834

0-27; and whooping-cough, 0-27 per 1000 respectively.Again, erysipelas is included in the Notification Act. DoesSection 126 apply to it and is it a dangerous infectiousdisorder ? -I am, Sirs, yours faithfully,

J. T. NEECH, M.D. Durh.,Medical Officer of Health of Halifax.

LIVERPOOL.

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

The Royal lnfirnbary : Opening of a New Operaf,infJ Theatre;Tribure to the late Dr. Alexander Davidson.

A NEW operating theatre, the gift of an anonymous bene-factor, was opened on March 9 ch by Mr. E. R. Bickersteth,the President of the Royal Infirmary. The gift will completea scheme for four operating theatres and two lecture theatres,equipped with every necessary appliance and all thoroughlyup to date. The new theatre, of which Mr. G. G. Hamiltonwill be the surgeon-in-charge, is all that is desirable. Everyeffort has been made to insure the maximum of light-both natural and artificial-pure air, and clean conditionsof work. The appliances are all under the ready controlof the operator and his assistants ; in fact the simplicityof everything is most noticeable. A feature of the

sterilising equipment is the absence of expensive apparatusin the basement. The close proximity of the sterilisingapparatus to the operating table will be an enormous

advantage to the patient, as the dre;sings will go straightfrom the steriliser on to the wound, none of the assistants,except the surgeon, touching even a needle. Mr. Hamiltongave an interesting demonstration to the ladies and gentle-men present on the simplicity of the arrangements. Helaid stress on the presence of the hot steam pipes whichenabled rapidity of boiling and the advantage of everythingbeing so close at hand to the operator.-At the recent

meeting of the committee of the RJyal Infirmary thefollowing motion was carried unanimously:-That the committee desires to place on record its sense of the great

loss the institution has suffered by the death of Dr. AlexanderDavidson, who had been connected with the infirmary for so manyyears and who took so large an interest in its rebuilding. Dr. David-son was honorary physician from 1876 to 1897 and he was never lackingin attention to the patients in his wards who during this long periodhad the benefit of his great skill and knowledge. On his retirementfrom this position he was appointed an honorary consulting physicianand by his death the hospital has lost a devoted friend.

The Liverpool Sohool of Tropical, Medicine A Year’s Res2cltsThe fifth annual report of the Liverpool School of Tropical

Medicine, presented in the form of a large-sized pamphlet,records the completion of a successful year’s work. Theresults of the teaching and operations are now beginning toappear and testimony is constantly arriving from WestAfrica and other unhealthy regions in the tropics thathealth conditions have very much improved where therecommendations of the school have been followed. Thedirector of the school (Major Ronald Ross, late I.M.S.),had received from the general secretary of the CompagnieUniverselle du Canal Maritime de Suez, Paris, a letterstating that as a result of numerous works of drainage,filling up of ditches, oiling cisterns and pits, and suppress-ing marshes and pools of water, &c., at Ismailia, the numberof fever cases had very sensibly diminished. Completedisappearance of anopheletes had not yet been realised butinsects recently captured were found not to be infected.The mosquitoes called culex had, however, been suppressedalmost completely, so that in the hottest period of the yearit had been possible to abandon the use of mosquito nets.Information from another source as to the actual number ofcases of malaria shows that they had been reduced from2000 in 1902 to 200 in 1903. The marked success of theexperiments carried out at Ismailia had attracted muchattention throughout Egypt and it was hoped that it wouldstimulate to increased energy those towns on the coast ofAfrica which remained infected by malaria. The annualcost to the Suez Canal Company for maintaining thisremarkable sanitary condition was about 700. Similarlyspontaneous testimony is also borne to the improvementsin the general health at Cape Coast, Iquito, Pern, and otherplaces owing to attention to improved sanitary details. The

report further enumerates the various expeditions under-taken by Major Ross and others since the formation of theschool and gives much interesting informatijn regarding

experimental and research work carried on in the laboratoriesof the University of Liverpool. The committee, while thank-ing generous supporters, indicates that it would be more

encouraging if the number of subscribers were larger..The Recent Small-pow Outbreak in -Liverpool history ofDevelapment; Preventive MeaSllres and Vaccination.

