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be found of improvement. Of course, it would be necessaryto administer the anaesthetic with the utmost care, bearingin mind the nature of the disease. Abdominal section has

frequently been credited with temporary arrest of tubercu-losis of that cavity. May not ether be the chief factor inthe temporary arrest 7 I am, Sirs, yours faithfully,

Sept. 5th, 907. ROBT. HUGH HODGSON.ROBT. HUGH HODGSON.

THE SEASONS AND MENTAL DISORDERS.To the Editors of THE LANCET.

SiRS.—Ihe incidence of mental disorders does not corre-spond in point of time with recorded admissions into asylums,especially private asylums. It is true that the summer

months, as indicated by Dr. J. Adam, bring special anxietiesand maximum work, for suicides are most common in Julyand least common in November ; but the inception of thesedisorders must be referred to the spring months, as I haveshown in the Morison lectures of this year. It is undoubtedlyin the study of the prodromal period and the onset of insanitythat modern methods of treatment must find their bases andmost hopeful development.

I am, Sirs, yours faithfully,Perth, Sept. 7th, 1907. A. R. URQUHART.A. R. URQUHART.

TUBERCULOSIS IN SPAIN.To the Editors of THE LANCET.

SiRS,—I am informed that after a fatal case of bacillaryphthisis it is the national custom in Spain to disinfect andredecorate the room in which the fatal case occurred. Canyou, or any reader of THE LANCET, inform me if this is afact 1 1 am, Sirs, yours faithfully,ComwaIl,:Sept.:2nd, 1907. C. E. ABBOTT, M.R.C.S. Eng.*** It is a fact that tuberculosis is regarded in Spain as

very infectious. It is difficult to let a house or rooms inwhich a patient has died from this disease. Moreover, thefurniture is generally destroyed after the death.-ED. L.

U. E. ABBOTT, M.R.C.S. Eng.

THE GUILD OF ST. LUKE.10 the Editors of THE LANCET.

SIRS,-May I draw attention to the advertisement appear-ing in the present issue of THE LANCET respecting theannual festival service of the Guild of St. Luke to be held atSt. Paul’s Cathedral on Oct. 22nd and request that those whodesire to attend will communicate with me as soon as

possible ; as we are expecting a large attendance from theCity companies and others we are anxious to allot space assoon as possible. I am, Sirs, yours faithfully,

CLAUDE ST AUBYN-FARRER,on, W., Registrar.

TEA SHOPS AND DUST.To the Editors of THE LANCET.

SIRS,-May I draw your attention to the practice thatseems to me insanitary and otherwise objectionable of sweep-ing the floors of tea shops while customers are eating anddrinking. _l admit it is not done during the busiest time,but I have just been suffering from it in one such shopat 2.40 to-day. A word of condemnation in your columnswould go far to suppress this nuisance.

I am, Sirs, yours faithfully,August 22nd, 1907. ACE.

THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF MEDICINE.10 the Editors of THE LANCET.

SIRS,-The usual annual issue by the editors of the MedicalDirectory of slips for correction will perhaps place others ofyour readers, as it has myself, in a little difficulty as tohow they should describe themselves in connexion withthe Royal Society of Medicine. I believe that a Fellow ofthe late Royal Medical and Chirurgical Society ipso factobecomes a Fellow of the new Royal Society, but how is mypartner to replace his I I Fell. Obst. Soc. ; Mem. Clin. andPath. Socs. "? and how is one who previously belonged onlyto the Clinical Society to write himself down ?

I am, Sirs, yours faithfully,Sept. 9th, 1907. PUZZLED.

THE PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SLAUGHTER-HOUSES OF DUBLIN.

(FROM OUR SPECIAL SANITARY COMMISSIONER.)

PART I.

The P1lblio Abattoir.

