hardly be said that four.general hospitals are too many for such a city as Liverpool,nor that they are out of proportion to those in other citiesland towns, taking the aggregate number of beds. The diffi.-culty here has always been that in so modern a city as thisthe oldest charities have not the liberal endowments of more,ncient cities, and are almost entirely dependent uponannual subscribers, the Hospital Sunday and SaturdayFunds, donations and legacies, which latter have to be ex.pended, instead of being invested as could be wished.citizens who have subscribed for many years are removedby death, and their places are not filled by new subscribers inequal proportion. Meanwhile the work done by the hospitals’continues to be as heavy as, even more so than, previously.

Feb. 24th. ________________

NORTHERN COUNTIES NOTES.(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

Fleming Memorial Children’s Hospital.THE annual meeting of the Newcastle Children’s Hos-

pital has been held. This fine and very commodiousbuilding was erected by the late Mr. Fleming, solicitor, ofthis city, as a memorial of his wife. The number of in-- patients treated has been 431. being an increase of 2v0 overthe previous year; while the number of operations per-

. formed has risen from 53 to 137. As regards the financial,position of the hospital, it was not so satisfactory. The in-creased work had caused a los-s on the year’s working ofabout jE600. Ib was explained that, unless more publicsupport was given to the institution, some of the beds would’have to be closed ; but, from the signs of fresh efforts anddonations promised, I think this is unlikely to occur. Ifthe working men of the north were roused, they could keep’Up this (and any other medical charity here), which has been<sstaMished principally for their benefit.

Newcastle Health Society.The second lecture of the course promoted by the New-

castle Health Society has been delivered on the Eye byMr. G. E. Williamson, F,R.C.S., honorary surgeon to, andsurgeon of, the eye department, Newcastle Royal Infirmary.The lecture was well received and fully illustrated, as alsothe lecture which followed by Dr. Drummond, physician to ithe Royal Infirmary, on tne Brain. All these lectures’have been very well attended. !

Our Handwriting and " Ourselves as others see us," A writer in one of our daily papers, on the question of

handwriting, says that "doctors are very clever men, but they are subject to fads, and they are very fond of writingabout things they do not understand." He asks: "Now,what do doctors know about handwriting? Can any livingbeing except a chemist decipher their scrawls ?" He furthersays that sloped writing is natural, as may be seen if any-one will sit down and try to make straight strokes theywill slope to the right, and if made with the left hand theywill be found to slope in the contrary direction, which hethinks proves that sloped writing is natural.

Alnwick : High Death-rate.At the last meeting of the Alnwick Board of Health the

medical officer, Dr. Easton, presented his report, whichshowed that during the month of January the number ofdeaths rose to 33, and that this was principally causedby diseases of the respiratory organs. This excessivedeath-rate was equal to an annual mortality of 50’18 per1000 of the population. At ordinary times the death-rateof the town is not at all high.

Darlington Hospital.The annual report of the Darlington Hospital, presented

at the meeting last week, shows that 109 patients had beenadmitted last year. There were twelve deaths, a per-centage of 6 41. The operations numbered sixty-one. Thework of the out-patients’ department showed a considerable

increase, in great part attributable to influenza; 4047 oub.patients’ tickets were brought to the dispensary, and 1120patients were attended at their own homes. The numberof visits paid was 9118. The financial statement was satis.factory, leaving a balance of f211 with the treasurer.

Weardale and Teesdale.The Weardale Lead Company write to the sanitary

authority stating that they have put up in their mine shopsthe authority’s notice with respect to the overcrowding ofmine shops, remote places where workmen miles from homesleep during the week. The company also intimate thatthey have asked their men to avoid further complaint.The authority, however, take the position that respond.bility for continuance of the cause of complaint will stillreat with the company. Toe Teesdale medical officer, inhis annual report to the sanitary authority, says thab thegreat falling off in the dale population is entirely owing tothe low wages and want of employment, obliging youngmen to seek employment in other places.

Carlisle.The annual meeting of the Cumberland Infirmary at

Carlisle has been held, the report showing that 750 in.patients had been received during the year. The death.rate for the year has been very high, standing at 7’3 percent. The financial statement was satisfactory, showing asmall increase of subscriptions received over those of theprevious year. ;f386 had been collected by the Ladies’Asso.ciation, and ;f624 from Hospital Sunday Fund and collec.tions in churches, being a little over the ten years’ average.There had been a small reduction in the cost of maintenanceof patients. The committee recommend that the sumof &pound;1000 received under the will of Miss ThomasonNelson of Moor-row should be applied to the cur.

rent account, subject to the sanction of the governors.The annual meeting of the subscribers of the CarlisleDispensary has also been held. The medical reportshowed that 3477 cases had been treated at the dis.pensary during the year ; of that number, 1972 were homepatients and 1505 out-patients. The mortality showed thatof these 96, or 2-7 per cent., died of the complaints treated.Bronchitis stood highest, with an array of 550 cases. Duringthe year an epidemic of measles broke out; 224 cases wereentered, and 6 proved fatal. Influenza, after a year’sabsence, reappeared in May, but was of a mild type; inDecember it again appeared, 96 cases being registered inthat month. It was remarked that 3477 was the largestnumber remembered as being on the books of the institutionin a year.

