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remarked in his hearing, "If you are careless in the elec- I,tion of fellows, let your College go to pieces." If all the ’,members were fit to be fellows, let them be made fellowsto-morrow morning. As regards another point, he ques-tioned the fact of there being 682 practising physicians un-connected with the College. He much doubted if sixtycould be found. No doubt he would read in the medical

papers what a conservative he was. He could not help it.His duty was to make the College less a trading or businesscorporation, but more scientific and more learned; andas to the admission of members, they were not exclusive,for the censors would admit as many as like to presentthemselves for examination, and he would give up anyamount of time to the duty. As to the distinguished menwho were not connected with the College, the doors wereopen to them. The College could not go and tout for them.The main object of Dr. Williams’s motion was good-viz.,to see how the College could incorporate more fully andfaithfully the practising physicians of the country, but the682 pnysicians must come through the proper channel.Though he sympathised with Dr. Williams in every liberalwish in regard to them, he would prefer that the subjectshould be dealt with by a separate committee, as it mightbe more fully and fairly gone into no doubt. But as thematter was before the Council in another shape, he wouldmove an amendment, That the subject be deferred untilthe report of the Council as to the nomination of fellowsbe received."

Dr. SissoON seconded the amendment. He argued thatthe standard of professional status and acquirements ofthose connected with the fellows should not be lowered, andpointed out that of late years the number of provincialmembers admitted as fellows had been comparatively large.

Dr. STEWART supported the amendment.Dr. PITMAN pointed out the inconvenience that might

result from the consideration of what was virtually thesame subject by two separate bodies-the Council and aspecial committee-at the same time.

Dr. EDWARD SMITH said there was this essential differ-ence between the matter referred to the Council and thatdealt with by Dr. Williams’s motion, that the latter hadreference to the members as well as the fellows. If hecould see his way to increase the number of members hewould agree to Dr. Williams’s motion. But he could not;two things must influence the admission of members-theexamination and the fee; and he did not see that either ofthese could alter. He objected to anyone not passing anexamination for the membership, and therefore he couldnot support Dr. Williams’s motion.

Dr. WILLIAMS, in reply, said he had taken pains toobtain accurate facts. He did not call the Council narrow-minded, but the rules by which they were bound were con-ceived in a narrow-minded spirit. Justice was not doneto members ; and he believed that the appointment of acommittee to investigate the matter would be fraught withthe best results; but as there were some special difficultiesin the way he would agree to defer his motion for thepresent, and accept Sir W. Gull’s amendment.

Sir W. Gull’s amendment was then carried.

REPORT OF THE NITROUS OXIDECOMMITTEE.

THE second and final report of the Joint Committee ofthe Odontological Society and the Dental Hospital staff,constituted to investigate the action of nitrous oxide gas,was presented to the meeting of the former body, held onMonday evening last.The report was read by Mr. Harrison, the chairman of

the Committee, who explained that the delay in its presen-tation was due to the difficulty of following out the investi-gation except at the expense of much time.Thepoints submitted to the Committee for investigation,

he remarked, were (1) the manner in which the agent actedas an anaesthetic, (2) the mode of treatment necessary in theevent of the occurrence of alarming symptoms from the useof the gas, (3) the possibility and best mode of prolonging

the anaesthetic effect of the gas, (4) the best mode of pre-paring and storing the gas, (5) the discovery of any anoma-lous effects during its exhibition, and (6) the mode ofmeeting these effects.The Committee found it impossible to undertake en WMse

special experiments in regard to the first. point, and thisdnty was delee-ated to Dr. Frankland, Mr. Coleman, andMr. Braine. The former, as the result of his investigations,carne to the conclusion that the nitrous oxide gas wheninhaled underwent very little if any change. Rabbitswere made to live for a certain time in atmospheres ofnitrous oxide of known composition aftar the lungs hadbeen emptied as far as possible of the residual air orfilled with oxygen, and the atmosphere was subsequentlyanalysed at different intervals of time after inhaling thenitrous oxide atmosphere, the result being as stated. Mr.Coleman’s experiments on the human subject gave similarresults; but Mr. Braine had not yet made his report. Thegeneral conclusion to be drawn from the experiments wasthat nitrous oxide induced anaesthesia by preventing oxida-tion.In regard to the second point the Committee stated that

in the case, of alarming symptoms coming on, artificialrespiration should be resorted to at once, care being takento draw the tongue well forward.With regard to the third point-viz., the possibility of

