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cultivating the typhoid bacillus in a special medium con-sisting of an emulsion of spleen and bone marrow. Theamount of serum given is not large; during the first

fortnight, if the patient’s condition is satisfactory, a singleinjection of from 10 to 12 cubic centimetres often sufficesto abort the attack. If, however, at the end of from reight to ten days after the first injection pyrexia con- ftinues a second injection is made of four or five cubic c

centimetres in a mild case or of ten cubic centimetres in Ia severe one. The effect of the injections in reducing the itemperature is strikingly illustrated by the charts which g

accompany the first paper. As regards the influence of the (treatment upon the case-mortality Professor Chantem sse,is careful first to point out how widely the mortality v ries zin different epidemics. But taking statistics for the various t

hospitals of Paris from April lst, 1901, to Dec. lt, 1902, of 11192 cases admitted and treated in the ordinary way 286 1died, a case-mortality of nearly 24 per cent., while of 186cases treated with the serum during the same period seven i

only died, a case-mortality of 3’ 7 per cent. The serum is 1stated to be both antitoxic and anti-microbic but to act 1

especially by exalting phagocytic activity.

A provincial sessional meeting of the Sanitary Institutewill be held at the Municipal School of Technology,Sackville-street, Manchester, on Saturday, Feb. 7th, at

I

11 A.1J., when a discussion will take place on the Removaland Isolation of Infective Patients in Populous Districts.The chair will be taken at 11 A.M. by Mr. A. Wynter Blyth,chairman of the council of the Sanitary Institute, and thediscussion will be opened by Dr. Meredith Young, medicalofficer of health of Stockport.

Dr. A. S. F. Gninbaum has been appointed director ofthe cancer research for which, as our readers are aware,Mr. Sutton Timmis of Liverpool has recently generouslyinitiated a fund by a donation of £ 10,000. The workis to be carried on at Liverpool in connexion with the

University College and with the Royal Infirmary.

UNDER the will of the late Mr. Robert Reeves Storks a

sum of £ 0,000 has been bequeathed to King’s College Hos-pital to found, endow, or provide for the maintenance of award in memory of the testator’s father. Owing to otherprovisions in the will it is probable that the hospital willreceive altogether about f.60,00O.

WE understand that Sir William Turner’s appointment asPrincipal of the University of Edinburgh will not preventhim from presiding over the General Medical Council. SirWilliam Turner has resigned the professorship of anatomywhich will relieve him of all teaching duties.

THE London County Council has decided that the pro-visions of certain sections of the Public Health (London)Act, 1891, shall be made to apply to measles.

THE Twenty-first Congress and Exhibition of the SanitaryInstitute will be held at Bradford, commencing on July 7th,1903.

DONATIONS AND BEQUESTS.-Under the will ofMr. J. S. Townsend of Sevenoaks the Children’s Hospital,Great Ormond-street, and the Brompton Hospital eachreceive <E.200.&mdash;Under the will of Mrs. Sarah West ofStreatham Hall, Exeter, the Devon and Exeter Hospital willreceive 100 ; the Exeter Dispensary, .E100 ; the West ofEngland Institution for the Instruction of the Deaf andDumb, .E100; and the West of England Infirmary forDiseases of the Eye, 100.

THE INTERNATIONAL MEDICAL PRESSASSOCIATION.

A LETTER from the chairman of the provisional com-mittee of the British Medical Press Association will b&found in our present issue, p. 330. The purport of thiscommunication is to invite all whom it may concern to

participate in the work of international organisation. Thi&is the more appropriate as the time is approaching whena third effort will be made to unite the medical pressof the world. It will be remembered that this idea

was first launched when the International Medical Congressmet at Rome and that the matter was then referredto the next congress which was to be held at Moscow.Nothing, however, was done on that occasion, but in1900, when the French Government assisted so many con-gresses to meet in Paris during the Universal Exhibition, an.International Congress of the Medical Press was organised.We described at some length the debates held and the reso-lutions carried on that occasion. ] The general principle thatan international association of the medical press should beformed was unanimously approved, but there was not thesame unanimity when attempts were made to define whatwas meant by the term medical press." Indeed, this in-volved so many complex and delicate questions that it was,felt that the matter should be discussed at a conference of

delegates specially elected for the purpose by the nationalmedical press associations of their respective countries. Somedifficulty and delay were experienced in bringing about thisconference but these obstacles were finally overcome. PrinceAlbert I. of Monaco offered to receive the members ofthe conference in his principality and to give them allthe facilities necessary for the accomplishment of their task.Consequently, 28 delegates, representing 11 different nationalmedical press associations, met at Monaco from April 7thto 9th last year. They were, as we related at the time,admirably received and entertained. 2 Further, they wereable to accomplish the task for which they had met, andthis was no easy matter. It had been decided at Paris to’form an international association of the medical press butthe delegates at Monaco had to draw up the rules or statutes

