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objected to on the ground that no provision is made that theeffluent, either when turned into the effluent conduit at

Davyhulme or when discharged into the Mersey at Thelwall," shall be satisfactory, or such as the joint committeewould allow." Mr. Ktllick moved that a petition shouldbe presented against the Bill with the view of so

amending Clause 25 as to provide specifically that theeffluents whether at Davyhulme or at Thelwell, "shall besubject to the provisions of the Rivers Pollution PreventionAct, 1876, and the Mersey and Irwell Joint CommitteeAct, 1892." After a prolonged and somewhat acrimoniousdiscussion and the rejection of an amendment, whichwas moved and seconded by the corporation members ofthe committee, by 12 to 3, the resolution was carried. Atthe same meeting " Sir Henry Roscoe was re-appointedchemical adviser to the joint committee for one year at asalary of..6725, such sum to include travelling expenses."Some sympathy may be felt for the corporation members ofthe committee, and especially perhaps for Alderman JosephThompson, the vice-chairman, who was in the chair at thismeeting, but did not vote. Punishing others for their mis-deeds must give rise to emotions so very different fromthose produced when punishing themselves. Warringtonseems also to be entering the lists against the ManchesterBill.

A Burial Scandal.

From some facts which transpired at the meeting of theAshton-under-Lyne Town Council, on the 13th inst., it seemsthat some of the churchyards there are in a disgraceful anddangerous condition. The minutes of the Sanitary Com-mittee contained a resolution to present copies of orders of thePrivy Council regulating burials in Ashton to the rectors andthe vicars of Christ Church and St. Peter’s Church respec-tively. It appears that these orders have been ignored foryears. A Mr. Pownall said that the orders were " irrational,impracticable. and impossible," and that "the rule that

only one body should be buried in one grave was absolutenonsense." Mr. Kelsall spoke from a sanitary pointof view and described burials when "from the awfulstench the mourners had hurried away from the graves,of their departed friends ; he had seen foul gasesoozing from the graveyard of Christ Church whichreminded him of Dante’s description of such exhalationsbeing compared to the ° sighs of the damned."’ Allowingfor this poetical imagary, it is clear that a bad state of thingsexists. He spoke of paupers being " buried in trenches, witha very little layer of earth between each, and how coffins hadsunk in water and sawdust had been used to conceal theoozings of drainage into graves," which he aid was the con- dition to-day. Cremation was suggested, but public feelingis. scarcely ready for it to be made compulsory. The TownClerk said that the Council was not responsible for the contra-vention of the orders of the Privy Council. But if the Cor-

poration is the sanitary authority it is surely responsible for.allowing this overcrowding of the graveyards to continueunchecked for years.

Manchester Medical Society.At the annual meeting of the Manchester Medical Society,

which was held at Owens College on Jan 13th, the followinggentlemen were elected officers for the ensuing year :-President : Dr Steell. Treasurer: Dr. Glascott. Secretary :Mr. W. Coates. Committee: Dr. Edge, Dr. Faulkner, Dr. T. A.Helme, Mr. H. Lund, Dr. Milligan, Dr. Railton, Dr. Reynolds,Dr. John Scott, Mr. W. P. Stocks, Dr. Torrop, Dr. Wild, andMr. G. A. Wright. The society has at present 373members and is in a prosperous condition; ?even

ordinary and three clinical meetings were held duringthe past year, with an average attendance of forty-fourmembers. Whilst the phenomena of the Roentgen rays wereas yet a scientific novelty the society gave a practical proofof its readiness to encourage research. After the deliveryof an addrezs by Professor Schuster in the chemical theatreat Owens College on the Medical and Surgical Aspects ofRoentgen’s Discovery,l the society established a guaranteefund for six months to provide for investigations to be under-taken in Professor Schuster’s laboratory. At the end of thesix months it was only found requisite to call in a fourth ofthe .E200 which had been guaranteed, and it was not con-sidered necessary to prolong the arrangement.