prolonging the anxsthetic effect,. the Committee statedthat this could be effected in many ways: in the case ofoperations on the mouth, by continuing to give the gasthrough the nose by a nose-piece, or by jetting the gasinto the mouth at eich inspiration, the nose being closedby a spring clip. In the case of operations upon partsother than the mouth, the inhalation of the gas could bekept up from time to time. The Committee expressed theirregret that, inasmuch as anseathesia could be kept up forseveral minutes, the gas was not used in place of chloro-form more frequently in the many minor operations of sur-gery, and they wished to direct the attention of surgeonsto this point.As to the fourth part, many well-known means had been

recently introduced.In regard to the fifth and sixth points, the Committee

were glad to say that with the improvement in the makingand administration of the gas, the occurrence of anomaloussymptoms, excitement, hysteria, fainting, &c., had becomeless a,nd less frequent. These conclusions were based upon58,000 administrations.As to the mode of death, it was certain that the respira-

tion stops in fatal cases in dogs before the heart ceases tobeat; the gas acted upon the nervous centres controllingthe respiratory act; hence the value of artificial respira-tion and electricity should death be impending.The Committee in their report next dealt with the mode

and circumstances under which the nitrous oxide may beused with otheransesthetics, showing that the former does notinterfere with the latter; and they conclude by pointing outwhat a safe ansesthetic is the nitrous oxide gas when usedwith ordinary care.

THE RECORDER OF NEWBURY ON THEADULTERATION ACT, 1872.

AT the Newbury Borough Sessions on Saturday last, theRecorder (George Morley Dowdeswell, Esq.) addressed thegrand jury at considerable length, stating that he shouldprobably have made arrangements for dispensing with theirattendance, there being no prisoners for trial, but for hisanxiety to call their attention to a most important and salu-tary Act which was passed during the last session of Par-liament. He alluded to the Adulteration Act, which wasa very valuable one, and it behoved such a community astheirs to pay not only strict attention to it, but also torender every possible effort to carry the Act into sound andeffective operation. This Act dealt with a class of offenceswhich had for many years past disgraced the mercantilecommunity in this country, and hitherto, unfortunately, noeffectual means had been provided by the Legislature for

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preventing one of the grossest frauds ever committed, par-ticularly on the poorer classes of the people. At last the

evil became so great as regards the public health, that theproprietors of THE LANCET (a well-known medical journal,conducted with great ability and spirit) formed a commis-sion to investigate the subject, and purchases of food anddrink were made of a large number of tradesmen, and thearticles so bought were submitted to a regular analysis.The consequence was that that proceeding exposed a

system of adulteration which was found to be almost uni-versal ; exceptions, at least, were rare. The system ofadulteration exposed through the enterprise of THE LANCETwas of the worst character, and it was certainly surprisingthat so many years had been allowed to pass before the

Legislature effected what was then so strongly recom-

mended by the whole of the medical men-namely, thatsome penalty should be imposed for this class of offences, sogrievous to the health as well as to the morals of the people.It was grievous to the morality of the people in this way:a man who was honest, and wished to conduct his tradehonestly, found himself placed in competition with thetradesman who was dishonest, and by that means the manwho would otherwise have conducted his trade fairly anduprightly and well, was driven to adopt a dishonest coursein order that he might be placed on the same footing asthose with whom he had to compete. There was no doubtthat but for the opposition offered by a gentleman con-nected with the Board of Trade some such salutary measureas the Adulteration Act would have been adopted a longtime since. He felt that if communities such as theirs didnot carry out the provisions of this Act it would be a signaldisgrace to them. The Recorder then read the recital of theAct, and said he did not believe that a stronger condemna-tion could come from the Legislature than that which wasembraced in that recital. It was desirable that every personengaged in trade should be made acquainted with the pro-visions of this Act, in order that there might be no longerany excuse for resorting to practices which, he was sorry tosay, had to a certain extent been winked at, or, at allevents tolerated, and had not received that condemnation itought to have received, and which this Act stamped as agross fraud, and also a great crime. The Recorder thenread several of the clauses in the Act, and explained thatthe adulteration of drugs was specially dealt with. Theattention of the Legislature was originally directed to thismatter by medical men, because they found that the medi-cines they prescribed had not their proper effects, and thelives of their patients were consequently jeopardised.When THE LANCET Commission investigated this matter,they found that neither beer nor spirits were ever served bythe retailers to the public in the condition they were sentout by the brewer or the distiller. The result was that thepoor man, irstead of receiving that which should quenchhis thirst and stimulate him to fresh exertion, was sup-plied with that which only created thirst and temporarilydeadened his senses. Such drinks were analysed by THELANCET Com mission and found to contain cocculus indicus,grains of paradise, and other drugs of a similar noxiouskind. Having fully explained the provisions of the Act, theRecorder said it threw an important duty upon the TownCouncil, and if they did not discharge it the Local Govern-ment Board might be invoked to compel the Council to carryout the provisions of this Act. It was most desirable theyshould be supplied with wholesome food and drink, and hehoped the Act would have the effect intended. The Legis-lature was evidently bent upon checking the evil, and if thisAct had not the desired effect more stringent measureswould no doubt be adopted. He was opposed to anythinglike a system of centralisation, and would feel sorryto see the control of this matter transferred fromthe Local to the Imperial Government, but if they wouldnot do for themselves what was provided for in thisAct, they must not be surprised if - the administration ofthis important element of domestic arrangements was trans-ferred to a foreign body who might act irrespeotive of anyfeelings of the people of the town. He hoped such a resultwould be avoided by the Town Council taking the matter inhand and carrying out earnestly and effectually the provi-sions of this important Act.