Dr. E. W. Hope, the medical officer of health, has pub-lished an interesting report dealing with the conditionsexistent during the outbreak of small-pox in the city in thelatter part of 1902 and the whole of 1903. The scourgeappeared in October, 1902, and continued for 15 months,afflicting in all 2032 people. But for the extraordinary vigi-lance and activity of Dr. Hope and his staff greater havocmast have been caused by the loathsome malady. The pre-valence in 1902 owed its origin to importations on 23 occasionsby sea and on 16 occasions by tramps. During September,1902, 15 cases occurred in the city, eight of which were directlyconnected with previous cases, three having been discovered attheir homes by the corporation inspectors. The source or in-fection of six (three being found in one house) was uncertain.The remaining case was brought into the port from Bilbao.The extension of the outbreak originated with an unrecognisedcase in Bbsart-street—an unvaccinated infant to whom nomedical man had been called until it was dying from thedisease after an illness of eight days. The child was

actually dead by the time an intimation had been receivedby the medical officer of health. On visiting the house allthe other occupants, six in number, were found to be sufferingfrom the initial stage of small pox. All were removed tohospital and the house was thoroaghly disinfected by thesanitary staff. A house-to-house visitation resulted in 20more cases being discovered by the officers, most of thembeing friends of the family. From this time onwards, inspite of the measures taken to check it, the diseasecontinued slowly to gain ground ; the number of cases

which occurred in the vicinity of R Jb iart-street during thethree months ending January, 1903, was 99, of which 68were discovered by the staff as a result of house-to-housevisitation. Accompanying Dr. Hope’s report is a series ofinteresting maps and charts showing the gradual spread ofthe disease. From one case in Lansdowne-street theinfection was traced to 29 cases. Djubt as to the natureof the illness proved another fruitful source of dis-semination. Owing to the fact that a large number ofcases, modified by vaccination, were regarded by themedical adviser as chicken-pox it became necessary toschedule chicken-pox as a notifiable disease in orderthat doubtful cases might be visited by a medical officer

experienced in small-pox. The value of this measure

was confirmed by the fact that 54 cases of small-poxwhich were under treatment as chicken-pox were dis-covered and dealt with. During the time that small-pox wasmost prevalent as many as 2000 families were visited dailyby the inspectors, with the result that 470 cases were dis-covered that otherwise would have escaped detection. The

report deals with the efficacy of vaccination and the dangersof infection carried in public conveyances, &c. The maxi-mum number in hospital at any one time was 335 on

March 19tih, 1903. The report also deals with the small-pox hospitals and the Vaccination Acts.March 15th.

_________________

SCOTLAND.(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENTS.)

University of Glasgow: Honorary IJegrees.AMONG the names published of those on whom the Senate

of the University of Glasgow has resolved to confer thehonorary degree of Djctor of Laws (LL.D.) are two of

special interest to the medical profession—viz , WilliamScirling, B.Sc., M D., Brackenbury professor of physiologyand histology, the Owens College, University of Manchester,and Sir William Taylor, K.C.B., M.D., Director-General ofthe Army Medical Service, War Office, London. The gradua.tion ceremony will take place on Tuesday, April l9th.

The Royal Philosophioal Sooiety of Glasgow.At a meeting of this society held on March 9th Pro-

fessor Robert Muir of the University of Glasgow deliveredthe fourth of the centenary series of lectures, the subject ofhis address being Some Advances in Medical Science

835

during the Nineteenth Century. The lecturer dealt chieflywith the development of the science of bacteriologyand its infinence on medical and surgical practice. He

passed in review the work of Yirchow, Pasteur, Lister,and Koch and then dealt with some of the importantevents of recent years-for example, the discovery of thebacillus of plague and Ross’s establishment of the mosquitocycle of the malarial parasite and the success of the r,American Army Commission in stamping out yellow fever. 0

He then referred to the subject of bacterial toxins and anti- ttoxins and the application of the latter in the treatment of ddisease, particularly diphtheria; also to the methods of pro- vtective inoculation introduced by Pasteur for fowl cholera, ganthrax, and rabies, and their further elaboration and appli- cation in the treatment of cholera, plague, and typhoid fever; and lastly, to recent researches which had shown the exist- cence of a class of micro organisms invisible as yet to the tmicroscope-a subject of immense interest in connexion with (those inrectious diseases the etiology of which is still (unsolv ed.

Small pox in Glasgow. The medical officer of health (Dr. A. K. Chalmers) in his

last report shows that 26 patients were admitted to hcspitalduring the week ending Thursday, March 10th, being sevenmore than were admitted during the previous week. Thenumbers are, however, diminishing, as is shown by com- i

paring the number under hospital treatment for each ofthe last three weeks-viz., 157, 121, and 113. ’

Western Infirmary, Glasgow. The Partick dean of guild court on March 10th passed

plans for the erection of an additional wing to the WesternInfirmary which it is estimated will cost £20,000. This newwing will form the first part of a new block which thegovernors propose to erect and which altogether will cost£100,000. This is in addition to the new dispensary whichis now approaching completion. The building, the plans ofwhich have just been passed, will give ward accommodationfor 59 beds, while the other two wings required to completethe whole new block will give further accommodation for 88beds and will include two large operating theatres and afully equipped gynaecological department.

Reconstruction of the Royal Infirmary, Glasgow.The first list of subscriptions to the supplementary fund

opened on Jan. 29th towards the reconstruction of the RoyalInfirmary has just been published and amounts in all to£97,655. About two-thirds of the estimated cost of the newscheme have already been subscribed but this leaves fully£100,000 still to be obtained.