THE position of Dublin in regard to its slaughter-houses,public and private, is peculiar and somewhat perilous.Under existing conditions there can be no serious guaranteethat the meat is properly inspected before it is sold forhuman food. On the other hand, the complications thathape arisen are such that it is not easy to see how mattersare to be arranged in a satisfactory manner withoutoccasioning a good deal of friction and opposition. To putthe case briefly, there were many private slaughter-houses inexistence when the Dublin Improvement Act of 1851 becamelaw. Since that date licences for slaughter-houses havebeen frequently granted, although they were accompaniedwith the stipulation that on the establishment of a publicabattoir these private slaughter-houses should be given up.Ultimately a public abattoir was built, but it was placed onthe county side of a road which divided the countyfrom the city of Dublin. Thereupon the butchers con-

tended that as the abattoir was not within the city theycould not be made to go there and need not give up thetemporary licences that had been granted to them on theconditions explained above. Either the butchers were right inlaw or the authorities supine in the matter, for the butcherswere not forced to close their private slaughter-houses.In 1890, however, another Dublin Improvement Act waspassed and then the boundaries of the city were extended,so that now the public abattoir is within its jurisdiction. Inthese circumstances it was naturally thought that the privateslaughter-house licences would, as originally intended, cometo an end. These, however, are technical matters. They donot come within the scope of popular, political, or theologicalcontroversy, and the great mass of the people at Dublinare not taught to study such purely practical and scien-tific problems. Therefore the handful of butchers who havea personal interest in the question are often able to act as ifthere were no other interests than their own to consider,because public opinion is too ignorant or too indifferent toexercise any check. Thus interested parties were able tobring influence to bear, so that the corporation of Dublinduring the passing of the Act agreed to regard as permanentthe temporary licences which it had granted. Instead ofcoming to an end automatically when the boundaries of thecity were extended and included the public abattoir it wasnow stipulated that these licences could only be extinguishedby purchase. Yet it cannot be said that these butchers hada vested interest since the licences were only given astemporary licences. It was known from the first that thebutchers would be called upon to remove their slaughteringbusiness to a public abattoir; nevertheless, the ratepayersare now to be called upon to give them compensation. Butthis is not all, for even if the money is forthcoming anotherdifficulty arises. The Act insists that only one person canreceive compensation in regard to the closing of a privateslaughter-house and it is often a matter of great perplexityto determine who that one person should be. Thus it is thatsince the passing of the Act in 1890 only 18 private slaughter-houses have been closed, and, including some situated inthree townships recently annexed to the city, there stillremain in Dublin no less than 62 private slaughter- houses.That it is necessary to do away with the private slaughter-

houses can scarcely be questioned ; it can only be urged thattheir abolition should be deferred till a very much betterpublic abattoir is built than that which now exists. Thesituation is described by Surgeon-Colonel D. Edgar Flinn,medical inspector of the Local Government Board of Ireland,in his official report for 19C6. He there states that about 70butchers avail themselves of the public abattoir, killingthere from 700 to 800 animals weekly. The average numberof cattle slaughtered weekly is about 200, of sheep 450, ofpigs 50, and of calves 6. On the other hand, the killing in theprivate slaughter-houses is approximately estimated at cattle380, sheep 1671, pigs 739, and calves 20. Thus only about aquarter of the slaughtering takes place at the public abattoir;by far the greater part of the Dublin meat comes from privateslaughter-houses. Many of these private slaughter-houses

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are, the official report states, ’’ in most unsuitable andthickly populated localities." The report adds that :-A special department is now formed under the efficient charge of Mr.

Watson. M.R.C.V.S , for the purposes of meat, fish, and food inspectiongenerally, but it is obvious that he can never adequately control themeat-supply of the city until the private slaughter-houses are abolishedand the meat killed under his supervision in the abattoir. The DairyInspection Department has also, as mentioned before, been placedunder his supervision as well as the inspection of slaughter-houses.The whole question, not only of meat but of food inspection generally,is a wide and vitally important one, and requires close and unremittingattention on the part of the public health committee.Slaughter-houses situated in such crowded localities as Moore-street,

Townsend-street, Chatham-street, Westland-row. Thomas-street.Francis-street, Dorset-street are a positive nuisance to the residentsin these districts.

Such is the historic aspect of the subject ; and havingascertained this much I proceeded to visit the publicabattoir. It is situated in the direction of Phoenix Park,just opposite, and conveniently near, the large cattle-market. If the butchers who buy their cattle there tookthem merely across the road to the public slaughter-houseit would save them much time and trouble. But the

majority prefer to drive the animals through the streets ofDublin to their private slaughter-houses. This, of course,is bad. The animals by their droppings add to the difficultyof keeping the streets clean. The barking of dogs, the shout-ing of men, and the lowing of the cattle add to the streetnoises. These animals not only impede the traffic but byreason of the blows and dog-bites which they receive and thepanic into which they are thrown the disturbance caused bytheir journey to the Dublin cattle market is aggravated.At the slaughter-house the cattle would not only be sparedthe alarm of being driven through strange streets amid