Stockton : Opening of New Baths:At Stockton the new baths erected by the corporation

were opened by the Mayor lagb week. The establishmentis most complete, comprising slipper, swimming, and Russianvapour baths. The swimming bath is said to be one of thefinest in the kingdom, and is provided with forty dressingboxes. This bath is seventy-six feet long by twenty-sevenfeet wide. The whole cost of the baths has been over &pound; 7000.The corporation is to be congratulated on its public spiritand advanced position in sanitation.Newcastle- on-Tyne, Feb. 24th.

,;

SCOTLAND.(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENTS.)

Edinburgh University Court.AT a meeting of the University Court last week Dr. John

Wyllie, Edinburgh, was appointed Additional Examiner inClinical Medicine for one year from Jan. 1st lasb;’ Re-cognition was also granted to the Public Health Laboratoryof the University of Aberdeen as one in which practicalinstruction is given in the methods of investigating subjectspertaining to public health, which should qualify for gradua-tion in science in the Department of Public Health in theUniversity of Edinburgh ; and to Professor Matthew Hay,M.D., Aberdeen, as teacher of public laboratory work inthe laboratory.

Tlze Question of Unsound Meat in Edinburgh.There have from time to time been expressions of dissatis.

faction from the butchers as to reports on the seizure ofunsound meat in Edinburgh, and the recent caseof anthrax appears to have made them still more

501

anxious to have steps taken to put the trade above sus-picion. A deputation from the Master Butchers’ Associa-tion has had an interview with a subcommittee of thePnblic Health Committee of the Town Council, after whichthe matter was discussed at length by the whole committee.The proposal involved the establishment of a clearing-house, into which all dead meat should be sent in orderto be inspected and certified before being exposed for sale.This suggestion, if carried into effect, and the work of in-spection committed to skilled persons, would be as satis.factory a guarantee as could be provided, and would domuch to lessen the feeling of uncertainty and insecuritywhich lingers in the public mind.

The Health of Edinburgh.The mortality last week was 81, making the death-rate 16

per 1000. Diseases of the chest accounted for at least 40deaths, and zymotic diseases for 9, of which 4 were due tomeasles. The intimations for the week comprised: typhusfever 1, typhoid fever 1, diphtheria 9, scarlatina 12, andmeasles 78.

Scottish Microscopical Society.At the meeting of this society last week, Mr. Gustav

Mann made an interesting and elaborate communication onthe Phenomena of Fertilisation in the Embryo Sac ofFlowering Plants, which he illustrated by means ofdiagrams and numerous microscopical sections. Dr. JosephCoats of Glasgow read a paper on the Pathology ofSudamina, which he illustrated by means of a micro.

scopical demonstration. After reviewing the present posi-tion of our knowledge on the subject and the variousviews held, he contended that the sudamina were the resultof blocking of the sweat glands, and the condition wasaccompanied with leucocyte migration, and was an irrita-tive or inflammatory one. Mr. George Brook, lecturer onembryology in the University, made a communication onsome recent researches on "direct" or Amitotic NuclearDivision, which, however, he was unable to finish owing tothe time occupied by the other papers.

The Edinburgh Association for the Reform of IledicalEducation.

This Association has prepared and presented a secondstatement to the Universities Commissioners on DraftOrdinance No. 10 (General) The statement refers to theduties and emoluments of professors, lecturers, and assistants.Feb. 23rd.

_______________

IRELAND.(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

Royal University of Ireland.AT a meeting of the Senate last week several Fellows

were appointed, some reappointed, and examiners selectedfor the ensuing year. Drs. Ambrose Birmingham andW. Thornley Stoker were appointed Medical Fellows.

British Medical Association: Dublin Branch.The fifteenth annual meeting was held last week in the

Royal College of Physicians, presided over by Dr. Walter G.Smith. The members dined in the College in the evening.The President for next year will be Dr. Arthur Foot, seniorphysician to the Meath Hospital.