Memorial to the late Professor Nicol, Aberdeen.Dr. W. i,Mackie, 13, North-street, Elgin, who has been

appointed secretary and treasurer of a movement for the

purpose of getting up a memorial to the late Professor Nicolof the University of Aberdeen, has been doing his best topromote the scheme and a committee has been formed forthe purpose of collecting subscriptions and of advising as toa suitable form for the memorial, a suggestion being that itshould be a memorial brass similar to those erected to thememory of his predecessor and his successor, the late Pro-fessor Macgillivray and the late Professor Nicholson. It isfelt that a suitable memorial should be erected to the

memory of the distinguished stratigraphist who did valuablework during his 25 years’ tenure of office in the Universityof Aberdeen. The members of the arts class of 1874 to1878 are taking a keen interest in the movement.

Montrose Asylum and Infirmary.The managers of the Montrose Asylum and Infirmary met

on March lst, Mr. J. M. Ross presiding. It was intimatedthat Dr. George A. Johnston, junior assistant at SunnysideAsylum, had been appointed to fill the vacancy caused bythe resignation of Dr. A. H. Cassells, at a salary of £200.The asylum statistics for February were submitted by Dr.J. G. Havelock. They showed that six patients were

admitted to the institution during the month. four were discharged, one was transferred, and one had died, leaving682 on the register at that date, of which six were voluntarypatients. Of the 682 patients, 254 were from the countyand 76 were from Dundee. The clerk read the infirmarystatistics for February. 18 patients were admitted, 14 weredischarged cured, one was improved, one was not improved,and three had died, leaving 18 patients in the house at thatdate.March 15th.

IRELAND.

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENTS.)

Belfast District Lunatic Asylum.AT the usual monthly meeting on March 14th it was

reported that there were 1071 (507 males and 564 females)on the asylum register. The public auditor has disallowedthe expenditure which had been incurred during the year ondays when lunatics had been released from the asylum. Thiswas considered strange, as the cost on such days is generallygreater than on ordinary ones and the auditor’s predecessorhad allowed it. It was decided to write to the ChiefSecretary on the matter. A motion to place on record appre-ciation of the valuable services rendered to the institution bythe resident medical staff (based upon Sir G. P. O’Farrell’scomplimentary report) was lost by the casting vote of thechairman. All spoke highly of the work of the medical staffbut some could not vote for such a motion simply on theground that it was unusual and unprecedented.

Prevention of Tuberculosis.In connexion with the proceedings preliminary to the

erection of a sanatorium in the county of Cork credit is dueto the Midleton district council as the one which initiated themovement and organised the formation of a united district.20 districts comprising the entire county united without adissentient. This pioneer example is likely to be followedby others in Ireland.March 16th.

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PARIS.(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

Asylums for those Temporarily Indigent.To put an end to the overcrowding of the hospitals by

chronic patients Dr. Babinski has set on foot a scheme forthe construction of institutions which will occupy an inter-mediate position between a hospital and a casual ward andto which those temporarily ill (°°demi-malades") may beadmitted when they like, on presentation of an admissioncard which will be given to them after they have undergone arigorous medical examination. If any crisis arises in theircondition they will be cared for by the hospitals physiciansbut they will not be admitted, save only exceptionally, tothe hospitals. After or between their attacks they will findshelter for the night and will b provided with food enoughto remove all danger of starvation although not enough tomake them anxious to remain permanently in the asylum orto take away their wish to find work. This seems an

admirable plan. Those who are really infirm, the "demi-malades," and those who can only work intermittently willno longer find themselves confronted with the dilemma ofeither going into hospital where they cannot look for workor else of starving outside the hospital and the AssistancePublique will no longer waste vast sums of money fornothing. The public knowing that under this scheme anyone really infirm will be helped will no longer let itself beexploited as is the case at present and will no longer providethe funds to perpetuate the evil of helping people indiscrimi-nately. Finally, it goes without saying that the sham poorand the malingerers will be rapidly put an end to. Somesuch institution as that just described is all the morenecessary in view of the fact that the Prefect of Police hasjust made some modifications in the casual ward (dépôt demendioité) at Nanterre. Instead of this institution beingconfined exclusively as heretofore to vagabonds found on thehighway who are taken in and placed under a kind of penalregime, the asylum will in future receive those temporarilyout of work and homeless who can go in and out freely. Theproceeds of their work (when they get any) will go to defraythe expenses of the institution.

Appointments.Dr. Albert Calmette has recently been elected by 40 votes

out of 47 a corresponding member of the Academy ofSciences. He is well known as the director of the PasteniInstitute at Lille. He commenced professional life as amedical officer in the colonial service and distinguishedhimself by carrying out a number of scientific researcheswhich have had practical applications. Another appoint-ment, and one which has attracted more attention in Paris,