414

in Greenock. The deaths from measles, which had been 25, th24, and 22 in the three preceding weeks, further declined to Tl16 during the week under notice and included 11 in Glasgow and five in Dundee. The fatal cases of whooping-cough, re

which had been 25 and 22 in the two preceding weeks, ai

further decreased to nine, oï which five were registered frin Glasgow and three in Edinburgh. The deaths from clscarlet fever, which had been four and seven in the two e(

preceding weeks, declined again to six, and included four in Glasgow. The deaths referred to diseases of the respiratory organs in these towns, which had been 95, w

79, and 75 in the three preceding weeks, further decreased Cf

during the week under notice to 56, and were 11 below the finumber in the corresponding period of last year. The causes p:of 24, or more than 4 per cent., of the deaths in these eight irtowns were not certified. irThe annual rate of mortality in the eight Scotch towns, p

which had been 18 ’4 and 17 ’8 per 1000 in the two preceding e:

weeks, rose again to 19 ’8 per 1000 during the week ending tl

August 3rd, but was 2’6 per 1000 less than the mean-rate c,

during the same period in the 33 large English towns. The o

rates in the eight Scotch towns ranged from 14’4 in Paisley and 15’8 in Aberdeen to 22-1 in Greenock and 22-9 in t]Dundee. The 630 deaths in these towns included 128 whichwere referred to diarrhoea, 28 to whooping-cough, 13 to

measles, two to scarlet fever, two to "fever," and one

to diphtheria. In all, 174 deaths resulted from these

principal zymotic diseases last week, against 89 and 134 inthe two preceding weeks. These 174 deaths were equal toan annual rate of 5’5 per 1000, which was 2 ’5 per 1000 belowthe zymotic death-rate during the same period in the 33 largeEnglish towns. The fatal cases of diarrhoea, which hadbeen 29, 45, and 99 in the three preceding weeks, furtherrose last week to 128, of which 73 occurred in Glasgow, 15in Dundee, 12 in Edinburgh, nine in Leith, eight in Greenock, four in Aberdeen, four in Perth, and three in Paisley. The tdeaths from whooping-cough, which had been 25 and nine tin the two preceding weeks, increased again to 28 ’’

last week, and included 19 in Glasgow, five in Edinburgh, ]and three in Dundee. The fatal cases of measles, which had ]been 24 and 16 in the two preceding weeks, further declined last week to 13, of which seven were registered in Glasgow,three in Dundee, and two in Edinburgh. The deaths referred to diseases of the respiratory organs in these towns,which had been 79 and 56 in the two preceding weeks, roseagain last week to 65, but were slightly below the numberin the corresponding period of last year. The causes of 34,or more than 5 per cent. of the deaths in these eight townslast week were not certified.

HEALTH OF DUBLIN.

The death-rate in Dublin, which had been 20’7, 21’0, and1*8’4 per 1000 in the three preceding weeks, rose again to 20’6per 1000 during the week ending July 27th. During the fourweeks ending July 27th the death-rate has averaged 20’2per 1000, the rates during the same period being 15’8 inLondon and 17’3 in Edinburgh. The 148 deaths of personsbelonging to Dublin registered during the week undernotice were 16 in excess of the number in the precedingweek, and included 26 which were referred to the prin-cipal zymotic diseases, against seven, 10, and 18 in thethree preceding weeks ; of these 20 resulted from diarrhoea,four from whooping cough, one from diphtheria, and onefrom cholera. These 26 deaths were equal to an

annual rate of 3-6 per 1000, the zymotic death-rate

during the same period being 5’0 in London and 2’6 in

Edinburgh. The fatal cases of diarrhoea, which had beenfour and 14 in the two preceding weeks, further increased to20. The four deaths from whooping-cough slightly exceededthe average number in recent weeks. The 148 deaths inDublin during the week under notice included 35 of childrenunder one year of age and 38 of persons aged upwards of 60years ; the deaths both of infants and of elderly persons showeda slight excess over the numbers recorded in the precedingweek. One inquest case and four deaths from violence wereregistered during the week ; and 54, or more than one-third,of the deaths occurred in public institutions. The causesof six, or more than 4 per cent., of the deaths in Dublin werenot certified.The death-rate in Dublin, which had been 18’4 and 20’6