terrifying tramways and motor-cars, but there are adjacentfields where they could rest and graze for a few days beforebeing killed. Also (and perhaps these form the best con-structed part of the Dublin abattoir) there are the lairs orstabling attached where animals can rest and recover fromthe effects of travelling. The surrounding fields belong tothe city of Dublin and are kept at present for grazingpurposes but also in view of a probable enlargement of theslaughter-house. The sheep and cattle lairs consist of a sortof verandah with corrugated roofs, with concrete and flutedflooring, so that the liquid manure easily drains away. Butthere are some wooden planks at the edge of the flooringthat should be removed, as they naturally absorb much of thefoul moisture.Taken altogether, I must confess that I was much dis-

appointed with the public abattoir. It cannot for a momentbe compared with any good model slaughter-house of thecontinent. The one excuse is that it was built in 1882 ;that is, before the modern principles had been generallyaccepted. The unpretending entrance, the very simpleoffice for the management, the absence of uniforms, ofsmartness, and of that appearance of order, discipline, anddignity which conveys the impression of the majesty ofgovernment, at once proclaimed the fact that in the buildingand organising of its public abattoir the city of Dublinhad utterly failed to understand the importance of itsmission. A public slaughter-house should be an elegantedifice, kept so bright and clean and tidily regulated in everypart as to constitute a demonstration of the power of scienceto civilise even the most brutal of occupations. Those whobuilt the Dublin slaughter-house had evidently no knowledgeof what constitutes a model modern abattoir. Thus on

entering the first steps are taken on square pavement stonesthat go up to the doors of the slaughter sheds. Here bloodand manure flow upon these stones. Yet they are notcemented, so that the subsoil is befouled. Now close at handthere is a terrace of new dwelling-houses and under themsubsoil water is likely to contain some of the blood andmanure from the slaughter-house. One of the greatgrievances against private slaughter-houses is that theycontaminate the subsoil in towns, and here is a publicabattoir doing the same.To the right on entering there is a lofty hall sometimes

called the meat market. Carcasses should be brought tothis hall and hung so as to cool. Under the same roofthere is a cold storage where for Is. 6d. for the firstday and Is. for the following days a butcher mayhang the meat which he cannot dispose of rapidly.The "omnibus" rails, the patent scales, the lofty, wellaired, shady and cool character of this central compart-ment, are certainly preferable to, and more commodious than,anything to be found in a private slaughter-house. No

individual butcher could afford to build anything like it forhis own private use. But I have seen in the town one or twoprivate slaughter-sheds that were, if anvthing, better thanthose of the public abattoir. To begin with, the slaughter-or killing rooms at the public abattoir have exactly the samedisadvantage as those in the town-namely, they are private.Certainly they can be more readily inspected, but only byreason of their construction and because they are nearer toeach other. In other words, there is no slaughter-hall but thereare several small compartments let out to various butchers.Indeed, butchers complained to me that these slaughter-rooms are let out to the highest bidder, thus giving specialadvantage to the wealthiest butchers. On the other hand,on questioning some of the town officials, I was assured thatthis was not the case for all the slaughter-rooms. Somewere always available for the smaller butchers who wouldonly use them for a short time. Obviously, however, it iseasier to find room in a large slaughter-hall than whenthe same space is divided up into compartments. Moreimportant, however, than this consideration of the con.venience of the butchers is the public health point of view.Obviously it is easier to watch over what is done in a largehall than in small compartments, and the latter are not soeasily cleansed or ventilated. Therefore the Dublin abattoiris behind the times because it still tolerates compartments.The slaughter rooms or compartments are also in them-

selves defective. The walls very properly are of glazedbricks up to a certain height but somehow the splashings goabove this, striking and sticking upon the porous part of the

wall. In one instance some offal must have been thrown uppurposely for large pieces were adhering to the walls at aheight of ten feet or more. It suggested that pieces of fatand offal had been used as missiles in a free fight. Such dis-order would, in Germany, be absolutely incomprehensible ; itwould drive the officials to distraction. To treat Governmentproperty with such scant respect would shock the Germanmind more than words can express and it is necessary toremember that it is to Germany we must look for the bestexample in regard to public abattoirs. All splashing abovethe glazed part or dado cannot be satisfactorily cleansedaway and its occurrence should be rendered impossible. Butworse than this, because so easy to avoid and yet so abomin-able in itself, were the horrible wooden tables riveted to thewalls on which the intestines are laid so that the fat may beremoved therefrom to make butter substitutes. Betweenthese tables and the wall there is a space from half to anentire inch wide in which fat, offal, blood, dust, and dirtcake and remain for days, weeks, perhaps months. For suchwork no wood should be used. In any case, if there bewooden tables they should stand on their own four legs andbe removeable from the wall so that they can be cleaned onall four sides and that the walls can also be cleaned. Thereis evidently no sanitary police force here.Immediately behind each of these slaughter-rooms or com-