! of this association. In Paris a very ardent debate had beenheld as to what constituted the medical journal and themedical journalist. Was a journal to be represented as aprinting and publishing business or as a scientific and

, literary work? In other words, Was the association to be-’ a business or a professional organisation? To answer this, question was all the more difficult as it sometimes happens,. especially on the continent, that both phases are embodiedl

in one and the same person ; an editor may also be the pro-prietor and publisher of his paper. However, the matterwas decided in favour of the professional aspect of the

question. Each nation has. or should have, its associationof the medical press and this organisation is the best judge

; as to those who are suitable representatives to attend the-international meetings and congresses. But where such a

r national organisation doe not exist a medical journal mayr appoint as its representative to the international association-

its editor, sub-editor, or "scientific director." It may sendthree such representatives to an international congressthough it cannot have more than one vote. But in all cases

- it is the scientific and literary side and not the commercial-

) aspect of medical journalism that is to be represented at, and to form part of, the international association.

The members of the International Medical Press Associa-tion are to respect the conventions for the protection ofliterary copyright, to facilitate exchanges of publications,r and to pay their subscriptions to the international treasurer.

’ For the current year this subscription only amounts to 50.francs per nationality. Of course there has been but little to

= do and therefore not much need for money. It will be sometime before the members are sufficiently acquainted withf each other’s views and aspirations to be able to make some’ distinct attempt to improve the position and standing of the1 medical press and to take practical action. The Inter-f national Medical Press Association is governed by a per-

f 1 manent committee consisting of the members who were

1 See THE LANCET, August 4th (p. 347), 11th (p. 454), and 18th (p. 520).900.

2 See THE LANCET, April 19th, 1902, p. 1130.

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present at the Conference at Monaco, but this committeeretires at each general assembly or congress. These con-

gresses are to be held a few days before the Inter-national Medical Congress and in the same town. There-fore as the Fourteenth International Medical Congressis to meet at Madrid from April 25th to 30th this yearthe Congress of the International Medical Press Associa-tion has been convoked in Madrid from April 20th to22nd, and then a new permanent committee will be elected.This committee itself appoints its bureau or executive. Theexecutive consists of a president, three vice-presidents,a general secretary, and an assistant secretary who isalso to act as treasurer. The headquarters of the associa-tion are fixed at Brussels and the assistant secretary-and treasurer must reside in that town. This post isnow held by Dr. Pechere, 140, Rue de la Loi, Bruxelles.The general secretary is Dr. Raoul Blondel, 8, Rue deCastellane, Paris. The president is Professor V. Cornil,19, Rue St. Guillaume, Paris ; Dr. Laborde, Dr. Lucas-

Championni&egrave;re, and Professor Charles Richet are the

vice-presidents. The permanent committee and the execu-tive which it elects will meet in the towns where andwhen the international medical congresses are held. But

during the years when there are no such congressesthey will meet at the headquarters of the association-namely, at Brussels. It is the mission of the permanent com-mittee to convoke the general assemblies or congresses of theentire association, and such congresses should be held at leastas often as the international medical congresses are held.Consequently, the next International Congress of the MedicalPress is now convoked to meet at Madrid from April 20thnext to the 22nd. The members will enjoy the same

privileges as the members of the International Medical

Congress. They must pay an entrance fee of 25 pesetas,or f.1, and may speak in Spanish, French, German,English, or Italian. All members of the Congress willreceive the volume containing the report of the proceedings.Papers to be read at the Congress should be sent to thegeneral secretary before March 31st, and members intendingto be present should notify the fact to the general secretarybefore April 15th. The president of the Spanish committeeintrusted with the local organisation of the Second Inter-national Congress of the Medical Press is His Excellency Dr.Cortezo, member of the Royal Academy of Medicine, memberof Parliament, ex-Director-General of the Public Health