per 1000 in the two preceding weeks, was again 20-6 duringthe week ending August 3rd. During the past four weeksthe death-rate has averaged 20-2 per 1000, the rates during

the same period being 17’2 both in London and in Edinburgh.The 148 deaths of persons belonging to Dublin registeredduring the week under notice included 32 which were

referred to the principal zymotic diseases. against 10, 18,and 26 in the three preceding weeks ; of these, 23 resultedfrom diarrhoea, four from whoopiug-cough, four fromcholera, and one from "fever." These 32 deaths were

equal to an annual rate of 44 per 1000, the zymoticdeath-rates during the same period being 6’0 in Londonand 3-4 in Edinburgh. The fatal cases of diarrhoea,which had been four, 14, and 20 in the three pre-ceding weeks, further rose last week to 23. The deathsfrom whooping-cough corresponded with the number in thepreceding week, while the mortality from cholera showed anincrease. The 148 deaths registered in Dublin last weekincluded 43 of children under one year of age and 31 ofpersons aged upwards of 60 years ; the deaths of infantsexceeded the number recorded in the preceding week, whilethose of elderly persons showed a decline. Eight inquestcases and six deaths from violence were registered ; and 53,or more than a third, of the deaths occurred in publicinstitutions. The causes of five, or more than 3 per cent., ofthe deaths in Dublin last week were not certified.

THE SERVICES.

ROYAL NAVY MEDICAL SERVICE.

Surgeon T. D. Halahan to the Pioneer.

ROYAL ARMY MEDICAL CORPS.

Surgeon-Lieutenant-Colonel S. Farrant, West SomersetImperial Yeomanry, is appointed to the medical charge oftroops at Taunton. Lieutenant-Colonel Franklin is posted tothe Cambridge Hospital, Aldershot, for duty. LieutenantWells is posted to the Royal Artillery hut barracks at

Deepcut, Frimley, for duty. Lieutenant-Colonel A. H.Keogh, C.B., is appointed for temporary duty at the WarOffice. Lieutenant H. A. Davidson takes charge of theStation Hospital on Wilberforce Hill, Sierra Leone, and Lieu-tenant Hull is in the outlying country near Sierra Leonewith a detachment of the West African Regiment,The undermentioned Lieutenants to be Captains, dated

July 27th, 1901 : - George Snvder Nickerson, GeorgeBedford Crisp, Robert Strickland Hannay Fuhr, Walter

Jagger, George Johnston Stoney Archer, Robert Selby,Sidney Octavius Hall, Alfred Edmond Weld, James StuartGallie, Francis Joseph Christopher Heffernan, ArthurEdward Thorp, Cecil Wilmot Mainprise, Henry Herrick,Edward John Dobbin, James Cowan, Austin RomualdO’Flahertie, Henry Beckles Gall Walton, and Edmund

Philip Hewitt.Civil Surgeon Charles Glendenning Thomson to be Lieu-

tenant. Dated August 3rd, 1901.IMPERIAL YEOMANRY.

Derbyshire : Richard Mervyn Wilson to be Surgeon-Lieu-tenant. Dated May 24th, 1901.

ARMY MEDICAL RESERVE OF OFFICERS.

Surgeon-Captain J. V. W. Rutherford to be Surgeon-Major.Dated August 3rd, 1901. Surgeon-Captain James Cameron,6th Volunteer Battalion the Royal Scots (Lothian Regiment),to be Surgeon-Captain. Dated August 3rd, 1901.

VOLUNTEER MEDICAL STAFF CORPS.

The London Companies: Surgeon-Lieutenant E. B.

Waggett to be Surgeon-Captain. Dated August 3rd, 1901.The Woolwich Companies : William Henry Payne to be

Surgeon-Lieutenant. Dated August 3rd, 1901.VOLUNTEER CORPS.