Jan. 19th.

1 THE LANCET, March 28th, 1896, p. 892.

SCOTLAND.

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENTS.)

A Conjoint Pathologist for Scottish Asylums.AN important scheme is being matured in Scotland with a

view to the appointment of a conjoint reserve pathologist forScottish asylums. A meeting of a number of superintendentsof asylums was held last month at which a committee wasappointed to draw up a scheme ; it consists of Dr. Clouston,Dr. Yellowlees, Dr. Urquhart, Dr. Carlyle, Dr. Johnstone, Dr.Macpherson, and Dr. G. M. Robertson. It is proposed that thevarious asylums should contribute a sum of £500, of which400 should be paid to the pathologist appointed. It is hopedthat accommodation may be obtained in the new buildingsoccupied by the Royal College of Physicians’ Laboratory inEdinburgh. The pathologist’s duties are set forth as

follows :—1. To examine material sent from the asylums andto furnish reports. 2. To carry on original researches uponthe pathology of insanity. 3. To give instruction tomembers of the medical staff of associated asylums, free ofcharge, in the pathology of mental diseases and in laboratorymethods. 4. To assist, if required, the medical staff ofassociated asylums in pathological researches. 5. He shalldevote his whole time to the duties of his office.

University of St. Andrews.At a meeting of the University Court, on the 13th inst.,

plans of a proposed building for the accommodation of themedical classes were submitted. The site selected is withinSr.. Mary’s College gardens. It was decided to proceedwith the buildings as soon as the necessary funds could beprocured. This essential condition, however, was promptlyrealised, for immediately after the decision was taken theLord Rector, the Marquis of Bute, announced that, provideda proper guarantee were provided securing the building forthe purpose for which it is to be erected he himself wouldbe at the expense of erecting it. This was agreed to and avote of thanks passed to his Lordship. The Marquis ofBute also intimated his willingness to provide salaries forthe lecturers on physiology and modern Greek during thenext two years. Miss Umpherston, L.R.C.P, Edin., wasappointed to be lecturer on physiology. It was agreed toraise the salary of the Chandos chair of Medicine andAnatomy to f.500, exclusive of fees, by addition from theBerny bequest fund.

Maternity Hospital for Dundee.The sum of .ESOOO having been devoted to this purpose in

the Cobb bequest, the directors of the Dundee Infirmary wereapproached on the matter and undertook to found andmaintain a maternity hospital provided the sum of .610,000were placed in their hands. The additional £ 5000 has nowbeen raised by subscription and the entire sum handed overto the infirmary directurs.

Presentations to Medical Men.Mr. H. E. Jones, M. B. Glasg., of Glasgow has been presented

with a barometer by the members of the ambulance class he hasrecently conducted on behalf of the Scottish Girls’ FriendlySociety. - Dr. Duncan Macartney has also received a

presentation from the members of his ambulance class.-At arecent meeting of the members of the Grove-street Institute,Glasgow, an address embodying a vote of thanks was pre-sented to Mr David Dinwocdie, M.B., in acknowledgment ofa course of lectures he has recently delivered in the institute.

New Fever Hospital for Dumbarton.The local authorities of the burgh of Dumbarton and the

western district committee of the county council have agreedto the erection of a joint hospital for the reception of casesof infectious disease.