Department, and correspondent of the Siglo Medieo. All

requests for information should be sent to Dr. Larra Cerezo,17, Leganitos, Madrid, editor of the M&eacute;dieina MilitarEspa&ntilde;ola.On assembling at Madrid the permanent committee must

be elected by the Congress and this committee must then pro-ceed to elect its executive committee or bureau. The execu-tive when appointed must at once see to the organisation of allnecessary facilities for the press representatives at the Inter-national Medical Congress which will commence on April 25th.This is one of the most practical and immediate services thatan international press association can render. It is evidentthat if the individual representative of a journal when hereaches Madrid finds that he cannot procure the necessaryfacilities to accomplish his mission his protests and hisrequests may be but as a voice in the wilderness of theconfusion due to the rush of a great congress. But in theexecutive committee of the International Medical Press Asso-ciation he will find a body of journalistic experts who will atonce understand and appreciate the importance of hisclaims and demands and will possess the necessaryinfluence to transmit them to the proper quarters. Thereis also the difficulty of languages. Everybody is not ableto speak Spanish and the executive will help in regardto interpretations. In a word, medical journalists will nolonger be isolated individuals but will have an internationaland representative organisation to help them in moments ofdifficulty. Year by year, as experience accumulates, theutility of the international association will become more andmore evident. For instance, there is already a rule on thestatutes constituting the executive and the permanent com-mittee the arbitrator in regard to disputes that may arisebetween journals of different nations accused of infringingthe convention relating to literary property. But to returrto the medical congresses, the International Medical PressAssociation is to help in organising the reporting of the proceedings of international scientific and medical congressesFor this purpose the association of the medical press of th(-country in which the congress is to meet should have somt

of its representatives on the committee that is organising thecongress. These press representatives should enter intocommunication with the general secretary of the MedicalPress Association - and communicate all information anddocuments that may be of use. If this were to be done itwill be seen that the interests of the medical press wouldnot be neglected, as sometimes happens, because there is notany authorised person to make the organising committeemanaging a congress understand what is required and whatis necessary. Again, a medical journalist who is a memberof the association has centres where he can make himselfknown and where he can receive advice and help in Austria,Bohemia, Belgium, Denmark, England, France, Germany,Holland, L dy, Norway, and Spain. Other nations will joinin due time and thus international intercourse and exchangeof thought and information will be greatly facilitated.

In the establishment of such international organisationsthere has always been a great difficulty because of theunequal representation of the interests involved at thedifferent congresses. A vote by show of hands is, of

course, the readiest and simplest method, but it is mostunfair at international congresses. For instance, atMadrid the number of Spanish medical journalistspresent will be so much larger than the delegations fromother countries that a division taken by show of handswould give to the Spanish medical press a voting poweraltogether out of proportion with its importance when com-pared with the medical press of other countries. A vote byshow of hands always gives a preponderating influence tothe nation where the congress is held. Consequently, at

many international congresses the nationality vote hasbeen introduced-namely, each nation represented has onevote and the majority of the delegates of that nation decidehow that one vote shall be given. But this is not fair,though perhaps an improvement on the mere show of hands.

. It does not, however, allow minorities within rationalities togive expression to their opinion and it puts all nations on a

i footing of absolute equality. It is manifestly absurd that on a division such countries as Greece, Bulgaria, and Servia should be equal in voting power with England, France, andi Germany. At the Conference at Monaco this difficulty found- at least a partial solution in the proposal brought forward. by the English delegation and adopted. The proposal was tor give each nationality not one vote but an uneven number ofi votes, so that the opinion of the majority might be recorded,1 but not to the complete exclusion of the opinion of the, minority. Then a rough attempt was also made to differ-r entiate between the large and the small nations. There-

fore the large nations, such as Austria, England, France,t and Germany, will have five votes and the smaller nations,- such as Belgium, Denmark, and Holland, will have three- votes. Thus, when a question is put to the congress, each1 national delegation will vote separately and then divide- its congress vote in proportion to its own internal divisions.. For instance, if there are ten English members at thet Congress at Madrid and on a motion eight English votet for and two against a proposition, the five votes Englande has the right to record would count as four for the motiony and one against. No other international congress hass yet attempted to obtain a proportionate representation bothe of nations and of minorities. In this respect the medicale press sets an example to the world and this is due to the- initiative of the English section.t.

CHOLERA IN THE TURKISH EMPIRE.

(FROM THE BRITISH DELEGATE TO THE OTTOMAN BOARDOF HEALTH.)

B THE continued presence of cholera in Palestine and thefact that it has not wholly disappeared from Alexandria aredisappointing, and to a certain extent disquieting, facts.There was good reason to hope that the disease would dis-appear altogether in the cool winter months and there is

still a possibility that it may completely die out during thenext few weeks. But should it not do so it is impossible notto feel some apprehensions that it will again become seriouslyactive when the warmer weather of spring sets in.The following is a summary of the behaviour of the disease

since my last letter appeared in THE LANCET.1 At Lydda,1 THE LANCET, Nov. 22nd, 1902, p. 1414.