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521 THE recent sitting of the Swiss Medical Commis- sion at Berne considered measures to prevent the intrusion of foreigners into medical practice in Switzerland. THE Proceedings of the Medical Conference of Red Cross Societies, held at Cannes in April, 1919, have now been issued by the League of Red Cross Societies at Geneva in a volume containing portraits of the delegates. THE LATE DR. R. J. BANNING.-The death of Robert Joseph Banning has occurred at his residence, Helidon, Shoeburyness, Essex, on Feb. 10th, aged 87. Dr. Banning saw the first excursion train leave Liverpool for London, and, during a visit to America, he met George Washington. He was born in Liverpool, where he raceived part of his medical education at the old medical school. He also studied at the Middlesex Hospital and qualified with the L.S.A. in 1854. As a civil surgeon he took part in the Crimean War and for his services was granted the medal. In 1857 he graduated M.D. at St. Andrews, and in 1858 became a Member of the Royal College of Surgeons of England. For a time he acted as honorary medical officer to the Gatesbead Dispensary, subsequently practising at Shoeburyness. During the session 1894-95 he presided over the West London Medico-Chirurgical Society. BRIGHTON AND HOVE DISPENSARY.-There should be no need to call attention to the excellent work that is being done by the Brighton, Hove, and Preston Dispensary, established over 100 years ago. Statistics of the past year’s work give proof of the value of the institution to the townspeople. Yet the year 1919 closed with an overdraft of nearly £1500, and at the annual meeting of the governors it was declared that unless there were more annual subscribers the work of the institution would have to be curtailed by the closing down of some of the wards. A special effort is to be made to relieve the financial strain, and, realising the very useful work of women, the rules were altered so as to permit one-third of the governors to be women. THE LATE DR. J. H. DAVIES.-John Hopkyn Davies, who died in London on Feb. 10th, was a well-known practitioner at Port Talbot, where he had lived for some 50 years. He was educated in his father’s school at Newcastle Emlyn, and afterwards entered at the Middlesex Hospital, qualifying M.R.C.S. Eng. and L.S.A. in 1872. In 1889 he obtained the degree of M.D. Durh. Formerly medical officer to the Aberavon Urban District Council, Dr. Davies was at the time of his death in charge of the health of the Margam district, assistant health officer for Port Talbot, and superintendent of the Margam Sanatorium. He was on the commission of peace for Glamorgan. UNIVERSITY OF DURHAM COLLEGE OF MEDICINE. NEWCASTLE-UPON-TYNE: ANNUAL REPORT.-The annual report of the Council was presented to the Court of Governors at their meeting on Feb. llth. The report begins with an expression of regret for the death of Professor Frederick Page, who was appointed lecturer on medical jurisprudence in 1875 and filled the office of registrar for about 30 years. With regard to the present position of the medical school the report states :- The number of students at present in attendance is 389 (70 women and 319 men), and is the largest in the history of the College, being an increase of 150 over the year 1918, and 220 over that of 1917. This is mainly accounted for by the entrance of men who have been discharged from H.M. Forces since the signing of the peace. Preference of admission to the College was given to these men, about 120 of whom are in receipt of grants towards their mainten- ance and their tuition fees from the Board of Education. After admitting these ex-Service students it was found impossible, owing to want of accommodation, to receive a good many of the other students who applied. Although the entry of students will, no doubt, fall somewhat next winter the Council is of opinion that the present great demand for qualified medical men and women will not be met for a consider- able number of years. In view of this, reference must again be made to the immediate need of increasing the accommodation and the’ facilities for teaching. During the past year the teaching staff has been strengthened by the ai)i)oititiiietit of additional assistants in the departments of anatomy, physiology, pathology, and bacterio- logy, but the endowment of a chair of medical chemistry (bio- chemistry) and a great increase in the laboratory and other accommodation of the College are crying needs. A committee of the Council has reported that it is impossible to extend the College on its present limited site sufficiently to meet the requirements of modern medical education, and recommends the erection of a new and greatly enlarged College in the vicinity of the Royal Victoria