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asylum district for the sick poor. This is an exceedingly im-portant notice. It will be remembered that the Westminster

parishes of St. Margaret and St. John were shown by ourCommissioners to have managed their workhouses worst of

any of the metropolitan boards. Let us hope that the infusionof new blood may do something to improve the apparentlydesperate state of confusion and mismanagement into whichworkhouse business in the Westminster parishes has fallen.

THE SMOKE NUISANCE.

WHEN the Sanitary Act of 1866 was passed, the operationof a portion of it was delayed for the space of one year afterthe date of the Act. That time has now elapsed, and on the8th of last month the portion of the clause alluded to cameinto effect. It is for regulating smoking chimneys, and makingthem, and also certain fireplaces &c., nuisances within the

meaning of the Nuisances Removal Acts. The section is the

19th, and the division of it to which we now refer is asfollows :-

" Any fireplace or furnace which does not, as far as prac-ticable, consume the smoke arising from the combustible usedin such fireplace or furnace, and is used, within the district ofa nuisance authority, for working engines by steam, or in anymill, factory, dyehouse, brewery, bakehouse, or gaswork, orin any manufactory or trade process whatsoever : Any chim-ney (not being the chimney of a private dwelling-house) send-ing forth black smoke in such quantity as to be a nuisance :Provided, first, that in places where, at the time of the passingof this Act, no enactment is in force compelling fireplaces orfurnaces to consume their own smoke, the foregoing enactmentas to fireplaces and furnaces consuming their own smoke shallnot come into operation until the expiration of one year fromthe date of the passing of this Act." "

We commend this to the attention of nuisances removalauthorities throughout the country.

THE inhabitants of the flourishing town of Eastbourne,which has become one of the most important watering placeson the south coast, last week opened a splendid building forthe comfort and accommodation of the inhabitants and visitors,which is worthy of especial mention. Baths and washhouses

upon a most extensive scale, and replete with every moderncontrivance to render them of the greatest use to the public,were inaugurated at a luncheon given at the Anchor Hotel.The meeting, which was numerously attended, was presidedover by Dr. Hayman, supported by the most influential in-habitants of the town. The Chairman, in the course of anable address, alluded to the efforts that had been made by theinhabitants of Eastbourne to perfect the sanitary arrangementsof the town. He stated the fact that within the past week aneducational institution had been opened in the town, for the ,,

sons of gentlemen. He afterwards made some judicious re-marks on the virtues of sea air and sea water, hot and cold.The inhabitants of Eastbourne are indebted to Dr. Haymanfor the interest he has displayed in their behalf.

AT the last meeting of the Academy of Medicine, the Presi-dent, Mr. Tardieu, had just announced the death of Velpeauand Guibourt, and the meeting was under the sad impressionof his words, when he added, to the utter dismay of his audi-tory, that another of their colleagues, Professor Behier, haddied suddenly the day before. This sad news was, happily,false. It had taken rise in a telegraphic mistake. ProfessorBéhier had been called into the country, a short distance fromParis. On his way he fell ill (from an attack of cholerine, itis said), and immediately telegraphed for his son. In the

evening the son directed in turn a telegram to be sent to somerelative in Paris. He wrote "My father is better" (mieux);the last word the employé at the telegraph office convertedinto mort, dead.

A SPECIAL general meeting of governors of Charing-crossHospital was held on Wednesday to take into considerationthe proposed alterations and additions to the rules and work.ing of the hospital, to which we have before given publicity.The Court of Governors adopted the reforms suggested by theCouncil, save in regard to the mode of election of officers,which will be considered at the annual meeting of governorsto be held in February next.

MR. CLARKE ASPINALL has been elected Coroner for Liver-

pool. He was virtually unopposed. Our correspondent’sletter, the publication of which is unavoidably postponed,explains the circumstances in detail.

IT has been decided to erect a new hospital for Europeansat Delhi, near to the present Government dispensary.

THE MEDICAL ASPECT OF AN ABYSSINIANCAMPAIGN.

THE telegraphic despatch, if true, which arrived on Wed-nesday from Constantinople, puts an end to the projected cam-paign to Abyssinia. At the time of going to press, however, noofficial confirmation of the truth of the report that the cap-tives have been liberated had been received, and the possibilityexists, therefore, that an expedition may, after all, be neces-sary to obtain possession of our incarcerated countrymen. Infull knowledge of these facts, we believe that an account ofthe medical aspect of any campaign that may be undertakenwill be of interest, and we therefore do not hesitate to pub-lish a series of facts in our possession, which will serve to