DR. DRUITT.

ON Thursday, the 31st October, several influential mem-bers of the profession met at Mr. Haynes Walton’s, with aview to initiate a movement for the recognition of thepublic and professional labours of Dr. Druitt, formerly Me-dical Officer of Health of St. George’s, Hanover-square, latePresident of the Metropolitan Association of Medical Officersof Health, and author of the " Surgeon’s Vade Mecum."Dr. Druitt has been for a long time in failing health, andis now compelled to leave this country for a period of ayear or more, in order to seek a warmer climate. Therewere present on the occasion-Mr. Prescott Hewett in thechair - Sir James Paget, Drs. Quain, Beale, WilliamFarr, Forbes Winslow, Greenhalgb, Meadows, and Ballard;Messrs. Savory, Henry Lee, Spencer Wells, Henry Smith,Christopher Heath, Ernest Hart, William Adams, HaynesWalton, and Arthur Norton. Letters were referred tofrom Sir William Gull, Sir Thomas Watson, Sir WilliamFergusson, Drs. Arthur Farre, Barnes, Webb, J. Wakley,Semple, Cholmeley, Laycock (Edinburgh) ; Messrs. Quain,Lane, Thomas Bryant, Jonathan Hutchinson, and E. Newton,requesting to be associated with the movement.The following resolutions were carried unanimously :-1. Proposed by Sir James Paget, seconded by Mr. Henry

Smith: ,That Dr. Druitt’s services to the public and theprofession, as a medical officer of health, as a medical

journalist, and as an author on professional subjects, aresuch as to deserve public recognition, that the present isa fit time for testifying a friendly sympathy with him in hisillness, and appreciation of his services, and that a sub-scription list be opened for this purpose :’

2. Proposed by Dr. William Farr, seconded by Mr.Spencer Wells : *’ That considering the nature and the ex-tent of the public services rendered by Dr. Druitt, thesubscription list be opened to others than members of themedical profession."A general committee was formed, comprising the names

above mentioned, with power to add to their number. Mr.

Haynes Walton, 1, Brook-street, Hanover-square, was re-quested to act as treasurer, and Mr. Arthur T. Norton,6, Wimpole-street, Cavendish-square, as honorary secretary.

Subscriptions may be sent to the treasurer or secretary,or may be placed to the account of the " Druitt TestimonialFund," Union Bank, Argyle-place, Regent-street, W.Amounts received will be acknowledged in one or more ofthe medical papers.

THE APPOINTMENT OF A MEDICAL OFFICEROF HEALTH FOR HALIFAX.

THE following memorial, signed by twenty-six medicalmen practising in Halifax, has been laid before the Mayor,Aldermen, and Councillors of the Borough of Halifax:-We, the undersigned members of the medical profession,

have learnt, with surprise and regret, that your SanitaryCommittee, from amongst several more highly qualifiedcandidates, have selected Mr. Ainley for the very importantand honourable post of Medical Officer of Health for theBorough, and that you, in Council, have accepted theirrecommendation.Concerned as we are with the prevention and cure of

disease, we hoped for the appointment of some fully quali-fied practitioner, who would command the respect, support,and co-operation of his confreres, which we believe to beessential for the effective performance of his duties, and forthe production of any real improvement in the sanitarystate of the district. But the candidate of your choice, byhis advertised connexion and association in practice with ahomoeopathic chemist, and by the adoption of views andprinciples repudiated by the great body of the profession, hascut himself off from the possibility of such co-operation;and, moreover, having no medical diploma, he has no legalauthority to undertake the treatment of patients in theBorough Hospital, all of whom will be suffering frommedical ailments.In short, whilst the duties of Medical Officer of Health

undoubtedly require for their effioient discharge the very