Glasgow University.The following awards of bursaries and prizes in the faculty

of medicine have been intimated : Brisbane bursary of C42for four years-C. C. Cuthbert, M.A. ; Highland SocietiesBursaries, ,P,25 each for four years-A. Maclean and J.Stewart, M.A. ; Lorimer Bursaries, each L20 for three years-J. D. Lickley and Allen Martin, M.A. ; Merchants’ HouseBursary, f,’25 for four years-F. J. Henry; MackintoshBursary, E30 for one year-T. Hunter, M.A., B.Sc. ;Senior Arnott Prize (25) for an examination in physiologicalphysics-A. L. Watson, M.A.; Junior Arnott Prize (£15)—R. M. Clark. At the January meeting of the Queen

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Margaret College Medical Club an address was delivered by r

Dr. C. 0. Hawthorne on " Some of the Aspects of the Mental Discipline associated with the Study of Medicine." e

The Scottish Poor-law Medical Officers’ Association. fThe Scottish Poor-law Medical Officers’ Association, which

was formed towards the close of 1895, has been several timesmentioned in the columns of THE LANCET. Its objects areto raise the status of poor-law medical officers and to providea channel through which all defects in the poor-law medical Iservice may be brought to light and discussed, with a view Ito their removal. All past and present poor-law medical Iofficers residing in Scotland are eligible for membership, and all persons interested in poor-law medical reform (are eligible for election as honorary members at any general meeting. The first meeting took place on

Dec. 9th, 1895, and the council will submit their reporton the first year’s working at the annual meeting to beheld in the North British Station Hotel, George-square,Glasgow, on Jan. 27th. The council made every endeavourto have Scotland included in the scope of the Poor-lawOfficers’ Superannuation Bill, which passed into law lastsession, but it was found that there were insuperableobstacles of a technical nature. In pursuance of this

object deputations to the Local Government Board and tothe Secretary for Scotland proceeded to Edinburgh; a

deputation also visited London for the purpose of interview-ing members of Parliament, and a numerously signed peti-tion was presented to Parliament by Mr. Alexander Cross,M.P. for Camlachie (Glasgow). Much attention has alsobeen given to the subject of tenure of office. Poor-lawmedical officers in England can only be removed from theirappointments with the consent of the Local GovernmentBoard, but parish councils in Scotland claim that they canappoint and dismiss medical officers at pleasure without anycontrol on the part of the Local Government Board. Thismatter was discussed at the British Medical Association

meeting in Carlisle, and has been brought before the LocalGovernment Board with a view to a decision being arrivedat. Dr. William Bruce (Dingwall), Direct Representative forScotland in the General Medical Council, is the honorarypresident of the association, and the secretary is Dr.Alexander M. Murdoch, 17, Broad-street, Mile-end, Glasgow.

Sanitary Work in Aberdeen.During 1898 the sanitary staff of the city paid 17,890 visits

in regard to infectious diseases and disinfected 4314 houseswhere cases occurred. 1558 patients were removed to

hospitals and 4430 patients supervised at their homes. Therewere 4848 inspections in the unwholesome food branch, and64: tons of meat, &0. (including 88,186 Ib. of fish and

of beef), were seized and destroyed, or sold formanure, chiefly with the consent of the owners. Of 205seizures only 6 had to be dealt with by magistrates ; legalproceedings were instituted in 5 cases, and the fines

imposed amounted to .628. Considering the magnitude ofthe fishing industry and of the provision trade in Aberdeenthere was thus little attempt to dispose of objectionablearticles for human food.

University of Aberdeen.The "squatters" who took possession of the old premises

in Longacre and lived there without paying any rent havenow all been ejected so as to allow the building of the newsouth wing at Marischal College to be proceeded with. These

poor people are being temporarily housed in the premiseswhich will shortly have to be demolished to permit of theerection of the corporation model lodging-house. The Uni-versity Court has declined to commit itself at this stage asto the most appropriate mode of celebrating locally theQueen’s "diamond jubilee." This attitude is held to meanthat a movement to improve the University buildingsextension fund will be made. A scheme for erecting, at acost of £3000, a marine laboratory and aquarium, thescientific work in which would be undertaken by the Uni-versity, also finds favour.Jan. 19th.

IRELAND.(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENTS.)

The Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland.MR. ROBERT LAFAYETTE SWAN has just been elected I

Vice-President of the Royal College of Surgeons in suc-cession to Mr. Kendal Franks, who, it will be remembered,

resigned that office before leaving Dublin for- South Africa.The place on the College council rendered vacant by theelection of Mr. Swan was conferred on Dr. Lambert Ormsby.On Saturday evening Mr. William Thomson entertained atdinner his Excellency the Lord-Lieutenant and a numerouscompany.

Sending Patients to Unqualified Practitioners.It would seem that at last the objectionable practice which

prevails on the part of boards of Poor-law guardians in someparts of Ireland of sending patients threatened with hydro-phobia to be treated by unqualified practitioners is about tobe stopped. According to the Nenry Telegraph the LocalGovernment Board have decided that the sending of patientssuffering from hydrophobia to McGovern of Cavan for treat-ment is illegal, and proceedings are about to be instituted ina test case against certain Poor-law guardians of the lewryUnion for sending patients of this class to McGovern.

Dublin Hospital FetesA number of entertainments have recently been given here

in support of the smaller city hospitals. On Saturday a per-formance in aid of the Children’s Hospital, Temple-street,was given at the Star Theatre of Varieties under the

special patronage of his Excellency the Lord-Lieutenantand the Countess Cadogan, while on Monday evening therewas a most successful amateur representation of Mr. SydneyGrundy’s comedy, "A Pair of Spectacles," at the AncientConcert Rooms, the proceeds of which are to be given tothe National Lying-in Hospital, Hollis-street.

The Beri-beri Epidemic.At the last meeting of the board of governors of the

Richmond Asylum Mr. Donelan, the acting medical super-intendent, reported that the epidemic of beri-beri was.

distinctly on the decrease, only 1 case having beenadmitted to hospital since the previous board meeting. Thenumbers still under treatment are 26 men and 36 women,the total number treated from the commencement of theoutbreak to the present time being 115, including 7 nurses.The board authorised the employment of a special nursetrained in the art of massage for the benefit of some of’the patients of a paralytic and chronic type, and a skilled" masseuse " has accordingly been obtained from the MaterMisericordim Hospital.the Admission of Cases of Delirium Tremens into Workhouses.At a meeting of the Belfast board of guardians, held on

Jan. 12th, it was decided that persons suffering from the-effects of delirium tremens should be admitted to the work-house and charged the full cost of their maintenance. As anindication of the extraordinarily defective working of the-

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Irish Poor-law system, a guardian stated that a few weeksbefore a man had died in the Belfast Workhouse, leaving alegacy of .f:200 to an orphan society and having .E4000 in thebank.

Coleraine Cottage Hospital.At the annual meeting, held on Jan. 12th, the necessity’

of increasing the accommodation at this hospital was con-sidered, and the committee were empowered to undertakethis extension. A plan has been prepared by which two,more wards or rooms can be provided for an increase inthe rent of £10 yearly.

curious Charrras for Whooping-cough.Considerable astonishment and amusement has been

scaused in Belfast by a case investigated at the coroner’scourt in which the treatment of whooping-cough by the

;! passing of the child affected three times under a donkey was> referred to. In his most amusing book, " Seventy Years of Irish Life," W. R. Le Fanu tells of two modes of dealingwith the whooping-cough or "chin cough," as it is so

generally called by the country people. One is this. If any-e one should be seen riding on a piebald horse the father or-

mother of the person affected runs after him crying : " Youthat rides the piebald horse, what’s good for the chin-cough ? " Whatever the rider suggests is procured and givento the sufferer. This remedy is considered a very sure oneby the peasantry, but is difficult to procure, as a man ridinga piebald horse is not met with every day. The other mode ofcuring the disease is not considered so certain, but can moreeasily be procured, that is, passing the child three times overand under a donkey. Some donkeys are better than others.I remember a famoos one in the southern part of county Down

d in which the rustics had great faith, and Le Fanu tells ofone in county Cork so famous for curative powers that

t, the owner, Ned Sullivan, supported himself and a large