remove a good deal of misconception that has already arisenin reference to the nature of the climate of Abyssinia, and thewants of an army that may take the field in that country.For, to judge from. the prevailing tone adopted by the variouswriters in the daily journals, the projected campaign is con-sidered likely to add another to the list of our unfortunate wars.It has been already included in the same category as the Wal-cheren, the Ashantee, and Bhootan affairs ; and we have beencarefully taught to regard disease and death as certain, albeit

unfulfilled, prophecies. Such dismal forebodings are, to ourmind, exaggerated statements, and not fairly deducible fromthe knowledge we possess of Abyssinia and its climate.No doubt, from a topographical point of view, that country

would present almost unparalleled difficulties in the way of

conducting a campaign against a vigilanb foe with an ablestrategical leader. The parts which would be traversed are dis-tant from the seaboard and comparatively unknown. Therewould be the local obstacles and intricacies arising from thediversified character of the country-the mountains and hills,of all sizes, tossed about in eccentric confusion, as if the faceof nature had been distorted and torn by many a grand andmany a petty convulsion-the mountain gorges, passes, andvalleys, watercourses and gullies. A country characterised byfeatures like these would strain to the utmost the capacities ofthose charged with the military organisation and transport; butthere appears to be no want of confidence in Sir Robt. Napierin this respect. Again, we can quite appreciate the enormous dragwhich a war at such a distance, and in such a country, wouldentail upon our finances. But we cannot discover the groundson which the gloomy predictions, well-nigh universal, as tothe utterly insanitary state of the country have been founded.Let us take stock of the facts at command, consider the diffi-culties with calmness, and endeavour to strike a balance fairly.In order to do this, however, we must enter into some detailswhich, perhaps, scarcely come within the province of themedical journalist, although they are essential to a knowledgeof the subject.

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If the reader will look at a good map of Abyssinia, he willperceive at a glance the main features we have described; andhe will notice that, by its natural configuration, Abyssinia isdivided into a flat, low-lying coastland, and mountainous up-lands internal to it. Unless our geographers are miserablymistaken, the " 300 miles of jungle " is a myth existing onlyin imagination. Still, the character of the low countrydeserves all that can be said against it. It is an arid, water-less, uncultivated, trackless desert ; wretchedly hot, andterribly unhealthy. But not so the highlands. These aresaid to be salubrious, temperate, well watered, traversed bynumerous tracks, to be very fertile in places, and to possessimmense capabilities in this respect. The table-land is, on anaverage, about 4000 feet above the level of the sea, withmountains of 10,000 or 15,000 feet in height, and all thosealternations of scenery which make up our idea of what isgrand and picturesque. There is game enough, large andsmall, to delight the heart of the sportsman, and objects inthe vegetable and animal kingdoms capable of stimulating theinterest of even a dull naturalist. These highlands, accordingto Parkin and others, are healthy. " They are said to enjoyprobably as salubrious a climate as any country on the face ofthe globe. The heat is by no means oppressive, a fine light aircounteracting the power of the sun."Let us suppose the route is to Ma,gdala or some part of the

interior, and let us assume that the point of debarkation isat Massowah, Ansley bay, or Amphilla bay. The latter placeis open to two objections : namely, one nautical in character,that the anchorage is described as inferior; the other medical,that the troops would have to traverse a considerable tract ofthis fearfully hot, low-lying, unhealthy country before reachingthe highlands. The anchorage at Massowah is said to be good,and its distance from Taranta pass small (forty or fifty miles),so that the troops might speedily reach a healthier and coolerclimate. It is quite possible that the base of operations mightbe at this pass, or not far distant therefrom, to the south-eastof Massowah, on the Agametta plateau, near the Samharvalley. We have named these points in consequence of theobvious advantage they possess in being nearest to the high-lands and in their proximity to Aden.The meteorological phenomena of the country present

nothing in themselves to awaken any very serious <<pprehen-sions. Massowah, it is true, is one of the hottest placesin the world. In July Ferret’ and Galinier found the

temperature 127&deg; in the shade, and in November it was 93&deg;at noon, and 86&deg; at nine P.M. The Agametta plateau issaid to be well wooded, and plentifully supplied with water. z,Its verdure is due to the fact that the cool season is therainy one in that portion of the country lying between theAbyssinian highlands and the sea. There is a north-eastmonsoon; in fact, from October to the end of March there issome, though not heavy, rain every day. The April sun iswarm during the day without being very unpleasantly so, andin the open plain or on the hills there is a cool sea breezealways blowing. The nights are cold, characterised by heavydews, and blankets are required. The rainy season in thehighlands lasts from May to September, and a little rain fallsin November; the temperature is mild; the nights are cold,particularly at great elevations, snow existing on the tops ofthe highest mountains.The diseases incidental to Abyssinia are touched upon by