Artillery 1st Forfarshire : The undermentioned officerresigns his commission : Surgeon-Lieutenant R. Soutar.Dated August 3rd, 1901. lst West Riding of Yorkshire(Western Division, Royal Garrison Artillery) : Surgeon-Lieu-tenant A. L. Whitehead to be Surgeon-Captain. Rifle; :2nd Volunteer Battalion the Duke of Cornwall’s LightInfantry : Surgeon-Captain W. Nettle to be Surgeon-Major.Dated August 3rd, 1901. 1st Dumbartonshire : The under-mentioned Surgeon-Lieutenants to be Surgeon-Captains: D.Christie, dated July 17th, 1900 ; C. F. Spinks, dated

415

April 3rd, 1901. 19th Middlesex (Bloomsbury) : Surgeon-Captain A. W. Wigmore resigns his commission. Dated

August 3rd, 1901.

Correspondence.

ARE BOVINE (PERLSUCHT) AND HUMANTUBERCULOSIS IDENTICAL ?

"Audi alteram partem."

To the Editors ot THE LANCET.

SIRS,-On March 10th, 1880, a communication was madeby Professor Virchow to the Berlin Medical Society andsubsequently printed in the Berliner Klinische Wochenschriftof April 5th and 12th following, "Ueber die Perlsuchtder Hausthiere und deren Uebertragung durch die Nahrung,"which may be advantageously studied at the present time.The results arrived at, after several years’ experimentationunder Professor Virchow’s own direction, are given and greatstress is laid upon the specific characters which distinguishbovine (Perlsucht) from human tuberculosis. The two

following paragraphs are specially interesting-bearing inmind that they were written two years before Dr. Kochannounced his discovery of the tubercle bacillus in the,Berliner Klinise7be Wochenschrift of April 10th, 1882.

The fact that Klebs succeeded in developing pearl-nodules byinjecting human tuberculous matter in the calf certainly seems toprove that the two products are of the same nature. Such a proofwould unquestionably be conclusive did we not know that in animalsvarious other substances give rise to tubercle, or to deposits similar totubercle, just as readily as tuberculous matter from human beings does..A decision, however, on this point may, I think, be postponed untilanother question is settled which Herr Klebs has raised-namely,whether or not a special micro-organism or parasite exists to whichtuberculous infection is due. At the present moment the existence ofthis micro-organism has not been demonstrated, and I certainly wouldnot d priori deny its existence. We have, nevertheless, every reasonto wait and see whether a micro-organism is or,is not the commonsource both of tubercle and of pearl-nodules.In the meantime, I think it important we should recognise that

Perlsucht (bovine tuberculosis) runs a different course from tuberculosisin the human subject. I would point specially to the fact that ulcera-tion is directly associated with caseous degeneration. The ulcer is

produced by softening of the caseous matter (aus dem Ease gehtdurch Erweichung das Geschwir hervor). If any deposit similar totubercle does not undergo caseous degeneration there is thenno tendency to ulceration. This is precisely the condition inbovine tuberculosis. In cattle we do not find phthisis ulcerosa de-veloped from Perlsucht, but instead we find firm tumours which becomelarger and harder the longer they last and which may finally reach thesize of a man’s head. These are important differences, and in themeantime we may, I think, be content to designate pearl-nodules as

pearl-nodules and tubercle as tubercle. If we wish to express adogmatic view of the matter we may say that pearl-nodules representtubercle in cattle, but we must always maintain that both the coursethey take and their structure are different to what we see in the humansubject. In any case ive must bear in mind that, as yet, no individiaal hasever contracted pearl-nodules from eating the flesh of animals affectedwith bovine tuberculosis-therein lies the theoretical difficulty(Jedenfalls muss man sich erinnern, dass noch niemals ein Menschdurch den Genuss perlsüchtigen Fleisches Perlknoten bekommen hat-Das war die theoretische Schwierigkeit).

T:1.ffi Sirs yours f:1,it:hfnllv.P. W. LATHAM.

"THE SALE OF DRUGS BY MEDICALGRADUATES."

To the Editors of THE LANCET.