partments there is a small stable or lair where animals arekept for a short time before they are killed. These smallstables are very dark ; they are reeking with manure, and itwould be no easy matter to clean them thoroughly. Themanure oozes out of, them and runs on to the uncementedpavement opposite a second row of slaughter-sheds or rooms.These have also got similar stables behind them. Thecarcasses from the second row of slaughter-rooms shouldat once be removed to the large hall where the meat is in-tended to hang and to cool. This removal of carcasses can beeasily effected from the first, but not so easily from thesecond, row of slaughter-rooms. Consequently a good dealof the meat is simply hung up in the open outside thesecond row of slaughter-rooms. The carcasses are thenexposed to the effluvia from the stables of the front rowwhich face them and of the second row behind them andalso to the dust and dirt caused by the traffic; to the rain orsunshine ; in fact, to multiple influences likely to oom-promise the quality and the cleanliness of the meat. Thisought not to be; the carcasses should at once be taken to,the cooling hall built for their reception ; but some butchersassured me that as they could not do this easily they didnot do it at all, forgetting that in such matters there shouldbe no option allowed. It is not a question of the butchers’convenience but of the proper preservation and preparationof meat.There are but few pigs killed at the Dublin abattoir, as

the figures given above show, but the place where they arekilled is much superior to that provided for horned cattleand can easily be kept clean. With all its defects the public

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abattoir affords not only this but several other advantages.The slaughter. sheds, with all their faults, are better than

many of the private slaughter-houses. There is better

prospect that the meat will be properly inspected. Thenthere is a condemned meat department, so that what isunwholesome is promptly separated from what is fit to eat.The site also on which the public abattoir stands is on anelevation well exposed to the purifying action of all thefour winds. The establishment could be easily improvedand better discipline and greater cleanliness enforced.

Though historic truth, and judging after seeing many modelslaughter-houses on the continent, compels me to criticiseand to find fault with the Dublin public abattoir, it never-theless remains superior to most of the private slaughter-houses. The latter undoubtedly must be swept away, but itwill be necessary at the same time to effect very greatimprovements in the public abattoirs that are to replacethem. It now remains for me to describe the condition ofsome of the private slaughter-houses of Dublin.

(To be coMMMed.)

MANCHESTER.(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

Modern surgery.A GARDEN party was given at the Ashton-under.Lyne

District Infirmary on Saturday last to mark the completionof improvements and extensions to the institution. Mr.William Thorburn, one of the surgeons to the uianchesterRoyal Infirmary, was amongst the guests and made someinteresting remarks on the progress that had taken place insurgery even during the period of his connexion with theinfirmary. 25 years ago the number of operations performedin a given time by one surgeon was 56, while now thenumber performed in the same time was 205. The deathsout of the 56 cases were 12 ; the deaths to-day outof the 205 cases were still 12. This is a strikingreduction in the mortality after operation. He went on to

speak of the still more striking advance in the surgicaltreatment of disease, particularly of the internal organs.25 years ago five operations, which to-day would be con-sidered slight and which were more or less tentative,were performed in six months. Of the five cases two

died, which would give a mortality of 40 per cent. To-day,in the same period, 73 such operations were performed, witha total of six deaths. Then, as regards the saving oflimbs, among the comparatively small number of opera-tions 25 years ago there were 16 cases of amputation, ofwhich eight died; while at the present day, in the far largernumber of operations, they had only eight amputations andno deaths. "Both the periods he had selected were sincethe introduction of anaesthetics and antiseptics and theysimply represented the gradual outcome of a steady andpersistent study of disease, the nature of disease, the meansof recognising disease, the precise localisation of disease, andthe organisation of the staff which has to deal with thatdisease in a great hospital. If there was one pointmore outstanding than another it was that in these25 years they had trained everybody, every nurse, everycharwoman who had to deal with the ward, to do their dutyin the most thorough way, and to eliminate little sources of

’

error which formerly used to crop up." Though Lord Lister’sname is not mentioned in this passage, for his investigationshave so much influenced surgical views and their results havebeen so dominant in shaping surgical methods, and havebecome so much an unquestioned and integral part ofsurgical science that the originator is almost liable to beforgotten, yet it bears testimony to the debt that surgeryand indeed the whole family of man owe to the patient andin those days the difficult labours of one man. The stimulusgiven by the work and example of Lord Lister has had muchto do with the infinite pains and watchful care thatcharacterise the surgery of to-day.