various authors, but by none are they more graphically orsagaciously described than by Bruce himself. Mainly, theyare these :-Malarial fevers, ranging in severity from a con-tinued to the tertian intermittent type ; dysentery, the com-mon concomitant of these fevers ; the parasitic diseases, towhich we referred last week; and a few others-elephantiasisand skin diseases among them-are mentioned by authors, butthese need not detain us. With regard to the parasitic causesof disease, we are ignorant of the extent to which these mayprevail in the particular localities which our troops will tra-verse. There is no reason whatever to fear any sudden break-down from this cause however; besides, they are to a greatextent preventable. En passant we may state that a large antis mentioned by some of the writers on Abyssinia as parti-cularly destructive to all articles of clothing and tent equipage,and as inflicting very disagreeable stings on man himself.The fevers are by far the most important item in the list

of diseases incidental to the climate; but these are, after all,mainly confined to the lowlands, and to the highlands in certainlocalities and during certain seasons. No doubt the dried bedsof mountain torrents, the gullies, and the valleys betweenenormous hills are obnoxious from the malarial character oftheir confined air. The riversof these climes, it must be re-

membered, are like the cloud of Elijah, no bigger than a man’shand at one time perhaps ; while at another, when swollen bytropical rains, they are enormous streams. The Tacazzy, oneof the principal rivers, is a large and rapid stream, varying,however, remarkably in these respects, according as it is therainy or dry season. Bruce says that, from the falling of thefirst rains in March till November, it is death to sleep in thecountry adjoining it, both within and without its banks.Bruce lays down some very sensible rules for the 1’e[J&Igrave;1nen

adapted to the country. He particularly, and with muchjustice, we think, dwells upon the injurious effects of spirit-uous liquors, while he extols the virtues of temperance, clean-liness, and cold water. The native regiments of our Indianarmy, with their supply of doctors experienced in the causesand treatment of tropical diseases, ought to prove admirabletroops for any expedition, and to exhibit a smaller suscepti-bility to climatic diseases than European soldiers. With an

ample supply of quinine, and the power to change a positionand encamp in a new one as frequently as required, our medicalofficers would be able, we trust, to contend, and not altogetherunsuccessfully, against the difficulties which undeniably exist,however much they may have been exaggerated.Now, as to the campaign itself. Indian troops are quite

am fait at water supply. Scarcely a march takes place intheir own country without its accompanying water supply,borne by native water-bearers. But on this subject, again,we are heterodox in not entertaining all the apprehensionswhich appear to exist. There is no lack of water in the high-lands. The troops would, of course, be liberally supplied withfilters.We trust that all the resources of modern science would be

turned to account, and several of the more recent practicalinventions be made available for the purposes of this campaign.The soldiers would, no doubt, carry the smallest possible per-sonal equipment. Each individual might be supplied vtitha small quantity of biscuit, and with some of the various con-centrated preparations or extracts of meat, in order to renderhim independent of the commissariat, and prepared againstany temporary hitch or delay in the arrival of supplies. Thetente d’abri, so much employed by the French in their cam-paigns, and in Algeria, might also be utilised in an expeditionwhere celerity of movement and a minimum amount of bag-gage are clesiderata. The "Brct2icard Cognpre,s6" has beendesigned by the French for the utilisation of these tentescl’abri in the removal of sick and wounded men. It formspart, we are told, of the French regulation ambulances. Dr.Martres has devised several ingenious and practical contri-vances for adapting the tente d’abri to these and similar pur-poses, which appear to be deserving of a trial. The water-deck, or piece of india-rubber cloth, would likewise be requisitefor protecting the soldier from the dampness and emanationsfrom the soil.As to the transport of the sick and wounded, cacolets and

litieres, we presume, should be exclusively employed, the natureof the country preventing the use of anything like wheeledambulance. There is no more admirable conveyance for a sickman than the Indian doolies ; but these, unfortunately, requiresix men to carry them. Comparative experiments at the

present Paris Exhibition have left no doubt that the Frenchmule cacolets were the best of those exhibited there. SignorLocati, of Turin, constructed some cacolets specially for theconveyance of patients along the narrow and mountainouspasses of the Tyrol; and these are also shown at the Exhibi-tion.

Supposing a campaign to be undertaken, we sincerely trustthat there will be a perfectly clear definition of the functionsand responsibilities of the respective departments. The effi-

ciency of the medical service is of paramount importance. Thedifficulties which would attend the campaign are confessedlygreat; it would be inexcusable were those difficulties rendered

insuperable by mismanagement, defective organisation, or

divided responsibility.

CHOLERA IN THE MEDITERRANEAN STATIONS.

Two official reports by Dr. Sutherland on the SanitaryCondition of Malta and Gozo and of Gibraltar, with referenceto the Epidemic Cholera of 1865, have just been published.They contain the results of a special investigation made forthe War Office into the local conditions under which cholerahad manifested itself during the late epidemic in the military