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that such a tale of cruelty inflicted upon the object of thedefendant’s love would so affect his unstable brain that yearsafter he heard of the occurrence he would arm himself anddeliberately kill the assailant, though the defendant himselftravelled about Europe with this girl, living as man andwife, after learning of her downfall, and before they werelawfully married. While the defence aimed to proveinsanity at the time of the murder it also aimed to

prove that the defendant had meantime recovered andthus to prepare the way for his escaping both executionfor his crime on the ground of insanity at the time thecrime was committed and commitment to an asylum as acriminal afflicted with incurable insanity. The positionwas an exceedingly difficult one for a medical expertwitness under cross-examination by an attorney as learnedand resourceful as our prosecuting officer. They had abun-dant opportunities personally to examine the prisoner, aprivilege denied to the half-dozen experts who appeared onthe part of the prosecution. While the experts for thedefence declared the prisoner insane when he committed thecrime they refused to classify the form of insanity, but statedthat he was subject to "brain storms," and the seniorcounsel of the defence invented the term dementia

Americana." The six experts on-the part of the prosecution Iunited in the opinion that the prisoner was sufferingfrom paranoia, and was incurable. This disagreement resultedin the appointment of a Commission in Lunacy, consisting ofone physician and two lawyers, who were directed todetermine whether the prisoner was insane at the time of thetrial, and on its conclusion that he was sane at the time oftheir examination the case went to the jury, with the resultthat there was no agreement. This trial has provedexceedingly damaging to expert medical testimony. Forthree months 12 of the most prominent alienists of thiscountry, divided into two camps of six each, have aided theattorneys of their resl,ective sides, by private counsel and onthe witness stand, in maintaining directly opposite opinions.as to the mental condition of the prisoner. However honestand independent these alienists may have been in theformation of their opinions the public came to regard themas partisans, subsidised by enormous fees. To the lay mind,the adroitly evasive answers of the experts, their efforts atrepartee with the attorneys, and their refusal to answer

.questions which would evidently impair the line of prosecu-tion or defence, for which they were engaged, were satis-factory proofs that such testimony was not trustworthy.This public judgment of the untrustworthy character ofmedical expert testimony in the Thaw case strongly reinforcesthe growing prejudice in this country against medical experttestimony in all cases.

A .Lverv Defence in uases of An interesting case was recently in the courts of the State

of Texas. A woman, who was a I I Christian Scientist," wasinjured in a railroad accident. She brought a suit againstthe company, alleging that she suffered severe pain as theresult of the accident. The defence was that as she was abeliever in " Christian Science," a religious faith whichenables the believer to prevent pain in her person by theexercise of her will, her failure to employ her faith forher relief was contributory negligence. The lower court, inwhich the case was first tried, rejected this defence and theprosecution won a verdict for damages. On appeal thehighest court of Texas reversed the decision of the first courtand ordered a new trial on the ground that the plaintiff wasin law bound to use proper measures for the relief of pain,and as she had implicit faith in " Christian Science," whichtaught that pain could be prevented by the exercise of thewill of the sufferer, her failure to employ that remedy wasnegligence. It was required that in the re-trial the defenceshould be allowed to introduce evidence for the considerationof the jury relating to the plaintiff’s faith in the " ChristianScience " method of preventing and relieving pain.

Vaccination in the Philippines.Dr. V. G. Heiser, chief United States quarantine officer of

the Philippines, states that the systematic vaccination of thepeople has resulted in a very marked diminution of small-pox to a degree unknown for 300 years. During the quartercovered by the report the work of vaccinating the entirepopulation of Cebu was completed, the first time in the

history of the Philippines that the people of a province,numbering over three quarters of a million, have been vacci-nated. Whenever the vaccination of a province is com-

pleted the work is followed up by vaccinating every six

months all the children who have been born during thatperiod and all unvaccinated persons who may have taken uptheir residence there during the interim.

La7v controlling Marri,5kqe in the Interests of Public Health.The Philadelphia County Medical Society recently passed a

resolution expressing its approval of a Bill betore the

Pennsylvania legislature requiring certificates to the effectthat both parties to a proposed marriage are, in the opinionof a qualified physician, free from disease transmissible toprogeny. Similar measures are now before several State

legislatures and in two or three instances they have beenenacted into law and are now operative. -

A Nen’ Name for the Mosquito which communicates YelloroFever

The Departments of Public Health and of Agriculturethrough the bureau of entomology, have adopted the nameof "stegomyia calopus" as the name of the yellow fevermosquito. It has been known heretofore by several names,such as culex fasciatus, culex calopus, and stegomyiafasciata. More than a century ago the mosquito, now

recognised as the species having the power of communicatingyellow fever to the human subject, was classified as a culex,with the title of culex fasciatus, a name formerly given toan insect not identical with this one. The term culex calopuswas adopted later, but with the classification of this mosquitowith the genus stegomyia it is now proposed to give it thename, stegomyia calopus, by which it will hereafter bedesignated officially in this country.April 19th.

THE ROYAL ACADEMY EXHIBITION.