SIRS,-I am instructed to send you the annexed copy ofa resolution recently adopted by the Senatus Academicusof this University and to request that you will kindly giveit a place in the next issue of THE LANCET. I maymention that a similar resolution has been adopted by theUniversity of Aberdeen.

I am, Sirs, yours faithfully,L.J. GRANT

University of Edinburgh, August 6th, 1901.Secretary of Senatus.

[COPY.]"Whilst it is admitted that the exigencies of practice in certain

localities may sometimes render it unavoidable for a medical practi-tioner to supply to his patients the remedies which he prescribes-the Medical Faculty of this University is of opinion that it is undesir-able and detrimental to the position of medical graduates of the

University that this custom should be followed under other Ctr-

cumstances; and further, it regards the sale of objects other thanremedies by its medical graduates as, under all circumstances, to bestrongly deprecated."

THE EDUCATION AND EXAMINATION OFOFFICERS FOR THE ARMY.

To the Editors of THE LANCET.

SIRS,—In the discussion in Parliament upon the subject ofarmy reform one of the most important considerations shouldbe the education and examination of officers.

In submitting the following observations I venture to

premise that few men in my profession have earned a betterright of counsel than myself, since I have served one of thelargest and most renowned public schools of England for aperiod of 30 years and have thus been enabled to perceiveand to weigh the good and evil features in the system offorming and educating officers.

It is not many years ago that the boy who could pass intothe army from school was a rara avis. For most lads had toseek the intervention of that class of teacher called the"crammer, to whom many parents and boys owe a deepdebt of gratitude for assistance at a time when little otherhelp was accessible. In recent years the public schools haveseen the error of their ways and have removed the difficultyby preparing boys for admission direct to Woolwich andSandhurst with marked success. This course has alsoinvolved the advantage of preserving the continuity betweenschool life and the army.

I am not concerned in discussing the character of theedueation in practice for the purpose required, beyondobserving that the education of a considerable proportionof young Englishmen is somewhat hampered by the require-ments of the military entrance examinations, which is shownby the fact that of the large numbers who are specially pre-pared for this profession about one-third only, roughlyspeaking, are able to obtain commissions, while the remain-ing two-thirds have become specialised to their own detri-ment. The numbers vary year by year according to the

requirements of the army, the actual figures for 1897, theyear before any war preparations were made, being 1300candidates for 373 commissions. If a general school educa-tion is a sufficient preparation for the universities and forthe learned professions it ought to be adequate forthe army without any special preparation prior to

entry at Woolwich or Sandhurst. If not, then so

much the worse for the education. Why should sucha requirement be necessary in a public school as an armyclass ? ’? If it be why should not the public schools be

requested to provide navy, university, clerical, medical,legal, and commercial classes ? The whole system of prepara-ration for the army is defective. The school education forthe army, as for all other professions, should be that of

English gentlemen and nothing more.But more unwise still is the mode of examination of bovs

for entrance to Woolwich and Sandhurst, where thecapacities of the candidate are not considered as a whole ;but the test is restricted to the quantity of mental food hehas been able to digest.The examination of candidates is biennial and takes place

at various centres for convenience. The whole of the candi-dates undergo the mental examination in various subjects,for which, to put it shortly, the following marks are

assigned: 5000 in mathematics, 4000 in languages, and5000 in other subjects. And not a solitary mark is allottedto physique ! By physique I do not mean size ; for someof our most illustrious officers have been small-made men,who seem more in demand now than ever. But I refer tothe possession of capacious chests, good limbs, generalvigour, and sound health.The candidates who have qualified in the mental examina-

tion, and for whom commissions are available, are thensubmitted to the ordeal of a physical examination. Andhere I hold that an element of unfairness is discernible, notfrom the personal action of the medical examiner or fromthe personal conduct of his director, but from the faultysystem in vogue which permits the injustice and whichrequires rectification if candidates are to receive their dueand the army is to secure the best type of officer. For whilebrains are imperative in modern warfare, staying power isequally necessary. At this physical examination the

qualified candidates who are mainly rejected are those in