The Sale of Poisons.The careless way in which the sale of poisons is sometimes

carried on leads from time to time to fatal results. An

inquest was held at Rochdale on Sept. 7th on the body of aman who died from drinking ammonia from an unlabelledbottle. The coroner said that it was a dangerous thing to sellpoison in this way and he should report the matter to see if

a stop could not be put to the indiscriminate sale of poisons."This is really an urgent matter, for though it may be saidthat the man owed his death to his own folly, it is no less afact that many people require protection from the con-

sequences of such folly. The verdict was the ordinary one-Accidental death."

Drunken Jrcrynaen.An inquest was held last night at Bury on the body of a

man who was hurt on a railway and died the next day, andthe verdict was " Accidental death." The peculiarity of thisinquest was, however, that the coroner is reported "to havetolerated the conduct of two of the jurymen but reprimandedthem." They insisted on asking questions which the coroner,Mr. S. F. Butcher, said had nothing to do with the case.Eventually the interruptions led him to tell the jury that " Ifany juryman has had too much drink he will be wise to holdhis tongue, because if he does not he will be fined."The first part of this utterance is of wide application,even where there is no fear of a fine. The coroner’s officersaid that the two men were sober at noon when he warnedthem to attend.

M6 for Adulteration.Southport has long been famous for its shrimps and is

sometimes scarcely able to supply the demand for pottedshrimps without some outside help. Yesterday a local fish-dealer was fined 20s. and costs for selling potted shrimps con-taining an excess of boric acid. It was stated by the prosecu-tion that the shrimps had 107’ 6 grains of acid to the pound,while the Commission that had inquired into the matter onlyallowed 35 grains to the pound. Another Southport trades-man was fined .62 yesterday. In this case it was for sellingas butter a substance containing 90 per cent. of margarine.

Sept. 10th.

LEEDS.(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

Opening of the ltTediccl Session.THE medical session will be opened by an informal

0

" at home," to be held in the Medical School on the afternoonof Oct. 1st, when Major Ronald Ross, Professor of TropicalMedicine in the University of Liverpool, will present theprizes. Leeds is thus departing on this occasion from thecustom of having an opening address. In the evening therewill be held as usual the annual dinner of the medical pro-fession of Leeds and district, when, in addition to MajorRoss, there will be numbered among the guests the LordMayor of Leeds, Lord Airedale, and Professor Miall. LordAiredale’s interest in all that pertains to the welfare of theUniversity is well known. He was one of the first of itshonorary graduates, receiving at the inauguration ceremonythe degree of D So. at the hands of Lord Ripon.

Leeds Selvage Disposal.At a meeting of the Leeds city council held on Sept. 4th

the following motion was carried without discussion :-That the council promote a Bill in the next session of Parliament to

obtain compulsory powers of purchase of a portion of the Temple-newsam estate, not exceeding 600 acres, for the purposes of sewagedisposal and to obtain such other powers as may be necessary to enablethe council to carry out the scheme for disposal of the sewage of thecity which has already been sanctioned by the council.

It will be remembered that at the recent assizes an order onthe subject was made by Mr. Justice Grantham and thisaction on the part of the council is in harmony with theterms of the order.

The Supply of Water to Charitccble Institutions.A deputation, consisting of Mr. Charles Lupton and other

members of the infirmary board, came before the corporationwith respect to a proposal which had been made that thecharge for water supplied to the infirmary should be in-creased from 3d. to 6d. per 1000 gallons. The proposal wasa general one and it was intended to apply to all thecharities and educational institutions of the city, but Mr.Lupton pointed out that the work of the infirmary wascarried on without any support from the rates, that last yearthe expenditure exceeded the income by 4000, and that theinfirmary was doing a great work which otherwise wouldhave to be undertaken by the municipality. In his opinionthe corporation should not expect to make a profit from theinfirmary on the water-supply. He supported the request of