THE one hundred and thirty-ninth exhibition of the RoyalAcademy of Arts will be opened to the public on Mondaynext, May 6bh, and the public will find in the beautifulgalleries of Burlington House a show of average merit-that is to say, there is provided for their inspection a fewgood pictures, a great many pleasing works, and a certainnumber of canvases for the presence of which it is not easy toaccount. The accusation repeatedly brought against theAcademy that the wall space is largely monopolised by theAcademicians and Associates is not in the least borneout th’s year. To treat the outsider generously came intofashion at the exhibitions of the Royal Academy some

ten years ago, and appears now to have grown into acustom. The day when the line of sight was monopolisedin room after room by large replicas of the bygone exploitsof Academicians is over, a reform which makes distinctlyfor the popularity of the exhibition, while showing theAcademicians and the Associates to distinct advantage asartists.

In landscape the present exhibition is strong ; there aregood examples of every sort and the best work is thework of the old hands. The most likely to arrestattention are the poetic pictures of Mr. Alfred East, thesimple but admirably executed pictures of Mr. Leader,the pxamples of their art sent by Mr. Joseph Farquharson,Mr. Peter Graham, Mr. J. MacWhirter, and Mr. DavidMurray, and the sun-flooded canvasses of Mr. Clausen andMr. La Thangue. We do not always find it easy to believe inMr. Clausen’s prismatic sun-effects, but if his daring betrayshim sometimes it enables him at others to achievewonderful success. Mr. La Thangue’s work is far moreobvious, but exhibits just as accurate observation of thewonderful manner in which a flood of light may transmutethe soberest objects into lines and masses of gorgeouscolour.

Portraits on the whole are not so numerous, we think, asthey have been of recent years, or is it that the comparativeabsence of the robes and uniforms belonging to variousmayoralties, doctorates, and services are less in evidence ?There is a sound little representation of the King by Mr. A. S.Cope, and a good portrait of Sir William Perkin by the sameartist, the subject’s life-work being effectively if naivelyindicated by his grasp of a mauve ribband ; the Hon. JohnCollier’s portrait of the late Sir Michael Foster is a dignifiedpicture and an admirable likeness; Mr. Albert Collingssends a portrait of Lord Ampthill, which depicts that excellentadministrator as nine feet high ; Sir William Richmond ex-hibits an alert and dignified portrait of Miss Mary Robinson and

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a-most interesting presentation portrait of Mr. Arthur Evansthe archaeologist (this is to be hung in the AshmoleanMuseum). Of several portraits by Mr. J. J. Shannon thatof Mis. Tekelheimer will be most admired ; Mr. GeorgeHenry adds to his laurels as a painter of beautiful womenand has had great opportunities in his sitters ; Mr.Christopher Williams sends a good likeness of Sir JohnWilliams ; Mr. Nowell is equally successful in a grave and

quiet portrait of Herr Paul David, the well-known directorof music at Uppingham School (a presentation portraitfrom old pupils) ; Mr. Harold Waite in a portrait ofMr. Justin McCarthy reproduces the almost painfulfacial contortions of presbyopia with fidelity, but sacrificesto that fidelity the grace of the picture ; Mr. WilliamRanken’s extremely clever portrait of Mrs. Brown Pottergives the well-known actress a chevelure of an almost

impossibly daring red ; Mr. Harris Brown’s portrait of SirAndrew Noble is a vigorous and thoughtful exploit ; and Mr.Sargent continues to prove that he is the really great andoriginal portrait painter of them all. Mr. Sargent is not sosensational or audacious as he has been on some occasions,but the easy mastery with which he paints, his psychologicalinstinct, and his uncompromising candour are as well dis-played as ever.There is a notable absence of pictures telling any story or

illustrating any episode of particularly medical interest.There are no sick-beds or ministering physicians and almostno nude anatomical studies. The natural colour of the

healthy human being seems to be more widely recognised bythe exhibitors this year, for the involuntary presentments ofansemia or jaundice, of which we have had formerly tocomplain, are practically absent. One painter, Mr. SigismundGoetze, is determined to be in the van of the movement forstimulating the natural method of the feeding of infants.In a well-executed but banal allegory, entitled "Greatest ofThese," the central figure is a lady suckling a child of four,which is somewhat of a physiological exploit.

In the sculpture gallery there is an excellent bust by Mr.Hope Pinker of the late Sir John Burdon Sanderson.

ASYLUM REPORTS.