Infirmary. It is estimated that a sum of about .E250.000 will be required to erect and endow the new build- ing. Residential hostels for male and female students are also needed, together with proper housing for the Students’ Union Society. To provide these a further sum of about £30,000 is necessary. This College is the only school of medicine between Edinburgh and Leeds, and a good propor- tion of the medical practitioners of the North of England have been educated in it. COMPLIMENTARY DINNER TO LORD DAWSON. ON Wednesday evening, Feb. 25th, a dinner was given by the Federation of Medical and Allied Societies to Lnrd Dawson of Penn, the occasion being to congratulate him upon his elevation to the peerage. The dinner took place at the Café Royal, Sir Malcolm Morris, the chairman of the Federation, presiding, when a representative body of guests assembled, among those present being Dr. Addison (the Minister of Health), Lord Astor, Sir Robert Morant, Dr. Arthur Latham, Dr. Dawson Williams, Mr. E. B. Turner, Dr. G. E. Has1ip, Lord Charnwood, Sir Ronald Ross, Sir W. Arbuthnot Lane, Dr. J. F. Gordon Dill, Dr. E. H. Stancomb, Mr. C. J. Bond, Sir John MacAlister, Dr. W. Elliot, M.P., Dr. Jane Walker, Miss L. Aldrich-Blake, Dr. R. H. Cole, Sir David Ferrier, and Dr. Squire Sprigge. The Chairman, proposing the health of Lord Dawson, started by pointing out that the new peer might be seduced into giving gratuitous consultations in the Upper House, or be compelled by emergency to attend noblemen suffering from political shock, even from a precipitous fall from the Woolsack. Concluding in a more serious vein, he urged that the presence of a practising physician in the House of Lords was an earnest that in the future doctors would engage more closely in State affairs. Lord Dawson, in reply, acknowledged frankly the pleasure it gave him to receive appreciation from a representative body of his own colleagues, and repeated Sir Malcolm Morris’s message that in the new era medical men would take a greater share in State responsibilities. Dr. Addison, protesting that he had definitely refused to make a speech, laid stress upon the important position which Lord Dawson occupied as Chairman of the Medical Consultative Committee under the Ministry of Health, and said that in a short time the first report from that body would be published, when its recommendations would have to be read seriously, though it did not follow that it would be possible to adopt them all. Mr. Bond made an eloquent exposition of what the rela- tions between the public and the medical profession should be in wishing prosperity to the Federation, to which Dr. Howard Mummery replied by stating very clearly the hopes and aims of that body. Mr. E. B. Turner proposed the health of the Chairman, who briefly replied. The Services. ARMY MEDICAL SERVICE. Major-Gen. J. B. Wilson and Col. D. D. Shanahan are placed on half pay. - Temp. Col. A. S. Woodwark relinquishes his commission and retains the rank of Colonel. Col. T. H. M. Clarke retires on retired pay. ROYAL ARMY MEDICAL CORPS. Lieut.-Col. J. G. McNaught retires on retired pay. Lieut.-Col. C. S. Smith is placed on the half-pay list on account of ill-health. Major G. H. Stevenson to be acting Lieutenant-Colonel. The undermentioned relinquish the acting rank of Major: Capt. and Bt.-Major W. E. Marshall; Capts. G. G. Collet and G. A. Bridge; Temp. Capts. P. P. J. Stewart and H. M. Anderson. Major and Bt. Lieut.-Col. W. Benson relinquishes the acting rank of Lieutenant-Colonel. Capt. W. S. Martin, from unattached list, T.F., to be Temporary Lieutenant. Temp. Capt. (acting Major) R. G. Oram (Lieutenant, 9th Lond. R., T.F.) relinquishes his temporary commission. Capt. P. C. Field is restored to the estabiishmrnt. Temp. Capt. H. A. Tillman to be acting Major whilst specially employed. Officers relinquishing their commissions :-Temp. Hon. Lieut.-Col. J. H. Nicholl (retains the honorary rank of Lieutenant-Colonel). Temporary Majors retaining the rank of Major: W. P. Yetts, J. R. Lee, E. B. C. White. Temp. Hon. Major A. M. Westwater (retains the honorary rank of Major). Temp. Capt. (acting Lieut.-Col.) F. R. Fraser (granted the rank of Major). Temp. Capt. (acting Major) J. W. Innes (granted the rank of Major). Temporary Captains retaining the rank of Captain: J. B. Donaldson, R. H. Liscombe, S. F. McDonald, S. S. Rosebery, G. M. Jones, T. W. Kelly, E. C. Black, A. A. Henderson, C. V. Walker, W. P. Cooney, C. E. Meryon, A. C. B. McMurtrie, J. G. Jones, J. F. Bridge, H. M. Leathes, H. G. Steel, F. J. Fahy, W. R. Reynell, F. M. Bishop. SPECIAL RESERVE OF OFFICERS. Capt. J. R. Caldwell resigns his commission. TERRITORIAL FORCE. Capt. (acting Lieut.-Col.) J. Tait relinquishes the acting rank of Lieut.-Colonel on ceasing to be specially employed.