Poor-law Officers.A deputation from the various Irish associations interested

in the matter waited on the Vice-President of the LocalGovernment Board with reference to the question of super-annuation, and urged the necessity of having the UnionOfficers’ Superannuation Bill of 1884 passed into law. Mr.Morris promised that their views should be laid before theGovernment, and that be would do all in his power toredress the grievances of Irish Poor-law officers.

Proposed Hospital for Consumption.A meeting was held last week at the Royal College of Phy.

sicians for the purpose of establishing a hospital for phthisicalpatients in the neighbourhood of Dublin. Dr. Finny, Pre-sident of the College, occupied the chair, and stated thathis Excellency the Lord-Lieutenant had promised to con-tribute &pound;500 provided that the sum of 10,000&mdash;which thecommittee considered necessary before starting the institu-tion-was subscribed within six months, while the Countessof Zetland had collected a sum of 91500. The object of thecoamiittee, be said, was tlat the hospital should be non-

sectarian, that it should be a place where the poor mightfind for themselves a home where they would have pureair. The Registrar.General believed that the institu-tion was necessary, because the disease was infective andcould not be treated in ordinary hospitals. Considered as P..

single disease, it was the most potent cause of death imIreland, more than one-tenth of the deaths registered inIreland between 1871 and 1880 being due to it. The build’.-ing would cost probably &pound;2000, and about &pound;5000 a year forrmaintenance.

Dublin Mccin Drainage.Mr. Cotton, chief engineering inspector of the Local Govern-

ment Board, held an inquiry last week, in the City Hall, inreference to the application made by the Corporation ofDublin to obtain the sanction of the Board for obtainingloans amounting to &pound;278,000 for the purpose of carrying out)the proposed main drainage scheme for the city. The LordMayor, who was examined, stated that the scheme, whichhad been unanimously adopted by the Corporation, con-sisted of an intercepting sewer from Kingsbridge on thenorth side to Marlborough.street, and to a place on BurghQuay. There was also a sewer provided for Kilmainbam,and another for Island Bridge, joining the sewer at Kings-bridge ; while a E-yphon under the Liffey joins the north andsouth systems. Ultimately the sewage is discharged into theoutfall, running along parallel to the Pembroke and Rath-mines main outfall sewer, round the Pigeon House Fort to theWhite Bank, where the precipitation tanks are. At theWhite Bank the sewage would be stored in tanks, andchemically treated. The solid sludge would fall to thebottom, leaving the clarified effluent, which would be pre-cipitated into the river in a harmless condition. The solidmatter would be pumped into a steam barge, and thencarried out to sea. The sewers will be constructed of Port--land cement concrete, with an internal ring of four inchesand a half of brickwork laid in Dublin cement. Mr,Chatterton of London is the sanitary engineer, and there isno reason to doubt that the proposed scheme will besanctioned by the Local Government Board. The cost ofrepayment will be about 8d. in the pound on the valuation.

The late Tlr. N. C. Whyte, .31. B. C. S.The late coroner for Dublin, Mr. Whyte, died without?

leaving any means for his widow and daughter, and a fundhas been started for the support of the widow, her daughterhaving died within the last few days. Atthough Mr.Whyte drew a salary of f500 yearly, yet he was a man o{tgreat benevolence, and subscribed largely to variouscharitable objects, and, his health being delicate, he wasunable to insure his life.

Coroner for South Kilkenny.There were four candidates for the vacanb coronership,

three of whom were medical practitioners. The voting wasas follows :&mdash;Dr. Walsh, 877 ; Dr. Stephenson, 830 ; Mr. J. J.Shee, 508; and Dr. F. E. Cane, 314.

Cork Union: Election of a Medical Officer.By the death of Dr. Crowley a vacancy for a dispensary

medical officer had arisen, and this week a meeting of thedispensary committee took place to elect a successor.

There were six candidates, three of whom withdrew, andfinally Dr. O’Mahony was elected by a majority of votes.’ The Lord- Lieutenant has appointed Patrick W. Maxwell,M.D., to be Surgeon Aurist in Ordinary to his household.’ Surgeon-General Samuel B. Roe, C.B., of BallyconneHouse, has been appointed sheriff for the county of Cavan.

Feb. 23rd.

PARIS.(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

Novel Treatment of Neurasthenia.HYPODERMIC THERAPEUTICS continue to grow in favour.

This applies not only to the chemical substances of thePharmacopoeia., the hypodermic administration of which hasin recent years so much extended and is now firmlyestab-lished, but bids fair to take a new departure on the linesadvocated by Brown-Sequard. In this latter connexionM. Constantin Paul, at a recent meeting of the Academy ofMedicine, related his observations of a certain number ofcases which he had treated by iDjections of a preparation ofnervous substances into the subcutaneous cellular tissues.