The Lancashire Inebriates Reformatory, Langho, near

Blackburn (Third Annical Report of the LancashireInebriates Acts Board).-At the beginning of 1906 therewere 120 persons under treatment in this institution.During the year 36 were received, seven were released onlicence, one was transferred to Aylesbury State Reformatory,and 14 were discharged on expiry of sentence. Althoughthere were many " mental defectives " none have beencertified as insane during the year. Only three persons havebeen committed under Section 1 of the Inebriates Act, 1898.Under this section any habitual drunkard who is convicted onindictment of any offence punishable with imprisonment maybe committed to a reformatory, provided that the court issatisfied from the evidence that the offence was committedunder the influence of drink or that drunkenness was a con-tributing cause of the offence. Dr. F. A. Gill considers thatneither the cost of detention to the committing authoritynor lack of accommodation can be advanced as a reason forthe little use made of this section. Probably the chiefreason is the necessity for the indictment to higher courts-a proceeding which involves delay and extra work. Dr.Gill believes that more cases of attempted suicide might betreated under this section with good results. He states that

larceny, violence to the person or property, and cruelty tochildren are amongst the most common crimes, and perhapsthe most important of these from our point is the last. Themothers generally do well after release and the benefit totheir husbands and their children is incalculable. UnderSection 2 of the Inebriates Act, 1898, any habitual inebriatewho commits any offence mentioned in the first schedule ofthe Act-e g., being found drunk in a public place, drunkand disorderly, &c.-and who within 12 months precedingthe date of commission of the offence has been convictedsummarily at least three times of any of the offences somentioned, may be sentenced to detention in a refcrma-tory. Any person charged with an offence against thissection may refuse to be dealt with summarily andmay then be committed for trial on indictment. Fewercases have been committed under this section than in

tne two precearng years. The inmates are cnreny employeesin laundry work, needlework, wood-chopping, and farm workof all kinds. Before leaving the reformatory on the expiryof sentence every woman is offered assistance through the-medium of one of the various societies which have kindlyoffered to help in the important work of after-care. Dr-Gill reports that with the help of the above and the police hehas endeavoured to keep in touch with all cases released,and so far as he can ascertain their conduct is as follows :.

seven doing well, five cannot be traced, eight have relapsed,and one has been convicted of crime but not for drunkenness.With regard to the discharges, several of them throughouttheir sentence showed the utmost indifference to their future-welfare and would probably make little or no effort to keepsober when discharged. Nine showed quite obvious

symptoms of mental defect and two are chronic in-valids as well. Their previous convictions recorded anaverage of 22’ 8 each. Dr. Gill states that regard-ing the eight discharges who relapsed, it is a pity thattheir sentences were only for two years, as another yearmight have made all the difference between a cure and afailure. In order to show the mental state of those who havebeen under care in the reformatory since it was opened in1904 Dr. Gill has drawn up a table which is well worthy ofconsideration. He shows that 2’3 per cent. were insane,7 6 per cent. were very defective, 50 per cent. were

defective, and only 39.7 per cent. were of average mentalcapacity. Thus the proportion of mental defectives to thetotal committed to the reformatory is over 60 per cent. Dr.Gill gives the following as the mental characteristics of thehabitual drunkard: (1) an absolute disregard for truth ; (2) delusion of persecution ; (3) a sense of rectitude; and(4) lack of self-control. The medical director concludes hisreport by diséussing some of the various remedies for thetreatment of the habitual drunkard. Repeated short terms.of imprisonment he considers to be worse than useless, for in avery large proportion of the cases the individuals are mentallydefective. This fact is clearly demonstrated in the report ofthe medical inspector under the Inebriates Act, 1898, for lastyear, in which he gives the percentage of mentally defectiveas over 62 per cent. Dr. Gill states that these figures showup the true psychology of the police-court habitual drunkardwith startling vividness and should be seriously consideredby all who are so ready to denounce reformatories for theirapparent futility as curative institutions. He welcomes thenewer treatment in reformatories as scientific, humane, andrational, for it is now possible to sift the material and therebyto give the hopeful ones a chance and to protect the moredegenerate. A life of idleness is not advocated, for theyought to contribute something towards th. ir maintenance andthis is better done under supervision and discipline than asfree agents. Dr. Gill considers that more might be done toprevent the manufacture of drunkards by segregating the olderhabitual drunkards and so withdrawing their evil influenceand example from corrupting others. Mental defectives arenot naturally drunkards but have acquired the evil habit asthe result of environment, and the pernicious element ofwhich is the association with other drinkers. This is shown

by the fact that there are few or no cases committed to thereformatory from rural districts. Now rural districts have aproportion of mental defectives as well as towns, but theydo not seem to be manufactured into inebriates as they arein towns, the chief factor in this being probably the absenceof vicious environment and example. The only remedy forthe majority of the feeble-minded class of habitual drunkardis permanent detention and as the law stands at present thisis impossible.

EAST-END MOTHERS’ LYING-IN HOME.—Thereport for 1906 shows that this charity continues to doexcellent work ; 430 women were delivered in the home andin the out-patient district 458 women were attended at theirconfinements. Of 883 children born alive 11 died. Therewere two deaths of mothers in the home and none in thedistrict. The number of out-patients attended Ehows a

decrease from the last report, which is attributed to the

poorer women being unable to meet the fee of 2s. 6d. chargedon each letter. At present the total Lumber of beds in thehome is 22 and it is desired to collect funds to increase thisaccommodation. The annual meeting of governors will takeplace on May 9th, at 4 30 P.M., at 17, Cavendish-square,London, W., by kind permission of the Earl and Countes&of Bessborough.